Religion & Art of the Chamba Valley

The process of history writing on Chamba has hitherto ignored the element of history of religion. The book endeavours to fill this gap and provide a deeper insight into this relatively uncovered sphere of study. Here is an effort to explore the nexus between religion and art of early medieval Chamba, at both the micro and macro levels, demonstrating pan Indian and cross cultural influences along with regional pecularities. The book at- tempts to study elite royal and popular elements, using not only epigraphic, sculptural and monumental sources but also oral history of the area. The author has revealed interesting sub-stratum of religious configuration, ranging from non-brahmanical cult such as Varuna to patriarchicroyal Visnu worship by the Mosuna dynasty, taking into account historical geography and patronage patterns. Iconography of the area is also scrutinised specially in context of gender delineation of icons, arguing that images and texts regarding the goddess convey a plurality of religions tradition.