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Journey Through India's Heritage
This book offers a detailed illustrative account of the most significant monuments of Bihar, Tamilnadu and Odisha States of India. It showcases the rich heritage of India spanning from prehistoric era to the medieval era. It starts with the description of the rich legacy of powerful kingdoms in Rajgir and the ruins of one of the greatest ancient international university in Nalanda, travels through the magnificent stone art of the mighty pallava dynasty in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram and reaches its culmination in the splendid temples of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. The author’s approach has been to visit the concerned locations to get the feel of the place. The details have been collected onsite and from other authentic sources. The unique aspect of this book is that it covers the legends, history, art and architecture of these places which are interspersed with striking photographs of the important features of the monuments. The whole effect is of walking through the history and architecture of these sites. The delicate balance of pictorial journey ensures that this book will be a great souvenir and a great guide for any visitors to these magnificent places.
266 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 23, 2020
A very well researched book.
The best thing about the book is that it is based on the facts and evidences and not on emotional responses. In ancient times n numbers of gigantic and beautiful temples and heritages with splendid architectural construction were built and some were unfortunately demolished by the foreign invaders.For those who love to have their mind wonder about the golden era of Indian history where little is known about the heritages/ temples of India. This is very interesting book to read. Book is a detailed illustrative account some of the significant heritages monuments of India.
Bihar : Rajgir
Nalanda
Tamil Nadu : Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram 2
Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple
Vaikunta Perusal Temple
Varadaraja Perusal Temple
Odisha : Udayagiri - khandagiri caves
Bhubaneswar
Shree JaganNath Temple
Konark Sun Temple.
I find the very readable and interesting.
266 pages sheer delight
Overall, Highly recommended for those who are interested in exploring India's Heritage.
The best thing about the book is that it is based on the facts and evidences and not on emotional responses. In ancient times n numbers of gigantic and beautiful temples and heritages with splendid architectural construction were built and some were unfortunately demolished by the foreign invaders.For those who love to have their mind wonder about the golden era of Indian history where little is known about the heritages/ temples of India. This is very interesting book to read. Book is a detailed illustrative account some of the significant heritages monuments of India.
Bihar : Rajgir
Nalanda
Tamil Nadu : Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram 2
Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple
Vaikunta Perusal Temple
Varadaraja Perusal Temple
Odisha : Udayagiri - khandagiri caves
Bhubaneswar
Shree JaganNath Temple
Konark Sun Temple.
I find the very readable and interesting.
266 pages sheer delight
Overall, Highly recommended for those who are interested in exploring India's Heritage.
December 18, 2020
Ruchi Pritam's "Journey through India's heritage" covers major heritage monuments and temples in Bihar, Tamilnadu and Orissa and will set you thinking on traveling to these places!
The author's travelogues in major websites have been detailed and this book follows in terms of depth of coverage of places, their history and architecture. From first hand visits, images, books and archaeological accounts the author has stitched together a well researched reference book that can help us when we head to the places described - be it Rajghir, Nalanda, Kanchi or Orissa.
The book initially appeared slow paced. The early portions of the book (especially till the Nalanda region) spoke about "barbarianism" that brought down wonderful temples of learning (without any specifics). However as the book progressed the marauding Islamic invaders got called out maybe reflecting the gradual change in the outlook of the author as she journeyed through India.
The chapters on Mahabalipuram are so vivid and a must read. Here is a quote that carries so much though and weight: "The historians who are always trumpeting the lack of proof while denigrating all local memory as mere MYTH, become strangely silent as soon as new discoveries take place to challenge their "ESTABLISHMENT" wisdom".
By the time you finish Mahabalipuram and reach Kanchipuram you realize that the book has picked up a lot of pace. The coverage of Kanchipuram was quite different from the rest and was the most engaging. Some aha moments - Pallava means sprouts (creepers) who trace their lineage to Ashvatthama (from the Mahabharata) and this is brought out beautifully in panels at the Vaikunta Perumal temple. By weaving in information from inscriptions, language, scripts and concepts - like the God-King relation - the author weaves a beautiful tapestry. It is no surprise that Kanchi kshetra is a personal favourite of the author.
A casual reference of Alvars as "prolific songwriters" (P135) could have been avoided although subsequently they get their due. Ramanujacharya was a proponent of Vishitadvaita (P166 has him as proponent of Advaita Vedanta).
From Kanchipuram we now move to Odisha, the land of temples. The sheer number of temples covered in Odisha is mind boggling. Here the inclusive nature of the rulers and their patronizing of Hinduism, Jainism, Ajivikas and Buddhism become even more evident. Illustrious rulers like Kharavela are brought in front of us who don't find mention in our history textbooks. It is here that I learnt about the great rishi Lakulisa who founded the Pashupata sampradaya in Shaivism.
Thank you Ruchi Pritam for taking us through this wonderful journey through India. Grab a copy before you pack up to explore Bharat's heritage.
The author's travelogues in major websites have been detailed and this book follows in terms of depth of coverage of places, their history and architecture. From first hand visits, images, books and archaeological accounts the author has stitched together a well researched reference book that can help us when we head to the places described - be it Rajghir, Nalanda, Kanchi or Orissa.
The book initially appeared slow paced. The early portions of the book (especially till the Nalanda region) spoke about "barbarianism" that brought down wonderful temples of learning (without any specifics). However as the book progressed the marauding Islamic invaders got called out maybe reflecting the gradual change in the outlook of the author as she journeyed through India.
The chapters on Mahabalipuram are so vivid and a must read. Here is a quote that carries so much though and weight: "The historians who are always trumpeting the lack of proof while denigrating all local memory as mere MYTH, become strangely silent as soon as new discoveries take place to challenge their "ESTABLISHMENT" wisdom".
By the time you finish Mahabalipuram and reach Kanchipuram you realize that the book has picked up a lot of pace. The coverage of Kanchipuram was quite different from the rest and was the most engaging. Some aha moments - Pallava means sprouts (creepers) who trace their lineage to Ashvatthama (from the Mahabharata) and this is brought out beautifully in panels at the Vaikunta Perumal temple. By weaving in information from inscriptions, language, scripts and concepts - like the God-King relation - the author weaves a beautiful tapestry. It is no surprise that Kanchi kshetra is a personal favourite of the author.
A casual reference of Alvars as "prolific songwriters" (P135) could have been avoided although subsequently they get their due. Ramanujacharya was a proponent of Vishitadvaita (P166 has him as proponent of Advaita Vedanta).
From Kanchipuram we now move to Odisha, the land of temples. The sheer number of temples covered in Odisha is mind boggling. Here the inclusive nature of the rulers and their patronizing of Hinduism, Jainism, Ajivikas and Buddhism become even more evident. Illustrious rulers like Kharavela are brought in front of us who don't find mention in our history textbooks. It is here that I learnt about the great rishi Lakulisa who founded the Pashupata sampradaya in Shaivism.
Thank you Ruchi Pritam for taking us through this wonderful journey through India. Grab a copy before you pack up to explore Bharat's heritage.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews