SAAJan2011

Fig. 13 (Photo - Figs. 7-13 - Amitabh Tiwary and Sachin Tiwary)

Why it is made:

It is always made for the safety of the villagers, agriculture and domestic animals. It is made
and invoked for the purpose of protection against the heavy rain, heavy fog, and storms and against
all adverse natural factors causing disaster. These natural factors cause destruction to the mud house
of the villagers and cause loss of agricultural produce and domestic animals.

Who is the maker?:

The image for worship should be made only by women, but every woman cannot make this
image. For this some eligibility conditions are fixed such as those described below:
1. The lady (girl or daughter) should have only one brother in her family.
2. Either she is married or unmarried; in both conditions she is able to do this work.
3. During this work she should not be having menstruation.
4. She should make this cult image standing and working in open sky without slippers.
5. It should be made only by women in day time only.
6. One lady/girl either married or unmarried should walk in early morning below open sky without
sleeper and cloth. It means that the lady should be nude on the day for some time.
7. Prior to making the icon (Charkhopadaine), the lady/girl prepares five clay lumps, keeping the
knife/vegetable cutter (locally known as Pahasul (Photo: 3).
Process of this work:
First of all, they make an anthropomorphic form of a female by using dung and dry it. Then fire is
made on a stick wrapped with cloth or paper and the fire is inserted into the vagina of the image and
the stick is left as it is. In this way, the entire image of the deity gets burned.
(Stage I & II)

How it has evolved:

It is not clear how this cult has evolved. But in my discussion with the Chera tribe people,
they said that the adverse conditions caused by the natural disasters were due to the internal powers

50

of the goddess and this affects the general well-being of the humans. This ritual is done to induce
pain in the goddess which reduces her power and stops the natural disasters.

Actually, this tradition initially was followed only in forest and hilly regions by the tribes but
gradually it spread among the Brahmans and other classes of people living in plains as well. So this
tradition has come down from hilly areas to the plain region. We should note that this cult is still
popular in Chhatisgarh region and the goddess is known by the name of Dhundhi Raksasi. Here, the
term Raksasi indicates a female demon with evil instincts. This again has resemblance to the
tradition of Charkhopadaine, the goddess having powers of producing evil effects on the people. We
should keep in mind that Chhatisgarh mountain region and Kaimur mountain regions are inter-
connected. Another commonality in both the traditions is that only women who are not
menstruating are eligible to worship.

The only difference between these two traditions is that Aditi-Uttanapada images are made
out of stone, terracotta and metal while Charkhopadaine is made out of cow or buffalo dung only.

Apart from the images connected to both these traditions, there are also certain nude
sculptural representations of female images depicted in similar position. But the question is whether
all these nude female images showing prominent genital organs can be identified as Aditi-
Uttanapada/Lajjagauri or not. The problem of identification of these images lies in the methodology
being applied - whether they should be identified mainly on the basis of purely iconographic features
or on the basis of the context in which they are depicted. But as seen earlier, Lajjagauri is found in
various contexts and with different styles of ornamentation and dress. For example, some are shown
without head, some with lotus replacing the head and some with head showing all the features;
similarly some are shown nude and in some cases a loin cloth or a lower garment is shown covering
the genital region. Similarly she is found in different contexts like sometimes depicted on temple
pillars, sikhars, jagati portion, rathas, etc. found either alone or in association with Siva-linga, lion,
Nandi, Ganesa, Kartikeya and devotees. Can all these images irrespective of the context in which she
was depicted can be identified as Lajjagauri or not is a point to be debated. Regarding rock painting,
it cannot be said with certainty whether all depictions of a nude female figure with outstretched legs
resemble Lajjagauri in form or indicate the prevalence of Mother Goddess i.e. Fertility cult or not.

Lastly, it should be remembered that in spite of the difference in the rituals involved in the
worship of Aditi-Uttanapada and Charkhopadaine and the different reasons attributed for its
worship, yet the ultimate purpose is the same i.e. to get welfare of the humanity.

