Category:Indian art historians

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Pages in category "Indian art historians"

The following 12 pages are in this category, out of 12 total. This list may not reflect
recent changes (learn more).

A G cont. M cont.

• Mildred Archer • Swaraj Prakash Gupta • C. Sivarama Murti

• Arshiya
Lokhandwala J P

B • Jyotindra Jain • Ratan Parimoo

• Michael Brand K Q

G • Anand Krishna • Dulari Qureshi

• Dattatraya Ganesh M R
Godse
• Ramesh Prasad • Mohinder Singh
Mohapatra Randhawa

C. Sivarama Murti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues
on the talk page.

• It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve it by

citing reliable sources. Tagged since March 2008.
• Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since March 2008.
• Its factual accuracy is disputed. Tagged since March 2008.

• It may require general cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.

Tagged since March 2008.
C. Sivaramamurti or Calambur Sivaramamurti, (1909–1983) was an eminent art
historian and Sanskrit scholar. His entire life has been devoted to the study and
exposition of various aspects of Indian art. Author of several monographs, he has
surveyed the panorama of Indian art as archaeologist, numismatist, epigraphist, historian
and scholar. A sculptor and an artist in his own right, he has often illustrated his book
with his own sketches.

After a brilliant academic career, C. Sivaramamurti entered the museum profession as

curator for Archaeology in the Madras Museum. He then joined the Archaeological
Survey of India as Superintendent, Archaeological Section, Indian Museum, Calcutta,
whence he came over to the National Museum as Keeper and rose as Assistant Director
and finally became the Director. Closely associated with the International Council of
Museums he was on its executive committee and was Chairman of the Indian National
Committee of ICOM. He conducted pioneering research and wrote extensively on various
subjects during his tenure at the Indian national Museum.

Eminent arachaeologist, zoologist and student of archaeology, Frederic Henry Gravely,

along with the Curator Dr. C. Sivaramamurti, ensured in 1938 that the antiquities and
industrial art collected by the Museum was organized effectively, into a collection that
exists even today. His monumental book L'Art en Inde originally published in French
earned the Dadabhai Naoroji Award. The book is available in German, English, Spanish
and Italian. Dr.C.Sivaramamurti was the first fellow of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial
Fundwhen it was instituted, as he was specially chosen by the Trustees of this Fund in an
endeavour to set a standard to Indian scholarship.He did a special exhaustive study of
Nataraja,the dancing form of Siva, in all aspects as represented in Art,thought and
literature.The product of two years of efforts was a monumental work,"Nataraja in
Art,Thought and Literature" ,which he dedicated to his parents. Nataraja in Art, Thought
and Literature is acclaimed as his major achievement. First published 1974, it was 412
pages with 22 colour plates and over 250 monochrome illustrations. Nataraja as a theme
represents life force itself. The ancients visualised Nataraja as a manifestation of the
cosmic energy symbolising the three aspects of creation, preservation and destruction.
Chapters include: Natya, The Significance of Siva's Dance, Karanas Presented in Siva's
Tandava, Karanas Presented by Vishnu as Krishna, The Vedic Roots of the Concept of
The Great Dancer, Nataraja Pictured in literature, Varieties of Nataraja as Described in
Silpa Texts, Nataraja Form in Sculpture and Painting, The Nataraja Concept Beyond
Indian Frontiers.

The dance of Nataraja has always been synonymously viewed with truth and beauty,
force and rhythm, movement and change, realisation and dissolution. Nataraja has been
visualised in variety of forms by seers, poets and artists; it has been chiselled, painted,
described and sung about in many parts of India and countries. This itself is a testimony
to the twin aspects of time and timelessness of Nataraja, both as a personality and as a
theme. This book highlights Nataraja as the presiding deity of fine arts whether it be
music, dance, painting, sculpture or epigraphy. The Vedic roots of the cosmic dancer and
the blend of tradition and modernity is woven as a thread throughout the book describing
vividly the exploits of the great dancer on world stage. It also contains interesting
information on famous spots of the Nataraja theme and the concept of Nataraja beyond
Indian frontiers. Dr. Sivaramamurti has been one of the most acclaimed art historians of
this country. He had devoted an entire life time to iconography, especially to the Nataraja
theme. This book was an outcome of his research as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru
Fellowship awarded to him in 1968. In her foreword to this book, Mrs.Indira Gandhi
called it' a monument to Indian Scholarship.'

