Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

Author(s): Jaikishandas Sadani
Publisher: B J Institute of Learning & Research

Page 4

Publisher's Note
The B. J. Institute received a special donation of Rs. 25,000/- from the Arun Mills Charity Trust through the late Shri Surottam Hutheesingh in 1965 and recently in 1996 further donation of Rs.25,000/- was received from Smt. Sarojini P. Hutheesingh Foundation Trust. The interest of the amount is being utilised in inviting different scholars to deliver lectures on various aspects of Indian Culture. Eminent scholars like Dr. R. C. Majumdar, Dr. D. C. Sircar, Shri D. R. Mankand, Dr. V. Raghavan, Dr. B. J. Sandesara, Dr. P. L. Gupta, Shri C. Śivarammurti, Dr. K. Krishnamoorti, Dr. H. D. Sankalia, Prof. K. D. Bajpai and Dr. Bansidhar Bhatt have delivered lectures under this series. All these lectures have been published in a book-form.
For the 12th series of lectures, we invited Shri Jaikishandas Sadani, a distinguished scholar of Indian art, literature and culture, to deliver the lectures on Queen's Step-well at Patan.
The series containing discussions on (i) The Step-well and the Visņu sculptures, (ii) The Śaiva and the Sakta sculptures and (iii) The celestial Beauties, comprised in three lectures, was delivered at B. J. Institute under the chairmanship of Dr. Hariprasad G. Shastri on 14th, 15th and 16th September, 1995 respectively.
The author has significantly projected outstanding iconographic and artistic features of various deities like Vişņu, Brahma, Śiva, Śakti and other gods and goddesses such as Gaṇeśa, Agni, Kubera, Varuna, dancing Bhairava, Lakṣmi, Gauri, Sarasvati etc. He has highlightened the depiction of the eternal woman of grace and beauty, in which he vividly described Matṛ and Putr Vatsalya Murtis, Devanganās, DarpaṇaSundari, Sadyasnātā Nāyikā, Šuka-Kanya, Naga Kanyās, Yoginis and ascetics!
The author has given the references from the early Sanskrit literature and canonical works, which enhance the research value of the work. Illustrations of beautiful and artistic sculptures of the step-well also enhance the value of the publication.
It gives me great pleasure in publishing this research work and I am sure, it will receive full appreciation from the scholars of Indology as well as of history, culture and archaeology of India.
18th April, 1998 Ahmadabad
iii
Bharati Shelat Director