Acknowledgments:

I am deeply thankful to Dr. B. R. Mani (Joint Director General, A.S.I.), and Sri V. H.
Sonawane for providing me important photographs and references related to the present study. I am
also thankful to Sri Shanker Sharma (Assistant Archaeologist, ASI) for suggesting the new
terminology for this icon. I am also thankful to Shri S. Krishnamurthy and my brother Shri Amitabh
Tiwari and Aasha Trivedi who guided me in the preparation of this paper.

Citations for images -

Kumara Krishna, 2006-07, The cult of Aditi Uttanapada in Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent: An assessment in the
light of new discoveries, Pragdhara No.17, pp. 151,152.

51

Suresh Vasant, 1995,Lajja Gauri from Nanded Sri Nagabhinandham, Dr. M.S. Nagaraja Rao
Festchrift,Vol.I., pp.301, 302, 303.

I.A.R., 1978-79.

Sonawane, V.H., 1997, A rare Lajjagauri plaque from Tarsang (Gujarat), Facets of Indian Civilization,
Aryan Books International, New Delhi, pp.535-537.

References cited:

Agrawal, P.K., 1987, Vedic Godddess Nrriti and the Inamgaon headless figurine in Dr. Bhagawat Sahai (ed.),
History and Culture, B.P. Sinha Felicitation Volume, Ramanand Vidya Bhavan, Delhi pp.97-99.

Bolon, Carol R. 1997, Forms of the Goddess Lajjagauri in Indian Art, Delhi, pp.VII-XI.

Gupta, P.L. (ed.), 1965, Patna Museum Catalogue of Antiquities, Patna, p.307, No.145 Antiquity No.7716.
Jamkhedkar, A.P., 2004, Symbols Images and Rituals of the Mother in Vakataka Period, Lalitkala: 30, p.39.

Janssen Frans H.P.M., 1993, ‘On the Origin and Development of the so called Lajjagauri’, South Asian
Archaeology, 1991, Berlin, pp. 457-72.

Khan, M.N., 2002, Lajjagauri seals and related antiquities from Kashmir, Smast, Gandhara; South Asian
Studies, 18, pp. 57-85, pp.83-90.

Kumara Krishna, 2006-07, The Cult of Aditi Uttanapada in Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent: An Assessment in
the light of New Discoveries, Pragdhara, No.17,pp. 151,152
Marshall, John, 1911-12, A.S.I. A.R., Excavation at Bhita, p.75

Marshall, John, 1931, Mohenjodharo and the Indian civilization, I, London, p.52.

Mitragotri, V.R. 1997. ‘Mother Goddess of Churdi Goa and some parallels’, in J.P. Joshi(ed); Facets of
Indian Civilization: Recent perspectives, II. New Delhi.

Nath Amrendra, 1990, “Lajjagauri and her possible genesis”, Lalit Kala, No.25, p.43. figs.1 and 3.

Prasad, P.C. & K. Anand. 1996, Pre-Historic Rock Paintings in Bihar Proceedings of the Indian Art History
Congress, 4th Session, 26-29,Paper Presented by A.K. Prasad in Annual Conference of iAS. ISPQS &
IHCS held at Srinagar (Garhwal) in October 1997

Sankalia, H.D., 1960, “The nude Goddess or shameless women in western Asia, India and South-eastern Asia”,
Atribus Aside, XXIII, PP.111-123

Sastry,T.V.G.,1993,”LajjaGouri from Alampur and its Symbolism: In A.V.N. Narasimha Murty and
I.K.Sharma Shrinam Chandrika: Oruganti Ramchandraiya Festchrift Delhi: p.275.

Sharma, I.K., 1994, Parasurameswara temple at Gudimallam, Dattson, Nagpur, Appendix IV, P.89.

