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The volume features miniature paintings from the Neotia Collection, Kolkata displayed at the Kala Mandapa of Jnana Pravaha, Centre for Culture studies, Varanasi which are remarkable examples representing prominent painting schools and styles of India. Presenting excellent reproductions of art masterpieces of great historical value, it also throws light on the sources and influences of miniature painting in India and their thematic preoccupations.
Indian miniature paintings have a rich and variegated tradition that ranges from the earliest known examples painted on slender palm leaf folios in Buddhist monasteries to Company paintings. Glimpses of Paintings from Kala Mandapa features miniature paintings from the Neotia Collection, Kolkata on display at the Kala Mandapa of Jnana Pravaha, Centre for Cultural Studies at Varanasi, that include some remarkable examples representing prominent painting schools and styles of India: the palm leaves and wooden manuscript covers of the Pala style (ad 800-1200), 16th century Tibetan Buddhist thangkas, paintings of the major Rajasthani schools, and Ramayana paintings and portraits of the Pahari style. It presents excellent reproductions of art masterpieces of great historical value such as a dated sketchbook of a Nevari thangka painting (15th century), beautifully-illustrated folios of the Devasano Pado Bhandara Kalpasutra and the Samgrahani-Sutra, and the Ragamala and Amaru Sataka illustrations of the Malwa School. The introduction of the portfolio is by Dr. Anjan Chakraverty, of Visual Art Faculty, Banaras Hindu University. The publication throws light on the rare fare that the Kala Mandapa paintings offer: their insight into the literary and cultural sources and influences of miniature painting in India, thematic preoccupations of such paintings, their use of space, colour patterns and symbols, and their overall effect.
Based on decades scientific research this book projects India as the foremost country of the world where diamonds were discovered first. It explains past beliefs, present status of diamond mines, cutting-polishing industry, trade & marketing, and talks about future challenges and remedies to regain original glory.
India, for many millennia, was the diamond capital of the world and controlled the global diamond business. Indians were the first to discover, mine, curate and market diamonds in the world, and were the first to discover that diamond can be cut only by diamond, and can be polished with its own powder. Vedas, Upanishads and epics stand testimony to it. Diamonds were the quintessential luxury of the Indian royalty. Kohinoor, (Mountain of Light), Hope, Great Moghul, Orloff, Sansi, Hastings, Pigott and Akbar Shah-Jahangir Shah had unparalleled place in the annals of Indian and world history.
Till the seventeenth century, the Golconda Fort City in south India was the World Trade Centre of diamonds and was a dream destination for “who is who” in the diamond business. Though at present, diamond business is about $ 72 billion plus worldwide, India has very little to offer to this market size. New nations/countries are on the block and India has become a trivial entity in diamond production from the colonial period due to the monopolistic policy pursued by the British in favour of the new discoveries made in South Africa, and the socialistic policies of Independent India. Even the environmental concerns stood as stumbling blocks against the growth of Indian diamond mining industry.
The present study explores exhaustive data, based on a decade-long serious research, targeting common man. It brilliantly attempts to make one aware about the birth, history, glory, places of concentration, applications of diamond and about the present Indian diamond cutting and polishing industry. The book also introduces the readers into the reality of imitations, artificial diamonds, and discusses such products in detail. It delves deep into the identification and valuation techniques of diamond, and the tools used for the same. Efforts are also made to present many a superstition associated with diamonds, and to brief those diamonds that have some bearing on history.
After decades of Independence, India has failed to regain its lost splendour and leadership position. There is a need to bring changes in its approach to this industry to put it back on track and compete with the present world leaders. The author has given special attention to analyse the present diamond scenario in India and suggests remedies
The book explores the concept and experiences of life after death based on religious insights on the subject and experiences of human souls on the threshold of death as recounted by doctors. It examines the sacred texts of religions, like the Holy Bible, the Vedas, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and the Upanisads for a broad understanding of the subject.
The book explores the concept and experiences of life after death based on religious insights on the subject and experiences of human souls on the threshold of death as recounted by doctors. It examines the sacred texts of religions, like the Holy Bible, the Vedas, the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads for a broad understanding of the subject. It deals in particular with aspects of life after death as detailed by Christianity: the General Resurrection, Last Judgement, Hades, Paradise, Heaven and Hell, the concept of the Son of God and His dying on the cross as propitiation for the sins of man. It elaborates on the experiences of the soul after death and on the life after death as such by thoroughly studying the Bible. It reveals Biblical insights on Satanic deceits to enter the minds of people who are spiritually devoted, the soul departing from the physical body, and compassion, solace and love in the spiritual world. The volume showcases the experiences of those nearing death which include new feelings and sensations as a spiritual being, meeting with other spirits and viewing the Light, that is, Christ Himself when passing through death. Mr Isaac emphasises the need to be faithful and perform acts of divine love and righteousness in all sincerity in order to prepare oneself for the eternal life in the hereafter.
This volume is centred around Bhima Bhoi, the chief protagonist of Mahima Dharma of Mahima Svami, and takes this dharma to a meaningful logical conclusion. Bhima Bhoi presents through his lyrical compositions rarefied concepts like Shunya-Brahman, identity between jiva and Brahman, the relation between brahmanda and pinda and bhakti as atmajnana.
