Arts of India

India is a land of a rich cultural heritage of immense wealth of arts, crafts and architecture. The history of Indian Art is interwoven into the history of India’s civilization, the amalgamation of diverse cultures and ethnic streams. The primordial influence on art in India has been the Hindu Pauranic traditions, the rich and diverse iconography of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, who form an immense pantheon of various anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations. The first part of the book describes the Hindu Pantheon and traces the effect of the Pauranic tradition on various art forms, beginning with sacred architecture of the temples and also other sacred objects like objects used for worship. The second part of the book deals with Indian Handicrafts in a broader, more generalized framework. The various items specific to Indian crafts life Brass inlay, Woodwork, Cotton and Silk weaving into fabrics have been discussed both in descriptive details as well as in terms of the historical influences and cultural traditions shaping the art form. Profusely illustrated with line drawings and woodcuts, this is the most comprehensive work on Art of India, where art has been contextualized with the interwoveness of history, culture and mythology in a way which makes delightful as also immensely informative reading. This is a timeless work to interest all involved in the Indian Art, Handicrafts, Culture, Tradition and Religion.