52

Sircar, D.C.,1980, ‘ Aspects of the cult of the Indian Mother Goddess’, Journal of the Indian
Museums, 36, pp. 9-20.
Stella Kramrisch, 1956, “An image of Aditi Uttanapada”, Artibus Asiae, XIX, pp. 259-70.
Sonawane, V.H., 1997, A rare Lajjagauri plaque from Tarsang (Gujarat), Facets of Indian Civilization,
Aryan Books Intenational, New Delhi, pp.535-537.
Sonawane, V.H., 1998, ‘Some remarkable sculpture of Lajjagauri from Gujarat’ Lalitkala No. 23, p. 18, 29,
33.
Suresh Vasant, 1995,Lajja Gauri from Nanded Sri Nagabhinandham, Dr. M.S. Nagaraja Rao
Festchrift ,Vol.I., p.301, 302, 303.
Tiwari., J.N.,1985, Goddess cult in Ancient India, Delhi, pp.195- 196.
Wakankar, V.S.,1992, Rock Paintings in India, Ed. Michel Loblanchet, Rock Art in the Old World,
I.G.N.C.A; New Delhi, P.329, fig.8(J).
I.A.R., 1978-79, pp.63-64.

53

The Lung-Ta Collaborative

The Living Blessings of Lo
Maureen Drdak

Maureen Drdak is a Philadelphia-based artist
Email - [email protected]

This article first appeared in the website www.asianart.com on 3rd of June, 2009. We are grateful to Ian Alsop for
allowing republishing it here on Maureen's request.

[In this article, Maureen discusses her paintings based on Tibetan Buddhist monk Tenzing Bista's poetic
prayer on world peace and on the concept of Lung-ta or the horizontal flag lines which are supposed to take
prayers to the heaven like a wind-horse.]

A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or
three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened. ~Albert Camus
Any great work of art... revives and readapts time and space, and the measure of its success is the
extent to which it makes you an inhabitant of that world - the extent to which it invites you in and
lets you breathe its strange, special air. ~Leonard Bernstein, What Makes Opera Grand?
There is no surer method of evading the world than by following Art, and no surer method of
linking oneself to it than by Art. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

All images are by Maureen Drdak.

LUNGTA Triptych, (l to r) Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani

LUNGTA [1] -The Windhorse, is a collaboration of art, music, and dance, [2] premiered to standing
room only at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia on March 6th, 2009. The impetus for the
collaborative and the imagery for its visual component-the LUNGTA Triptych - springs forth form
from that sublime altar of the earth that is the Himalaya—the Abode of the Gods, and from an
artistic response to the global impact of accelerating change on its remarkable cultures. It was for

54

purposes of gathering research for this project, that eminent Philadelphia composer, Andrea
Clearfield, and I traveled to the remote mountain kingdom of Lo near the Tibetan border in late
summer 2008.
What follows is a discussion of the visual imagery; but first, a brief history of the background is in
order…

LUNGTA installation
The collaborative’s origins lay in a commission from Linda Reichert, artistic director and founder of
Network for New Music, a premiere national group dedicated to the commission and performance
of new music. Reichert clearly had a specific synergy in mind; Andrea and I, along with
choreographer Manfred Fischbeck, were invited for lunch and presented with her vision for the
upcoming NNM 2008-09 season, which would devoted to collaborative explorations between
music and the visual arts - appropriately entitled MIX. As the thematic subject of our particular
effort was open, my thoughts turned immediately to my recent trek in 2006 to the Himalayan
Kingdom of Lo. The catalyst for that journey had been my determination to rediscover and identify
a particular landscape first glimpsed many decades ago in my high school library. The location
portrayed in that earlier sighting was unidentified, yet as an image of terrible beauty, I had never
forgotten it. Prolonged bouts of web-surfing finally yielded results; a photo depicting a virtually
identical image was identified as the Kali Gandacki river gorge in Upper Mustang, Nepal. My
mystery location finally revealed, I planned a journey about which I’d fantasized for decades. With
my husband, Peter Horodowich, I traveled up that gorge beyond the massifs of Dhaulagiri and
Annapurna to the kingdom of Lo Monthang in northwest Nepal in the fall of 2006.