The philosophy of Mahima Dharma, a religious tradition of Odisha, is centred around the concept of God as Shunya-Brahman, and is remarkable for its stance towards religion, man and society. Mahima Dharma, though very much a part of the Indian religio-philosophical tradition, boldly defies idolatry, meaningless rites, religious pomposites and social discrimination, based on varna dharmajati. Bhima Bhoi, the chief protagonist of this dharma, presents a shunya-centric metaphysics and takes it to a meaningful logical conclusion.
Bhima Bhoi, a well-known tribal poet of nineteenth-century Odisha, presents through his lyrical compositions rarefied concepts like Shunya-Brahman, identity between jiva and Brahman, the relation between brahmanda and pinda and bhakti as atmajnana. His words, choice of philosophical ideas and style of presentation bear the stamp of his predecessors, Pancasakha and Caitanya Dasa.
This volume concisely deals with the varied aspects of Indian religio-philosophic tradition such as God as shunya in other traditions, the genesis of Mahima Dharma and its approach and interpretation of Shunya-Brahman, the relationship between God and man, and the dissident stream of spirituality. It talks about the persona of Bhima Bhoi as a poet and a philosopher, and his contested status in the society; also the impact of other thought systems like Buddhism, classical Advaitism, Sanatana Dharma on Mahima Dharma.
Academic in nature, this book should propel the inquisitiveness of many a researcher on Indian religio-philosophic systems and students of philosophy and theological systems.
The study, beautifully illustrated, focuses on the masks of gods, goddesses and demons worn by the Newars of Kath-mandu Valley. It deals with contexts in which the dancers wear the masks and with legends concerning the dances.
The presence of masks as both ritual and art objects is attested among the traditions of mankinds oldest civilisations. Cutting across cultural and geographical barriers, they have exhibited a remarkable range and diversity of meanings throughout history. The present study focuses on the masks worn in the Kathmandu Valley by the main ethnic group, the Newars. A specific aspect of the Newars is that, despite the political dominance of Hinduism, Buddhism is still alive. The masks represent gods, goddesses and demons, but never the dead or the ancestors. The author argues that the reason for the absence of figurations of the dead or ancestors is to be explained by the funerary rituals. There are no memorial monuments or other objects which perpetuate the memory of the deceased: It is through rituals performed after their death that the memory is preserved. The distinction is made between statue-masks and the masks worn during ritual dances. The author focuses on the contexts in which the masks are worn by professional dancers and draws attention to the legends which explain the origin of the dances and their ritual role. Detailed descriptions are given of the dances performed during different festivals in the localities of the Kathmandu Valley. The masks then worn are destroyed and re-made ritually each year by painters. Anne Vergati explains the relation between the dancer as a social person with a social identity and the mask which represents a god or a goddess. The mask is not supposed to hide the face of the dancer but to transform his identity in such a way as to make of him a deity. Supported by numerous illustrations in colour, the book will appeal to historians and connoisseurs of art as well as to scholars of the cultures of the Himalayan regions.
The book explores the ancient Indian art from the perspective of gender and delves into the development of engendered representation in art, with the emergence of aesthetic and sexual archetypes and stereotypes of women: goddesses, mothers, wives, nuns, semi-divine yakshis, ogresses and others by giving insights into the intention, agency and patronage patterns in early Indian art.
The book is an exploration of ancient Indian art from the perspective of gender. It focuses on the period from 181 bce to ce 320 a period of great turmoil in the politico-economic, socio-cultural and religious spheres that gave rise to contesting ideologies and gender complexities in ancient India. It delves into the development of engendered representation in art, with the emergence of aesthetic and sexual archetypes and stereotypes of women: goddesses, mothers, wives, nuns, semi-divine yaksis, ogresses and others. It examines the nature of the stereotypes and archetypes that were constructed on the basis of gender roles rather than on sex and how these were reflected by various attributes of the representations nudity or its absence, ornamentation, gestures, direction of gaze and context. It gives interesting insights into the intention, agency and patronage patterns in early Indian art.
The volume with its scholarly approach, providing fresh insights into early Indian art, will prove useful to scholars, students and researchers of Indian art and history alongwith the cognoscenti.
Wide in content like an encyclopaedia, it covers everything about gold right from its physical and chemical properties, uses, history, birth inside the earth, the searching methods, exploration, mining, extraction, worldwide occurrences, world production, stockpiles, trade, marketing in the past, present and future, and usage as jewellery.
