Besides the sporadic forays made into the realm of contemporary north Indian temples by few authors the above terrain remains more or less historicized, undocumented and underexplored. ‘Rejuvenation of Nagara Temples in the 19th and 20th Century (with special reference to Yamuna Par Plain)’ aims precisely at this shoal of temples from the region of Delhi to Agra covering a cluster of thirty temples belonging to the previous two centuries. Analysis of art and architectural minute of the temple edifices has been the prime concern of the work. Moreover regional ramifications, the effects of Dravidian, Orissan artistic and architectural forms, along with foreign influences which have made the Nagara temples truly eclectic too have been looked upon. For the purpose of micro-study the research has been circumscribed to the past two centuries although the history of temple art and architecture has been traced ever since the onset of the Mauryan Age up to the 18th century navigating through all the modifications, additions and impositions that the Nagara temple was subjected to. Apart from the study of temples the work also explores the various agencies that have affected the temple structures. How temples have functioned as separate economic units in the above time bracket too has received attention in the present work, although it remains largely tangential.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR B R Mani
Dr. Buddha Rashmi Mani, born 17 April 1955 (Gunhill, Mussoorie) in a family of patriots, academicians, administrators, is presently Director (Archaeology) in the Archaeological Survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi. he has had a meritorious academic record from High School to the University, always standing first class first. He got his Master's degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology from Banaras Hindu University in 1976 and Ph.D. in 1980 on 'Life in the Kushan Age'. He taught the subject in B.H.U. and at Central Institute of Tibetan Higher Studies, Sarnath in between 1978 and 1984 after which he joined the Archaeological Survey of India where he worked in various capacities of Group 'A' service in different circles and branches and directed more than a dozen significant archaeological excavations, such as at Lolkot, Salimgarh fort, Sankisa, Siswania, Kanishkapura, Ambaran and Ayodhya and also conserved a number of monuments in Goa, Maharashtra, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. He has been Director of the Institute of Archaeology (ASI), New Delhi. he has widely travelled and has represented the country in international conferences in Male, Tehran, Leicester, London etc. and has contributed two books, 'The Kushan Civilization' and 'Delhi: Threshold of the Orient' alongwith more than 100 research papers published in national and international journals.
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