55

Recalling now those memories of that spectacular land and its tenacious people, I was moved to
celebrate them. Among many images, one immediately and repeatedly asserted itself – wind lashed
Lung-ta atop desolate passes, furiously imploring the heavens. Defiant in their finitude, they were an
affirmation of the perseverance of both pilgrims and gods in their eternal engagement with universal
forces. Their urgent supplications alternating with joyous salutations, they assumed for me a
particular poignancy when contemplating the increasingly grave challenges to our planet; in those
mountains climactic change was everywhere in evidence. So moved, I initiated proto drawings and a
proposal outlining my interpretive vision and presented it to my colleagues, who immediately felt an
affinity for its philosophical message and expressive potential. Indeed, Linda Reichert’s inspiration
was such that her vision now foresaw a physical journey to Lo; artistic integrity required the effort!
And so Andrea Clearfield and I traveled to Lo in Upper Mustang in the late summer of 2008; for
Andrea the allure of vast and unknown vistas, [3] for myself, a return to a wild and beloved place;
for both of us, the challenge of physical and mental borderlands and the liminal spaces between.

Within Nepal, the kingdom [4] -or region-of Lo is a “restricted area”. The origin of this status lies
both in political strife and economic agendas, past and present. As the Nepalese government forbids
solitary travel within the region, this proscription brought us the companionship of Dr. Sienna
Craig, a cultural anthropologist from Dartmouth College. Recent friends, we had serendipitously
learned of each other’s plans to enter the kingdom, and determining that our agendas were
harmonious, welcomed the opportunity to travel together. Sienna’s companionship was an
unexpected gift and delight; fluent in Nepali and Tibetan, with deep personal and cultural knowledge
of the region [5], her skills were a tremendous asset. We were joined by two additional companions;
our guide and liaison Gyaltso Bista, close friend of Sienna and amchi practitioner in the service of
the Loba King, Jigme Palbar Bista, and as Sienna would be traveling with her not-quite four year old
daughter Aida, she would be aided by Norzing-La, daughter of the Loba Queen’s lady-in-waiting,
Dawa. With these advantages we would be able to travel with efficiency and speed. Traveling with
the intrepid Aida added a unique dimension to the physical and psychological challenges,
heightening both our sense of protective vigilance and connection, both with each other and with
the humanity of the Lobas. And so in the late summer of 2008, our group crossed into the
restricted area of Upper Mustang, headed for the capital of Monthang, and on the trail of the
Windhorse.

The LUNGTA Triptych’s visual imagery draws upon two living concepts from the Tibetan cultures of
this remote Himalayan region; that of Lung-Ta, and that of the Rigsum Gompo—the Three Protectors.
These concepts physically and metaphysically permeate the Kingdom of Lo, which is believed to be
the last remaining enclave of pure Tibetan culture. Though the origins of these concepts lie deep
within the ancient Central Asian, Himalayan, and Vedic cultures, their underlying sensibilities are
familiar to the West.; many of our myths reflecting similar concepts and structures. But the relevance

56

of this iconography, indeed that of any imagery, lies in its ongoing capacity to connect with the
present; in this essential respect Lung-Ta lives!
Lung-Ta is multivalent in depth, flexibility, and relevance; it exists conceptually on dual planes of
both the metaphysical and the vernacular - the universal and the personal – the eternal and the
temporal. The Lung-Ta, or Windhorse, lends its name to the Tibetan or Buddhist Prayer Flag. This
common vernacular form can be seen strung at shrines, monasteries, and sites of spiritual
significance, both public and private. Though images, specific text, and motivational intent of Lung-
Ta may vary greatly, the predominant form is a square of cloth upon which is printed an image
(from which its name is derived) of the Celestial Horse bearing upon its back the Flaming Jewels of
the Dharma, surrounded by the text of Buddhist prayers and accompanied by the Four Animal
Guardians. (Photo) As it flies, it sanctifies the animating and permeating wind, carrying the
blessings of the Dharma heavenward. Snapping in the wind, it recalls the sound of horse’s hooves.
An evocative and recurring sight, Lung-ta signify places of power - high mountain passes, venerated
gompas - and confer blessing and protection upon points of vulnerability - both human and
inanimate.

