Rock-cut Model Shrines in Early Medieval Indian Art

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Rock-cut Model Shrines in Early Medieval Indian Art is the result of Dr R.K.K. Rajarajan’s research in the Tamil University of Thanjavur during 1995-1996. The present publication is rewritten, up-dated and added luminously. Several works on dynastic arts (e.g. Kusana, Gupta, Pallava, and Cola) and art historical centers (e.g. Ellora, Bhuvanesvara, Vijayanagara/ Hampi, the ASI booklets) have come to light during the past 150 years. The present book is a genre of its own that has a thematic delimitation, dealing with the micro-masterpieces of Indian temple architecture, called Model Shrine, the miniature of a mega-temple. Frank art historians would admit that nobody thought of such a lofty theme in a capsule history that the present work is. The book is in five chapters, dealing with the concept, origin, percolation, progression, typological   variation, iconographical/cult value and ritual mysticism of the Model Shrines. The book is well illustrated with plans and photographic samples added to date. It is the outcome of extensive field work all over South India from Udayagiri (MP) in the North to Vilinam in the Far South.  The author’s recent visit to Rome has opened new avenues of interaction with Italian scholars. A translation/transliteration work of some Tamil hymns is expected to be published from Rome in addition to a book from Naples.

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Dr R.K.K. Rajarajan is presently Assistant Professor in Fine Arts, Faculty of Tamil, Indian Languages and Rural Arts, Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed University), Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamilnadu. He has spent five years as Assistant Professor in History in the   Eritrean   Institute   of Technology, Asmara, Eritrea.  Born in 1973, he took M.A. in the Madurai Kamaraj University in 1995. He has published two books, Art of the Vijayanagara-Nayakas: Architecture and Iconography (2 vols.) (2006) and Studies in Art History of India (2010) by the Sharada Publishing House, Delhi that were the outcome of his work in the Tamil University of Thanjavur. The forthcoming works are in press: The Lord Siva: Tiruvilaiyatar Puranam' in Letters, Design and Art and Dravidian Facets of Nataraja. The author has to his credit   number of articles both in international and national journals. He has attended conferences in Rome, Hong Kong, Thanjavur, Delhi,   Hyderabad, Thiruvanantapuram, and Madurai. His top-ranking academic record was the Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral fellowship at the Freie Universitat Berlin (1999-2002). He has visited Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, England and Singapore.