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PREFACE
Dacca Museum, whereas Banerjea's book, The Development of Hindu Iconography, though it is a very scholarly work, is not helpful for identifying images. For Buddhist iconography, the best book is that of B. Bhattacharya. Some of my line drawings of Buddhist deities are after those appearing in this book, published by Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyaya, Calcutta. I gratefully acknowledge their courtesy. I am personally grateful to Mr. Mukhopadhyaya for permission to reproduce the line drawings. Other excellent books are those by Alice Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, and Antoinette Gordon's Iconography of Tibetan Lamaism. On Jainism, Bhattacharya wrote a book in 1932 and no work has been published since then, though several scholars like U. P. Shah, Coomaraswamy, Sankalia and Settar have published articles on Jain deities,
The main credit for this book must go to Dr. Rustam J. Mehta of D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. Private Ltd., who made me write this book when I was engaged in my studies on Chalukya art. It was from him that the idea of the book and its unique tabular treatment originated. He has also seen the book through the press with his usual efficiency.
I have to thank many people for many things. I am grateful to Principal R. P. Nath, Vice-Chancellor of the Marathwada University, for writing the Foreword and to Mr. Russi Taraporevala, Chief Executive of D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. Private Ltd. for publishing the book.
Shri P. L. Barwal, Stenographer of the Department of History, typed the manuscript and Shri B. H. Shinde prepared the line drawings. Shri S. R. Kulkarni, Research Assistant in the Department, prepared the index. I am grateful to all of them. Shri N. A. Gore, former Librarian of the Marathwada University, Shri R. G. Jogdeo, the present Librarian, and Shri Subhedar rendered valuable library assistance. Shri T. V. Pathy and Dr. V. R. N. Prasad who belong to the University Faculty have also been of great help. Lastly I must thank my wife Nalini for her constant encouragement.
RAMESH S. GUPTE