Lung-ta with Windhorse
Lung-Ta also refers to a more subtle concept; that of the Mind riding upon the Spirit, as a
Horseman rides upon a Horse. Indeed, early Vedic peoples visualized the structure of the World-
Cosmos as analogous to the horse’s body. In Tibetan, ta is horse and lung signifies not only breath or
wind, but atmospheric energy, and further, the prana, or vital energy, surging through the subtle
or vajra (diamond) body which all individuals are believed to posses. The energy of the horse
represents the Heavenly Wind; the great Pranic Breath of the Cosmos – upon which rides the Mind,
that of the innate consciousness of the universe that is the inheritance of Man. In some traditions
and interpretations this association becomes so close that the two are conflated; this merging of
identification being common in early totemic cultures. When properly aligned, through the purging

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of destructive negativity and ignorance, the Mind (Rider) soars into the Heavens upon the eternal
energy of his Soul (Steed) and unimpeded attains Liberation, ormoksha; the reconciliation of Spirit
and Matter, Prusha and Prakriti, Atman and Brahman.

The horse is pivotal to the cultural and physical life of Lo; it is the seminal symbol of both wealth
and virtue. Indeed, in the writings of Dr. Sienna Craig, the intimacies of this cultural relationship
extend to burial and medicine; the Loba and Mustangi regard for their horses often being evidenced
in similarity of ritual practices for both humans and horses. The horse’s body provides a metaphor
for innumerable emotional, physical and spiritual states. It offers an ever present reminder of the
internal aspiration for the spiritual skill of the Cosmic Rider who is One with the Cosmic Horse; the
great Buddhist poet Milarepa's "Song of the Galloping Horse of a Yogi" gives eloquent voice to this
affinity:

In the mountain hermitage which is my body,

In the temple of my breast

At the summit of the triangle of my heart,

The horse which is my mind flies like the wind.

He gallops on the plains of great bliss.

If he persists, he will attain the rank of a victorious Buddha.

Going backward, he cuts the root of samsara;

Going forward he reaches the high land of buddhahood.

Astride such a horse, one attains the highest illumination [6]

As is here evident, the concept of Lung-ta is highly accommodating of creative synthesis. Its imagery
is highly plastic, expressing both physical and metaphysical energies. In approaching my work for
the collaborative, it was important for me to envision formal structures that could clearly translate
into their expressive counterparts in music, so that this lovely duality would be effectively realized
through the complimentary forms of music and image. Approach and treatment were selected with
consideration of their translation into musical structure. Thus, forms evocative of wind and
movement permeate the Triptych. In my paintings, Lung-Ta is expressed through dynamic gesture
incorporating elements of the equine form, as well as formal references to the cloud formations
racing across the vast Tibetan plateau. The speed of the horse associates it with the wind, and
through natural extension, the clouds. Indeed, among the Tibetans, one particular form of cloud
with a twisting, trailing form is known as a “Mares Tail” [7]. Clouds, and all natural forms, are highly
codified in Tibetan visual iconography, as are their symbolical associations. In determining Lung-
Ta’s visual vocabulary, I have respectfully referenced these forms, interpreting and integrating them
within the biomorphic structure. “Cloud Streets” (long continuous bands of clouds) and “Mares
Tails” merge with muscular fragments, suggesting the shifting energies and moods of the Windhorse
as it flies through the heavens, and convey this alliance between horse and wind. Their shifting states
of existence are conveyed through biomorphic expression- the perpetuity of material flux - the
endless “becoming” of the physical; the manifest within the immanent.

58

LUNGTA Triptych, (l to r) Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani
I have used the expressive potential inherent in the equine form to allude to both the Windhorse
itself, and additionally the qualities associated with each of the bodhisattvas of the Rigsum Gompo,
described below. The tripartite further translates into musical movements; thus, in Manjushri, rolling
clouds unfurl and stream outward, referencing the Bodhisattva who “dispels the Clouds of
Ignorance.”
Their gentled streams merge into the following image—Avalokiteshvara. Here the cloud streets are
calm, and the great biomorphic form is gently closed within itself, or “collected”; an equine term
that signifies balance, harmony and benevolence.
The cloud streets continue onwards, and in Vajrapani, the bodhisattva emblematic of skillful method
or action (vajra=lightening), they explode in a lightening stroke outward and off the picture plane;
the resulting energy resonates and reverberates throughout the jagged biomorphic structure.
The horizontal rush of the cloud streets manifest the universal winds and complement the surgingtsa
lung, which conceptually ground the work. Passing through all three images, they are here depicted as
three pure gold threads—the Prana channels - carrying the breath of life. Crowning the anterior
plane of all three images, the deep blue of space recedes upward according to Tibetan sensibility.
Movement, light, and speed are the essence of LUNGTA.

