About the Book The Kalpavriksha-the Felicitation Volume of Dr. R.D. Choudhury, Former Director General of National Museum and Vice-Chancellor of National Museum Institute, New Delhi brings the reserarch papers of scholars who have intensively worked on different aspects of Indian Art. Besides Reminiscences from friends and well-wishers of Dr. RD.Choudhury, the volume contains 36 Research Articles including those of foreign scholars like Prof. Peter Flugel (SOAS, London), Prof. Darielle Mason (Philadelphia), which deal with almost all the key areas of Indian Art History in holistic and analytical perspective. Indian symbols and motifs, sculptures and iconography, architecture, painting, archaeology, textile, museum and museology are the main subjects discussed in the volume. Some articles deal with new archaeological discoveries of excavations undertaken at Ayodhya, Pakkakot, North-Eastern Vindhyas and Keeladi. The Art Criticism perspective of A.K. Coomaraswamy also finds expressions in the volume. New idea of interactive and connecting concept of museum exhibitions is also discussed. Symbolism of iconic forms of Dohada, Tripurantaka Shiva, Buddha and Water provide some new dimensions. The remains in Morocco Museums and Khmer Heritage of Cambodia take the content of the volume outside India. The social dimensions of Indian art in reference to Vaidik-Puranic (Brahmanical), Buddhist and Jaina remains from different places are another feature of the volume. The research papers in spatial terms cover India and abroad and range in date from about 8th century BCE to 20th century CE. All the articles are well illustrated and discussed giving the observations/conclusions.
About the Author Dr. Shanti Swaroop Sinha (M.A., Ph.D., born 02nd July 1967), is Asstt. Professor in History of Visual Arts & Design, Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University. He undertook Post-Doctoral Research of ICHR as Research Fellow on 'Vaidik-Puranic Deities in Jaina Tradition and Art' and worked as UGC Research Associate for Major Research Project on 'Gommateshvara Bahubali in Jaina Tradition, Art and Literature' (both under supervision of Prof. MNP Tiwari). Presently he is working as Co-PI in a Major Research Project of "SPARC" in collaborations with Ministry of MHRD, Govt. of India and USA. His publications deal extensively with Ancient Indian Art. He has published books on Jaina Kala-Tirth: Deogarh (joint), Shiva Ki Anugraha Murtiyan, Jaina Art & Aesthetics (joint) and Khajuraho Ke Jain Mandir Aur Murtiyan (joint, in press). He has attended several International and National Seminars/conferences and presented papers, most of which are now published in reputed Journals. At present he is Joint Secretary of Indian Art History Congress, Guwahati.
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