Gold has made a strong inroad into the human consciousness from time immemorial and we find its presence in the Indian Puranas, the Bible, the Koran and in many a religion including Sikhism. Being in human memory from 40000 BCE, it fascinated the Egyptians in constructing sacred gold artefacts, prompted Alexander the Great for gold coinage resulting into numerous invasions, inspired the Romans to mint gold coins, made Queen Cleopatra to wear gold facial foils to enhance her charm and decoratively covered many domes palaces and place of worship, including the Golden Temple, the citadel of Sikh faith and philosophy, and thus gold has maintained the most sought-after status among all precious metals. As jewellery, it is the quintessential part of the Indian psyche. It has survived all odds and is going strong even during the present economic turmoil. The book covers everything about gold right from its physical and chemical properties, uses, history, birth inside the earth, the searching methods, exploration, mining, extraction, worldwide occurrences from continent to continent, country to country and mine to mine, world production, stockpiles, trade, marketing in the past, present and future, and usage as jewellery. Like an encyclopaedia, this book describes everything about gold. This data-rich coffee table book is the first of its kind and is a sure hit with any avid reader of exploration, mining, geology and general knowledge.
The book examines the gompas of Tibet for their organizational aspects and their role in continuing Buddhism in Tibetan history by performing multifarious functions and institutionalizing the theory of Buddhism so that it could transcend time and space. Consulting rare manuscripts, it also scrutinizes contribution of gompas to study of astronomy, astrology, medicine, and art and architecture.
The importance of the gompa or the Buddhist monastery in Tibetan history cannot be overemphasized: it was the institution that enabled continuity of Buddhism in Tibetan history by performing multifarious functions and institutionalizing the theory of Buddhism so that it could transcend time and space. Here, a scholar in religious studies, Dr. M.N. Rajesh examines the gompas of Tibet from a holistic perspective, focusing largely on its organizational and functional aspects. The book begins with a survey of the gompas Indian origins, viewing the mahaviharas as a prototype of the gompas, and studies contextualization of the gompas in Tibet wherein is described its relation with the superstructure the society. Consulting many old works and some rare manuscripts, the work analyzes the working of the monasteries their hierarchy, rules and rituals, role of the lamas, office of the abbot and other positions of authority, and recruitment and initiation of novices. It also elaborates the contributions of the gompas at different levels socio-economic and political which helped pre-modern Tibet to acheive a high degree of development over the centuries. It takes up for detailed scrutiny services rendered by the gompas in the field of Indic Studies astronomy, astrology and medicine, and in education and art & architecture. The book, with an elaborate index and a glossary of Indic terms, will be valuable reference work for scholars and researchers, in Buddhist studies and those interested in Tibetan history.
The research examines the nature, development and function of the civil service in ancient India. It explains the ancient perceptions of good and ethical governance study literary, inscriptional and numismatic evidence.
From the Vedas to Sutra and Smriti texts, from the time honoured epics to the foreigners travelogues and literary classics leave alone Kautilyas far-famed Arthashastra and other treatises of its genre, ancient Indian literature carries myriad references, bearing out not just the principles, philosophy and mechanisms of good governance, but the existence of a well-organised, hierarchical civil service as well. Yet Dr. Pandeys happens to be the first ever research effort to consider governance/civil service in ancient India: in all its different manifestations. Covering a vast time-span: from the Vedic times to about the seventh century ad, Anup Pandeys research explores the evolution, nature, scope, functions, importance, and other kindered aspects of the ancient Indian civil service with meticulous description of its varying contours during the reigns of the Mauryas, Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Pahlavas, Kushanas, Imperial Guptas, and Harshavardhana. Also, the book tries to unveil the ancient Indian politys perceptions/norms/modes of good, ethical governance, largely on the basis of sacred works, like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Together with inscriptional and numismatic evidence, the author has marshalled an astonishing mass of literary sources to show, beside a lot else, how an efficient civil service in ancient India was viewed as an imperative for the vitality of the state; and why, therefore, high-ranking functionaries/bureaucrats, entrusted with legislative, executive, financial and the like offices, or with policing and military duties, were often scrupulously chosen from among the politys best talent. Invaluable to the scholars of anceint Indian history, political science and government.
It makes one travel through the horrible, fraught and turbulent world of human trafficking wherein innocent children and women are entrapped, sold and forced into flesh trade by a well-knit network of mafia gangs. It also brings into limelight the pity world of hijras, the victims social apathy and prejudice, and their sexual exploitation at the hands of many.
Gulam Mandi revolves around the life of its two protagonists Kalyani and Janki. It makes one travel through the horrible, fraught and turbulent world of human trafficking wherein innocent children and women are entrapped, sold and forced into flesh trade by a well-knit network of mafia gangs. In its quintessential, the story brings forth the myriad colours of human nature hate, rejection, betrayal, apathy, ecstasy, opportunism, pure love, sex, expectation, trust, empathy, hope, rejuvenation and so on.
Kalyani, a beauty queen, fears ageing and childbirth and is jealous of her own young daughter. Janki, who comes from an oppressed class and had a turbulent childhood, faces rejection from a few people, but finds shelter in Kalyani and Gautam, but, of late, destiny plays its tryst with her life. Finally, she finds solace in Mohan.
It portrays the uneven world of the exploitors, who usurp and violate the victims, and the victims who are the sufferers and cannot normally escape the clutches of their perpetrators to rebuild their life. It also brings into limelight the pity world of hijras, the victims social apathy and prejudice, and their sexual exploitation at the hands of many. Here is a clarion call to the society on the ills that it has been afflicted with!
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