Art of the Imperial Cholas

Art of the Imperial Cholas PDF Author: Vidya Dehejia
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231515245
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
The rule of the Chola dynasty in South India between the ninth and thirteenth centuries was a period of unparalleled creativity in Indian art. Known as the Golden Age of Tamil Culture, the Chola period produced dynamic royal personalities who shaped the artistic activity of theirtimes. Art of the Imperial Cholas examines the dynasty's architectural and sculptural achievements, which stand among the masterpieces of India.

Art of the Imperial Cholas

Art of the Imperial Cholas PDF Author: Vidya Dehejia
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231515245
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
The rule of the Chola dynasty in South India between the ninth and thirteenth centuries was a period of unparalleled creativity in Indian art. Known as the Golden Age of Tamil Culture, the Chola period produced dynamic royal personalities who shaped the artistic activity of theirtimes. Art of the Imperial Cholas examines the dynasty's architectural and sculptural achievements, which stand among the masterpieces of India.

The Early Chōḷas History, Art, and Culture

The Early Chōḷas History, Art, and Culture PDF Author: S. Swaminathan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Art, Chola
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
The period of Early Cholas (850 A.D – 970 A.D) forms an important epoch in the history of Tamilnadu. Starting from a scratch the Early Chola rulers exerted to establish a vast empire by their conquests. Rulers like Vijayalaya I, Aditya I and Parantaka I were great warriors who built the Chola empire inch by inch. Vijayalaya conquered Tanjavur, Aditya I annexed Tondai-mandalam and Parantaka I occupied Madurai. During the reign of Parantaka I his empire extended up to Nellore in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. Though the Takkolam battle put a poke into the expansion of the Cholas, it did not exhaust the vitality of the Chola empire. The Cholas recovered remarkably from the disaster and emerged like a phoenix and rebuilt the empire quickly. The early Cholas are best remembered for their signal contribution in the sphere of local administration. The rules relating to the mode of local administration best averred in the celebrated Uttaramerur inscriptions were conceived during the reign of Parantaka Chola I. The Early Cholas also left their imprints on art, architecture and sculpture.

Chola

Chola PDF Author: Vidya Dehejia
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description


The Thief Who Stole My Heart

The Thief Who Stole My Heart PDF Author: Vidya Dehejia
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691202591
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
The first book to put the sacred and sensuous bronze statues from India’s Chola dynasty in social context From the ninth through the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty of southern India produced thousands of statues of Hindu deities, whose physical perfection was meant to reflect spiritual beauty and divine transcendence. During festivals, these bronze sculptures—including Shiva, referred to in a saintly vision as “the thief who stole my heart”—were adorned with jewels and flowers and paraded through towns as active participants in Chola worship. In this richly illustrated book, leading art historian Vidya Dehejia introduces the bronzes within the full context of Chola history, culture, and religion. In doing so, she brings the bronzes and Chola society to life before our very eyes. Dehejia presents the bronzes as material objects that interacted in meaningful ways with the people and practices of their era. Describing the role of the statues in everyday activities, she reveals not only the importance of the bronzes for the empire, but also little-known facets of Chola life. She considers the source of the copper and jewels used for the deities, proposing that the need for such resources may have influenced the Chola empire’s political engagement with Sri Lanka. She also investigates the role of women patrons in bronze commissions and discusses the vast public records, many appearing here in translation for the first time, inscribed on temple walls. From the Cholas’ religious customs to their agriculture, politics, and even food, The Thief Who Stole My Heart offers an expansive and complete immersion in a community still accessible to us through its exquisite sacred art. Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Rajaraja Chola: Interplay Between an Imperial Regime and Productive Forces of Society

Rajaraja Chola: Interplay Between an Imperial Regime and Productive Forces of Society PDF Author: Raghavan Srinivasan
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 9354582230
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
When Rajaraja Chola ascended the throne, the land of Tamils entered upon centuries of grandeur. He left behind a stupendous legacy, which has not lost its sheen even after a thousand years. During his regime, we see powerful productive forces at work, newly liberated by the advances made in manufacturing and trade. Through interesting facts and riveting analyses, the reader can vividly experience the tumultuous developments of this perioud. It bring to life the social, political and economic underpinnings of that time - expansion of agriculture, rise of nagarams, maturing of self-governing corporate bodies, phenomenal increase in inland and overseas trade networks, and overall strengthening of the administrative and military apparatus, which would later bring South-east Asia under its influence. Equally important to the stability of the empire was the compelling iconography of Saivism, which this book presents in a sublime and engrossing style. Written by Raghavan Srinivasan, the author of Yugantar, this book recreates the history of a South Indian king and his imperial empire, in a form that would appeal to the academia and the wider public audience alike. "A rousing attempt at piecing together the lives and times of the Tamil country's most remarkable medieval personality, Rajaraja Chola, who despite the rich artistic legacy, plethora of inscriptions and maritime amnbtions, has remained an enigmatic figure." - SHARADA SRINIVASAM, Professor, School of Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Studies.

