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121831-541@race 147 P1419 PL. 21. l. dll. 45*** BuMLI RULLE
The Art of Indian Architecture Bias suflered a great deal for the last so many centuries due to the sereral foreign invasious. Yet, that unbroken building tradition, with tremendous and vital force of genuine and inherited craftsmanship, has kept the art still living in India. Several manuscripts in Sanskrit on Indian Architecture, Sculpture, etc., tre still in existence but in possession of the people who are by nature very conservative. In these moderu days it is difficult to come across a porson who is both in Architect and a Scholar, and even for such a person the task of collecting manuscripts, l'eading, collecting and interpreting the material so collected in suitable Gujrati pluraseology is not an easy one.
Mr. Varbadaşlıankar Muljibhai Sompurn, Shilpashastri, is to be congratulated for having undertaken this difficult task. This book “Shilpa Ratnakar" is a treatise on ancient Indian Architecture and gives all the information which heretofore was available with great difficulty. The book is complete in every respect and deals with each problem from technical, aestlietic, constructional and even religious point of view. Many cases by way of illustrations have been quoted and the description of the rules, derelopment, etc., with regard to each is conveyed in words whiclı even a beginner would follow with rapt interest. Substantial datas have been drawn from such treatises on Indian Architecture as, "Aparajita", “ Kshirarnava", "Sutrasantan", “Diparnava", "Vraksharnara", "Vastukautuka”, “Vastumandala", "Vastumanjari”, “Vastusara", while treatises like " Prasadmandan” and “Rupamandana ", llare been completely incorporated in this book.
The book contains a large number of photograplis, diagranis and other illustrations of a very instructive and explanatory nature, and are arranged and grouped in such a manner as to make reference very easy.
Mr. N. M. Sonipura, Shilpashastri, hus rendered a yeoman service to the cause of Indian Architecture. I have no doubt that