Rigsum Gompo and Offering Wall

59

Tsarang Monastery

My art has long been grounded in both external and internal locations of extremis; the deserts, seas
and heights of the earth, and from the great philosophical visions which continually spring forth
from them. As such, the Himalaya is a sanctified place where both body and mind are driven
inexorably towards the reconciliation of opposites. One is relentlessly aware of physical limitations,
and yet, paradoxically, experiences a limitless sense of euphoric connection. The grace of
transcendence seems momentarily within reach. Through this requisite submission of the ego to the
abrasion of vast and impersonal forces, our apprehension of the eternal is ever refined, our sense of
connection ever deepened, our creativity continually enhanced.

As mentioned in the first lines of this essay, a heightened sense of cultural change and fragility
informed our work. Societies are rapidly changing, increasingly stretching the limits of communal
connection. Art can be a powerful force for easing this dislocation; it can offer a momentary sense
of communal transcendence-tenuous, yet essential; West meeting East; thesis and antithesis birthing
synthesis, yet one more variation of evolution of Self through Other. Art can maintain meaningful
cultural identity and be a positive force for self definition-a grounding matrix enabling individuals to
locate themselves within their societies, and their world. Lung-Ta is an allegory for the human soul
and its’ relationship with the eternal/universe; though aesthetically autonomous, LUNGTA exists,
ultimately, for communal benefit. It is my hope that in this respect, it accords with the Tibetan
spiritual aesthetic, and honors the spirit of the mountains from which this work is drawn.

The documentation of the Lungta Collaborative will be presented to His Holiness the Dalai
Lama by Dr. Amy Heller through the auspices of the Office of Tibet, (Geneva, Switzerland)
during his 2009 visit to Switzerland.*

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I wish to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to both Dr. Sienna Craig and Dr. Amy
Heller. Their generous and invaluable advice, support and guidance during all stages of this project
was broad and deep, and always gracefully given.
* Documentation of the Lungta Collaborative was delivered to His Holiness in 2009.

Endnotes:
1. LUNGTA refers to the collaborative work and its components of image, music, and dance.
Lung-Ta refers both to the concept, and its vernacular form of the prayer flag.
2. To our effort would later be joined the choreography of Manfred Fischbeck and Group Motion
Dance. Notes on both Clearfield’s music and Manfred Fischbeck’s choreography can be found at
the conclusion of this essay.
3. David Patrick Stearns (Classical Music Critic), “From Nepal back to Philadelphia, premiering a
changed music”, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia.2009, March 5th.
4. As of October 2008 the current King of Lo, Jigme Palbar Bista, 25th in the line of Loba kings,
was stripped of his crown by the Maoist government of Nepal.
5. Sienna Craig, “Horses Like Lightening; A Story of Passage through the Himalayas”, Wisdom
Publications, 2008.
6. The 100,000 Songs of Milarepa, translation by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa.
7. Robert Beer, “The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs”, Shambala, Boston 1999, pg 24.
8. Interestingly, Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan-Chenrezig), is manifested in wrathful form as the horse-
headed Hayagriva, the Wisdom Lord, and has Vedic antecedents; the neighing of the horse shatters
ignorance and evil, etc.; the list of associative relationships are abundant.
9. See the Prayer written by Tenzin S. Bista and the cursive transcription.
10. It is important for me to state that I am not literate in Tibetan (in any form). The prayer was
transcribed from the original block script, to kyug yig, by Kunga Nyima Delotsang, a friend of Dr.
Craig's in the Tibetan community of Ithaca; I then transcribed the cursive to the paintings,
endeavoring to accurately transcribe as possible, consulting with both Drs. Craig and Heller in the
process. It was also translated by Dr. Craig, who is an anthropologist at Dartmouth College.