The Body Adorned

The Body Adorned PDF Author: Vidya Dehejia
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231512664
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
The sensuous human form-elegant and eye-catching-is the dominant feature of premodern Indian art. From the powerful god Shiva, greatest of all yogis and most beautiful of all beings, to stone dancers twisting along temple walls, the body in Indian art is always richly adorned. Alankara (ornament) protects the body and makes it complete and attractive; to be unornamented is to invite misfortune. In The Body Adorned, Vidya Dehejia, who has dedicated her career to the study of Indian art, draws on the literature of court poets, the hymns of saints and acharyas, and verses from inscriptions to illuminate premodern India's unique treatment of the sculpted and painted form. She focuses on the coexistence of sacred and sensuous images within the common boundaries of Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu "sacred spaces," redefining terms like "sacred" and "secular" in relation to Indian architecture. She also considers the paradox of passionate poetry, in which saints praised the sheer bodily beauty of the divine form, and nonsacred Rajput painted manuscripts, which freely inserted gods into the earthly realm of the courts. By juxtaposing visual and literary sources, Dehejia demonstrates the harmony between the sacred and the profane in classical Indian culture. Her synthesis of art, literature, and cultural materials not only generates an all-inclusive picture of the period but also revolutionizes our understanding of the cultural ethos of premodern India.

The Multivalence of an Epic

The Multivalence of an Epic PDF Author: Parul Pandya Dhar
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000991962
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 443

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Book Description
This volume examines The Rāmāyaṇa traditions of South India and Southeast Asia. Bringing together 19 well-known scholars in Rāmāyaṇa studies from Cambodia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, UK, and USA, this thought-provoking and elegantly illustrated volume engages with the inherent plurality, diversity, and adaptability of the Rāmāyaṇa in changing socio-political, religious, and cultural contexts. The journey and localization of the Rāmāyaṇa is explored in its manifold expressions – from classical to folk, from temples and palaces to theatres and by-lanes in cities and villages, and from ancient to modern times. Regional Rāmāyaṇas from different parts of South India and Southeast Asia are placed in deliberate juxtaposition to enable a historically informed discussion of their connected pasts across land and seas. The three parts of this volume, organized as visual, literary, and performance cultures, discuss the sculpted, painted, inscribed, written, recited, and performed Rāmāyaṇas. A related emphasis is on the way boundaries of medium and genre have been crossed in the visual, literary, and performed representations of the Rāmāyaṇa. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)

The Hindu World

The Hindu World PDF Author: Sushil Mittal
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134608756
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 910

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Book Description
The Hindu World is the most complete, authoritative and up-to-date one-volume guide to Hindu faith and culture available today. With twenty-four dedicated chapters written by the world's leading Hinduism scholars, it elucidates the history, philosophy and practice of one of the world's great religious traditions. The perfect reference for all students of Hinduism, it is ideal for both for introductory-level study and for use as a definitive reference source. Proving invaluable for its wealth of historical material, in addition, The Hindu World also offers new insights into all aspects of Hindu life, ranging from the devotional texts of the Vedas and Ramayana to current perspectives on dharma and kama, temple architecture, sacred food, ritual, caste, cosmic philosophy, history and modernization. The Hindu World emphasizes Hinduism's classical heritage and daily practice as well as contemporary approaches to Hindu scholarship. Exploring the enormous diversity of Hindu devotion whilst considering Hinduism's academic status as a category for analysis, the book achieves a distinctive creative balance between the beliefs and values of Hindus themselves, and scholarly 'outsider' perspectives.

Imagining a Place for Buddhism

Imagining a Place for Buddhism PDF Author: Anne Elizabeth Monius
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195139992
Category : Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
This study argues that, in early medieval south India, it was in the literary arena that religious ideals and values were publicly contested.

Her Voice, Her Faith

Her Voice, Her Faith PDF Author: Katherine Young
Publisher: Westview Press
ISBN: 0813342570
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Key religious women speak frankly about their faith and it's history with women.