Dr. Sivaramamurti has been responsible for popularizing epigraphy and numismatics,
sculpture and paintings from an approach through literature giving literary parallels. His
love for Sanskrit and art, his aesthetic taste and capacity to draw, paint and sculpt helped
him to achieve his purpose of such a study of art and literature. He was a frail man with
conspicuous vibhuti and tilak on his forehead. Dr. Sivaramamurti belonged to the lineage
of the great Appayya Dikshita.He was the son of Calambur Sundara Sastri, a civil
servant, a great Sanskrit scholar of his times and author of a great kavya in
Sanskrit,'Sundara Ramayana'. C.Sundara Sastri was an ardent devotee of Rama and as if
by divine will his son, Sivaramamurti was married to Sampurna, the granddaughter of the
great Ramayana exponent Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri and daughter of Pattabhi Rama
Sastri, then District educational Officer of Tanjore. They had two sons Sundararamamurti
and Krishnamurti

Dr. Sivaramamurti died in a learned assembly, where he was explaining the specific
features of a rare Nataraja icon.He was describing the attributes of Siva with the names,
Sankara and Shambhu. He explained how the two names were derived from the word
'sham' in Sanskrit which means 'bliss'.He explained, 'sham karoti iti shankarah'- one who
creates bliss is shankara.The other is Shambhu- the one who is an embodiment of bliss.
He suffered a severe heart attack and collapsed on the stage, clutching the idol of Shiva.
He was a pious Hindu and was dedicated to art; everybody felt that he could not have
dreamt of a better Shivasayujya (becoming one with God), or merger with his favorite
deity, Lord Shiva.

Dr. Sivaramamurti is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain
and Ireland. Sri Sankaracharya the great Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal of
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha conferred on him the title of Vichitrachitta- meaning 'the
curious minded one'.The great Pallava ruler of the 8th century from south
India,Mahendravarman, held this epithet 'vichitrachitta', as described by him in his
inscription in the rock-cut temple of the Trinity, Brahma,Vishnu and easwara(siva) at
Kudumiamalai. He was awarded by the President of India,the Padma Sri in 1968 and the
Padma Bhushan in 1975. He travelled widely, participated in international seminars,
delivered important lectures at the invitation of several universities, which have been
published as books. He delivered important endowment lectures at many universities in
India. He has over thirty-four books and innumerable papers on sculpture, painting,
architecture, iconography, epigraphy, numismatics and literature to his credit. He was
honoured with a number of awards during his lifetime, and in view of his contribution to
Oriental Research, in 1981, the Asiatic Society of Bombay posthumously awarded a
special Campbell Memorial Gold Medal.
[edit] Works
Some of his works include:

• L'Art en Inde,
• Nataraja in art, thought, and literature,
• Indian Epigraphy and South Indian Scripts,
• Early Eastern Chalukya Sculpture,
• Kalugumalai and Early Pandyan Rock-cut Shrines,
• Sanskrit Literature and Art: Mirrors of Indian Culture,
• La stupa du Barabudur (in French),
• An Album of Indian Sculpture,
• Rishis in Indian art and literature,
• Royal conquests and cultural migrations in South India and the Deccan,
• Vijayanagara paintings,
• Numismatic parallels of Kalidasa,
• Sculpture inspired by Kalidasa,
• Sri Lakshmi in Indian art and thought,
• Ramo Vigrahavan dharmah-Rama embodiment of righteousness,
• Birds and animals in Indian sculpture,
• Sanskrit literature and art,
• Mirrors of Indian culture,
• Satarudriya - Vibhuti of Siva's Iconography,
• Panorama of Jain art,
• Mahabalipuram,
• Shiva,
• Ethical fragrance in Indian art and literature,
• Approach to nature in Indian art and thought,
• The art of India,
• Expressive Quality of Literary flavor in Art,
• Early Andhra Arts and Iconography,
• Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara,Kanak Publications, New Delhi,1978.
• Indian Bronze,
• The Chola temples: Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram & Darasuram,
• Early eastern Chalukya sculpture,
• Harappan Art,
• Indian epigraphy and South Indian scripts,
• Bhagavatpada-Sri Sankaracharya,
• Epigraphical echoes of Kalidasa,
• 5000 years of the art of India: by Mario Bussagli & C. Sivaramamurti,
• An Introduction to South Indian Temple Architecture and Sculptures (F. H.
Gravely & C. Sivaramamurti),
• Illustrations of Indian Sculptures Mostly Southern (F. H. Gravely & C.
Sivaramamurti), Guide to the Archaeological Galleries (C. Sivaramamurti &
F.H.Gravely),
• Notes on Hindu Images (F. H. Gravely & C. Sivaramamurti).
Prehistoric Period: ca. 3000-1200 BC Resources

