Mahisasuramardini In The Temple Art Of Andhra Pradesh

The worship of Mahisasuramardini has been prevalent since the very ancient days. Later on, the, worship of Mahisasuramardini became part of Sakti cult. A large number of sculptures and images of Mahisasuramardini, ranging from the Early Chalukya to the Vijayanagara period have been noticed in the temples and museums of Andhra Pradesh. In this book, the origin and antiquity, mode of representation, iconographical features and dynastic characteristics of the sculptures and images of Mahisasuramardini of Andhra Pradesh have been studied in a systematic manner.

A complete knowledge of Mahisasuramardini cult in Andhra Pradesh, its sculptural evidences, a glimpse of Mahisasuramardini sculptures in chronological order, the important sculptures subjected to critical iconographic study based on extensive field work and the representation of Mahisasuramardini through hundred illustrations, all have made the book the first of its kind.

Dr. Karanam Sudhakar was born at Vantareddy Palli village, Kambadur Mandal, Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh in 1980. He obtained his Master's degree in 2003 and Ph.D. in 2008 from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) in 2009 and Master of Science in Public Relations (MSPR) in 2010 from the same University. He has also obtained the P.G. Diploma in Tourism Administration (PGDTA) from the Pondicherry University, Pondicherry in 2008.

He has worked as a Journalist in EENADU, the largest Telugu daily News Paper in Andhra Pradesh. He is presently working as UGC Project Fellow in the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology in S.V. University. He has published several research papers in scholarly Journals and attended Seminars and Annual Sessions of History Congresses. He is also the Life Member of Andhra Pradesh History Congress, South Indian History Congress and South Indian Numismatic Society.

The State of Andhra Pradesh is a land of temples. It is studded with the temples belonging to the Early Chalukya, Eastern Chalukya, Nolamba, Eastern Ganga, Chola, Kalyan Chalukya, Telugu Chola, Kakatiya and Vijayanagara periods. So far, most of the scholars in Andhra Pradesh have worked upon the art and architectural and iconographical aspects of major Saivite and Vaishnavite deities only. There are a very large number of sculptures and images of Mahişăsuramardini in the temples and museums of Andhra Pradesh. The innumerable number of sculptures and images of Mahișăsuramardini found in the temples and museums of Andhra Pradesh reveal that the cult of Mahisasuramardini was popular and widely prevalent in Andhra Pradesh during the early and medieval periods. i.e., from 6 to 17 century A.D. Expecting a brief description of the sculptures and images of Mahisasuramardini in the works on the temples of Andhra Pradesh, scholars have not studied the origin and antiquity of the cult of Mahişăsuramardini, the mode of depiction and the iconographic features of the sculptures and images of Mahişăsuramardini found in the temples and museums of Andhra Pradesh. As such there is need for a comprehensive work on 'Mahişăsuramardini in the temple art of Andhra Pradesh.

The origin and antiquity of the cult of Mahişăsuramardini, descriptions of Mahisasuramardini in literature, the mode of representations, iconographical features and peculiarities of the sculptures and images of Mahişăsuramardini in the Temple Art of Andhra Pradesh from the Early Chalukya to the Vijayanagara period i.e. from 6 to 17th Century A.D. are in a systematic and detailed manner.

Tirupati

KARANAM SUDHAKAR