61

Selected Hindu Temples of Bangladesh

Book Review
Archana Verma

Kantaji (Kantanagar) Temple, Dinajpur, Bangladesh (Photo - Shahnoor Habib Munmun, Image
Link1)

Babu Ahmed and Nazly Choudhury, Selected Hindu Temples of Bangladesh, UNESCO, Dhaka, 2005.
Much has been written about the Islamic period monuments of Bangladesh and also about its

Buddhist monuments. But Bangladesh is also rich in its Hindu temple architecture, particularly
famous specimens of which are the intricately carved terracotta temples. There have been some
writings on the terracotta temples, in which these have been aligned to their counterparts in the
West Bengal of India. Of particular notice is the Terracotta Temples of Bengal by S. S. Biswas and
Zulekha Haque.
The small volume by Babu Ahmed and Nazly Choudhury on some selected temples of Bangladesh
is a welcome addition to this field. They have paid special attention to the octagonal spire found
there. Two temples in this volume deal with this particular style. Apart from these, they have also
explored the temples of Govind and Kali Narayana, thus illuminating the different cult deities that
1http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Kantaji_Temple_Dinajpur_Bangladesh_(
19).JPG

62

are housed in these temples. Each chapter deals with a particular temple in this book, which has
been published under the aegis of UNESCO, Dhaka.
The temples discussed in this book throw light on the architectural styles prevalent in the specimens
described and are useful not only for the students of art history, but also for the students of
architecture. For future research on Bangladesh temples, this volume can provide the initial inquiry
platform for students who may wish to go for an indepth study of these and other related temples
by exploring such issues as patterns of patronage, iconographic forms represented in these temples
and their relation to epigraphs, religious history and its relation to the development of temples in the
region etc. The present volume does not deal with such issues in detail, but it makes the reader
aware of the preliminaries, so that these further questions can be explored at greater depth.

63

Call for Papers

South Asian Arts welcomes submission of well-research academic articles from scholars. Papers
should be typed in Georgia 12 pt fonts, proof-read and submitted electronically in MS-Word File
Format to this email address – [email protected].
Manuscripts should be original and author should give proper acknowledgements for images and
other sources and arguments. If copyright issues are involved, they should get them cleared before
sending the article.

The minimum length of the paper should be about 750 words excluding the references. The editor
may give suggestions about revision of the article in a certain way before it can be published.

Proper citations and references should be provided with the paper in the following format -

Endnotes -

Book - Vidya Dehejia, Art of the Imperial Cholas, Columbia University Press, New York, 1992, pp.
23-45.

Journal - Vidya Dehejia, "Temple at Tanjavur," in Marg, Bombay, 1945, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 23-45.

Chapter in collected volume - Vidya Dehejia, "Dharmaraja Ratha," in R. Nagaswamy (Ed.), Temples
of South India, Archaeological Survey of India Memoirs No 76, New Delhi, 1978, pp. 34-67.

Immediately repeated reference - Ibid, p. 45.

Reference repeated after a few other references - Vidya Dehejia, Op. Cit., p. 45.

Bibliography - same as above, but the last name of the author will precede the first name, followed
by comma. All names will be arranged alphabetically.

Important Notice - Please note that the editors of the journal will not be responsible for any
material which is copied from its site or from PDF without proper acknowledgment or without
permission, as it’s not possible for us to track people about downloading of material from an online
journal, eventhough this journal makes an explicit request on its first web-page and also in the PDF
to its readers to properly acknowledge the use of these articles.

64

About this Journal

This online journal aims to bring to its readers various aspects of the art forms of South Asia, their
study, critical perspectives and contextual analysis. The articles are sought to be academic in nature
and well-researched. All periods and forms of arts are covered in this journal.

Please note that this is an academic journal and not a community forum.

It is aimed to be a thrice-yearly journal. Its ISSN Number is ISSN 0976 – 7266.

All content in this journal are copyrighted. Please ask for permission before reproducing any content
in any form.

@Archana Verma, 14th of April 2010

Please feel free to offer your opinions, comments and discussions. The comments should be
democratic and academic in nature.