ca. 3000-2600: Indus Valley civilization: Harappan Primary Sources

civilization
• Images of Harappan
• 2600-2500: Harappan Civilization at its height Civilization
• 2000-1900: Harappan Civilization collapses • The Rig Veda
• c. 1300: Aryans migrate into the Indus Valley • The Upanishads
• c. 1000: Aryans migrate into Ganges Valley • The Bhagavad Gita
• Two Buddhist Texts
• A Jain text:
ca. 1200-500 BC: Vedic Era
Acaranga Sutra
• Deeds of Sultan
• ca. 1200-900: Rig-Veda
Firuz Shah
• ca. 900-500: Later Vedas and early Upanishads
Secondary Sources
ca. 550-100 BC: Rivals to Hinduism

• ca 550: Birth of Mahavira

• ca. 563-483: Siddhartha Gautama Buddhism
Chronology

ca. 322-185 BC: Mauryan Empire

• 321-297 BC: Chandragupta Maurya

• ca. 273-237: Asoka
• ca. 185-100: The Laws of Manu

ca. AD 320-540: Gupta Era

• ca. 320-335: Chandragupta I

• ca. 335-376: Samudragupta
• ca. 376-415: Chandragupta II
 • ca. 454-500: Hun Invasions
• ca. 540: End of Gupta Dynasty

ca. AD 500-1001: Period of Political instability

• ca. 540: Rise of Chalukyas at Vatapi

• ca. 606-646: Harsha of Kanauj
• ca. 700-800: Buddhism spreads to Tibet and Nepal
• 711: Arabs invade Sind
• ca. 750: Rise of imperial Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas
• 760: Palas in Bengal
• ca. 846: Rise of Cholas and defeat of Pallavis
• ca. 970: Revival of Chalukyas and defeat of
Rashtrakutas

1000-1750: Period of Muslim dominance

• 1001: Raids by Mahmud of Ghanzi

• 1206-1290: Slave Dynasty and Beginning of Delhi
Sultanate
• 1290-1320: Khalji Sultanate
• 1320-1413: Tughlug Sultanate
• 1414-1451: Sayyid Sultanate
• 1451-1526: Lodi Sultanate
• 1498: Vasco da Gama arrives in India
• 1483-1757: The Mughal Empire
o 1502: Portuguese establish colony at Cochin
o 1526-1530: Reign of Babur
o 1556-1605: Reign of Akbar
o 1600: British East India Company is chartered
o 1605-1627: Reign of Jahangir
o 1628-1658: Reign of Shah Jahan
o 1658-1707: Reign of Aurangzeb
o 1744-1748: War between French and British

1750-1947: India under British Rule

• 1857: Indian (Sepoy) Mutiny

• 1885: First Meeting of the Indian National Congress.
• 1921: First Meeting of the Indian Parliament.
• 1930: Gandhi leads the Salt March against British rule.
• 1932: Indian National Congress is declared illegal;
Gandhi is arrested.

1947-present: The Indian Republic

• 1947: The British colony of India achieves independence
and is divided into India and Pakistan.
• 1949: Indian constitution is adopted.

• 1966: Indira Gandhi is elected prime minister of India.

Text copyright 1998-2003 by David W. Koeller. All rights reserved.