Iconography of Hindus Buddhist and Jains

Author(s): R S Gupte
Publisher: D B Taraporewale Sons and Co Pvt Ltd

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ICONOGRAPHY OF THE HINDUS, BUDDHISTS AND JAINS
With 202 line drawings and 201 half-tone illustrations
There are very few books on Indian Iconography in the English language and none dealing with the iconography of the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains in one compact volume, illustrated with a large number of line drawings and half-tone illustrations, the latter of temple sculptures and bronzes.
The very few books that are available are scholarly but do not help the reader in identifying the deity he may come across in sculpture, painting. or metal art. In this book a unique method has been followed by presenting all the information required for identification in the form of tables indicating the number of heads and hands, the symbols of the gods and goddesses, their vehicles, and other relevant information. As the ancient Indian texts differ in their descriptions of the deities, the variations have also been given in the tables whenever of sufficient importance. The tables follow general and introductory information on all the major Hindu gods and goddesses, their different forms, the Buddhas and Bodhisat. tvas, their Shaktis and emanations, minor Buddhist images, the Jain Tirthankaras, and other figures of Jain mythology like the Yakshas and Yakshinis. And all this information is once again summarised in tabular form to simplify identification. Two hundred and two line drawings depicting the asanas, mudras, objects held in the hands, the crowns, Buddhist and Jain divinities, etc., supplemented by 201 half-tone illustrations of temple sculpture in stone and bronze icons have been given to further help the reader in his identification and create a greater interest in the subject. The Index runs to fifteen large pages.
Identification of religious figures is not only essential for the proper understanding of Indian mythology, but it is also essential for the student of Indian art and all interested in Indian culture in general-Indians and non-Indians alike. And in that respect, this exceptional book is a great contribution to the study of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology and iconography. The author is well known as an authority on the subject. He is the Professor and Head, Department of History and Ancient Indian Culture, Marathwada University. Aurangabad; he was a Visiting Lecturer in Indian Art, Wake Forest College, Winston-Salem, U.S.A., and also Visiting Lecturer in Asian Studies
(Continued on back flap)