Minaksi-Sundaresvara: ‘Tiruvilaiyatar Puranam’ in Letters, Design and Art

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The present book deals with the tiruvilaiyatal (Sanskrit lila) myths from the most ancient to the 18th century AD. It is the self-financed report of Dr R.K.K. Rajarajan and Dr Jeyapriya. The reflections of the theme in the art of the Pandya country is cogently traced and illustrated with 140 photographic illustrations.

Two chapters deal with the artistic potentiality of theme in Maturai and Greater Maturai. The literary sources are summarized in two chapters. Few western scholars have written on Minaksi, “marriage” and Alakar heading to Vaikai from the literary point of view. The present works brings out the artistic dimension of theme. A chapter on Pandyas deals with their history purely from a literary point of view cursorily reflecting on epigraphical sources. An annexure deals with the Sanskritic sources. Another annexure examines the sculptures in the “New Pavilion” with due reference to the myths that support such illustrations.

The work represents a new trekking in art historical scholar-ship, based on Tamil sources. The tiruvilaiyatals as literary motifs have been traced from the ancient (Cilappatikaram 5th century) to the Nayaka period. The photographic illustrations in colour are unpublished and add immensely to visually enjoy the theme. The study shows how a regional theme has acquired national and international recognition by virtue of its many-fold expression in art, thought and literature.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeyapriya Rajarajan

Dr Jeyapriya Rajarajan hails from a family of distinguished scholars, Prof. Raju Kalidos and Prof. R.K.K. Rajarajan. Beginning her scholarship in historical studies, she took her M.Phil. under the guidance of the eminent historian, Prof. S. Manikcam of the Madurai Kamaraj University. She took her Ph.D. from the Tamil University. She has many articles to her credit in East and West, Rome, and several felicitation volumes to noted archaeologists and historians at home. She was in Eritrea for some time with her husband and son. Employed in Theni, the author's thirst for historical scholarship is immense. She has completed a book on "Sacred Sports of Siva" that deals with a neglected aspect of art history on Tamil Nadu, i.e., Tiruvilaiyatar Puranam in literature and art. Forthcoming, this work is sure to be a ground breaking research in art history. The author has to her credit several more articles forthcoming in international journals. A budding scholar, she deserves the commendations of scholars in the field.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR R K K Rajarajan

Born in 1973, Dr. R.K.K. Rajarajan had his schooling and university education at Madurai and Thanjavur. He did his M. Phil and Ph.D. under the inspiration of his father, Prof. Raju Kalidos. Since a college student, his father trained him in Hindu iconography. The thesis was unanimously “Highly Commended” by a board of experts, including Prof. Maurizio TADDEI. Taking the doctoral degree in 1989, he was conferred the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral fellowship and left for Germany in the same year. He worked for nearly three years in the Institut fur Indische Philologie und Kunstgeschichte, at the Freie Universitat Berlin, Berlin. He has attended several national seminars and an international conference at the University of Hong Kong. He has published a number of articles in international journals from Oxford, Rome, Naples and Berlin. Several more articles stand to his credit at home. Dr. Rajarajan has visited Hong Kong, several places in Germany, England (London) and Italy (Rome). Presently he is teaching history at the Eritrean Institute of Technology, Asmara, Eritrea.

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Bibliographic information

Title
Minaksi-Sundaresvara: ‘Tiruvilaiyatar Puranam’ in Letters, Design and Art
Author
Edition
1st.ed.
Publisher
ISBN
9788192698328
Length
xx+200p., 7 Plans; Maps; 50 Colour & B/W Illustrations; Annexure; Glossary; Bibliography; Index; 29cm.
Subjects