Editorial Board

• Prof. John Mc Leod, Director, Asian Studies, University of Louiseville, Kentucky, USA.
• Prof. Adam Hardy, Cardiff University, UK.
• Dr. Daniel Rycroft, Assistant Professor, University of East Anglia, UK.
• Dr. Ibrahim Shah, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Archaeology,

Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan.
• Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Vasanta College, Varanasi, India.
• Dr. Mazhar Hussain, Centre for Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi,

India.
• Dr. Balkrishan Shivram, Associate Professor, History, Rampur College, Himachal Pradesh,

India.
• Dr. Archana Verma, New Delhi, India.

About Archana Verma –

Having completed her PhD from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in Indian art history,
Dr. Archana Verma has been a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Archaeology, University College
London, UK and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Simla. She has
also taught Indian art history to the American university students who visit Delhi on a Study Abroad
Programme. She has published a monograph on Buddhist art from the ancient monastery of Bagh in
Madhya Pradesh from Archaeopress, Oxford, UK.

She has also completed a monograph on the narrative art of the Hindu temples called Reading
Images, which is shortly going to be published.

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Dr. Verma is currently engaged in completing a volume of collected papers on various dimensions
of performative arts tradition of India.
Some of her other papers include - "Art and Architecture as Symbols of Change," in Indica, Vol. 34,
"Territory as Woman, Woman as territory, Visual and Verbal Imageries in Peninsular India" in
Indian Women Writing in English, " Heroic Discourse in Indian Art" in South Asian Iconography and
Iconology, South Asian Studies, London, UK (Conference volume of the International conference of
the European Association of South Asian Archaeologists, 2005).

Dr. Verma also makes and researches about the Mithila paintings, which belong to the folk genre
from Eastern India.

Special Issues

Art and Cultural Inspirations from Tibetan Buddhism

Brief Note on Tsogyal Shedrub Dargyeling Nunnery in Exile by Tsamchoe and M. N. Rajesh
(Oct 2010)
Artistic Activity in Nepal as World Peace - Artist Profile (Jan 2011)
Lung-Ta Collaborative - Living Blessings of Lo by Maureen Drdak (Jan 2011)
Short Notices –
Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka by Archana Verma (Jul 2010)
Threat to Afghan Heritage by Archana Verma (Oct 2010)

Interventions from Modernity and Postcolonial Culture

"World Art" and South Asia - A Dialogue on Some Problems and Perspectives by Daniel J.
Rycroft and Archana Verma (Jul 2010)
James Tod the Loyalist - The American Roots of an Indian Classic by John Mc Leod (Jul
2010)
Contesting Cultures or Negotiating Hybridity? Interrogating Brick Lane, The Namesake and I
for India by Tasleem Shakur (Jan 2011)
Kolshi In Bangladeshi Modern Art by Lisa Banu (Oct 2010)
My Name is Khan - Film Review by Archana Verma (Apr 2010)
Decaying Paintingts at Rachol Seminary, Goa by Archana Verma

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Coming Soon -

A multi-volume set of e-books titled History of South Asian Arts. These e-books will be available in
DVD format and will cover the time-span of South-Asian sub-continent from pre-historical
Palaeolithic rock-shelter paintings to our contemporary period. The DVDs will contain reading
material, maps, things to do, questions to explore and Power-Point presentations on various topics.
These DVDs will be especially intended for the Introductory Level Undergraduate students across
the world who are interested in studying this discipline.
Following are the volumes planned in this set -
History of South Asian Arts Vol. I – Pre-History to Early Mediaeval Period
History of South Asian Arts Vol. II – Early Mediaeval and Mediaeval Periods
History of South Asian Arts Vol. III – Modern and Contemporary Periods
History of South Asian Arts Vol. IV – Folk, Tribal and Popular Art Forms and a History of Design of
South Asia

More information will be available on this as these DVDs are completed.
[email protected]

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in the articles in this journal are only of the writers and not of the editors
involved in producing this journal. It is the responsibility of the authors to ensure that they send
original content and give proper acknowledge and citations for the sources and images used in the
papers. In case of a dispute arising in these matters, the authors will be responsible, not the editors
of the journal.

Archana Verma

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