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"The present work discusses in depth the subject of toranas (arched
portals or festoons) in the ancient and medieval archicture of South and
South-east Asia, with special emphasis on Indian representations. Their
antiquity and rationale; their continued presence in association with
stupas, caves, temples, mosques, cities, forts, and palaces; their myriad
forms and transformations; and their asthetic and symbolic relationship to
the structure in question are analyzed stage-by-stage in this book. The
rich corpus of toranas included here has been critically and comparatively
analyzed in relation to traditional practice, as well as in the light of
the medieval architectural treatises, historical records, and other
literary sources. The approach is `micro' in the sense of being focused on
a specific architectural element but `micro' in its regional and temporal
span. In addition, the exposition reveals the grammar as well as the
manifold visual formulations of the torana as representative of the basic
principles of traditional Indian architectural ornament: integral to the
structure, functionally apt, aesthetically significant, and visually
evocative, with sound and sophisticated design principles.
The text is richly illustrated, bringing together material scattered over
several well-known as well as remote sites, museums, and archival
collections. Whereas a major part of this book details the journey of the
torana in ancient and medieval India, the section on early beginnings also
includes references from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the final chapter
surveys, with a view to compare, parallel yet distinct expressions in
Cambodia, Thailand, Champa, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka."
[from Blurb]
Contents
Foreword / S. Settar
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The Beginnings
2. The Torana in Treatises
3. Southern Representations : Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and
Tamilnadu
4. Northern Representations : Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, and Bengal
5. Southeast and South Asian Parallels : Cambodia, Thailand, Champa,
Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
Overview
Appendices
Glossary
Abbreviations and Conventions
Image Credits
Bibliography
Index
"Parul Pandya Dhar is Associate Professor in the Department of History,
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi. Prior to this she was
teaching Indian Art History at the National Museum Institute, New Delhi.
Her research interests focus on the cultural history of ancient and
medieval India and Southeast Asia. She has been awarded prestigious
research fellowships and grants such as the Alexander von Humboldt
post-doctoral research fellowship (Germany) and the Nehru Trust Research
Grant (U.K)."
[from Blurb]
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