National Network for Equitable Library Service

Hundreds of India's stunning temples are catalogued and copiously illustrated in this two-volume work loaded with color photographs. A brief introduction to the principal religious groups who have made their home in this dynamic region leads into a description of the developmental stages of various architectural components and artistic styles in the different regions over the past 1500 years, from pre-historic cave art and ancient temples hewn out of solid bedrock to more recent European-style Christian churches such as those in Goa. India's religions and historical turning points are briefly discussed, enabling readers who may be less familiar with Indian cultures to recognize the value of the region's cultural heritage. The author details the technological and artistic progress of Indian temple construction in the context of cultural and religious shifts throughout history. The four indigenous religions of India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, as well as Christianity, are each appreciated on their own merits. The Taj Mahal, the most famous architectural work in India, was declared a World Heritage Monument in 1983. It has been described lyrically as a tear drop on the cheek of time, poetry in marble, a dream in marble, and an image of paradise; and in such superlatives as "the greatest achievement of all Indo-Islamic architecture, the most beautiful of all monuments made by the hands of man." But the UNESCO World Heritage Center has also singled out a wealth of monuments that preceded and followed its construction, denoting them as important elements of the heritage of human civilization. In this work, researched through personal visits to World Heritage sites in India and the monuments associated with them, the author shares his enjoyment of the depiction of human beauty in decorative sculpture and architecture and the narration of mythology therein. This is one work bound in two volumes (500 color photos).