โArguing for parallels in temple architecture and evolving places ofย pilgrimage in both the Central Himalayas and more distant places such asย Gujarat, NachiketChanchani introduces hitherto less explored aspects ofย potential connections to enrich studies of early medieval India.ย A fine example of the dialogue between history and art history.โย โ Romila Thapar, Historian & author of Early India:ย From the Origins to AD 1300
From approximately the third century BCE through theย thirteenth century CE, the remote mountainous landscapeย around the glacial sources of the Ganga (Ganges) River in theย Central Himalayas in northern India was transformed intoย a region encoded with deep meaning, one approached byย millions of Hindus as a primary locus of pilgrimage.ย Nachiket Chanchaniโs innovative study explores scores ofย stone edifices and steles that were erected in this landscape.
Through their forms, locations, interactions with theย natural environment, and sociopolitical context, these lithicย ensembles evoked legendary worlds, embedded historicalย memories in the topography, changed the mountain rangeโsย appearance, and shifted its semiotic effect. Mountain Temples &ย Temple Mountains alters our understanding of the transmissionย of architectural knowledge and provides new evidence of howย an enduring idea of India emerged in the subcontinent.
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