Book Details

Book title: KULLU: Its Early History, Archaeology and Architecture
Author(s): O.C. Handa
ISBN: 9788182748514
Publication Year: 2015
Binding: HB
Pages: 278
Price: Rs. 1495 Rs. 1495
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ABOUT THE BOOK

fjrigjwwe9r0pp_Books:Description

Kullu has been rightly defined as the Land of Gods, for this magnificent land is the home for some of the finest and ancient wooden and stone temples in the entire Himalayan region. The natural setting of this region, characterised  by the verdant valleys and towering mountains, conjures up a vision of serene ambience and natural extravaganza.

The history of region may be traced to a period anterior to the Ramayan Age. The ancient Kullot coins establish existence of a regular administrative system here as early as the 1st century BCE. The archaeological and literary evidences affirm an influential sway of Buddhism in this region as early as CE 2nd century and the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang found it flourishing during his visit to this region in about CE 634.

For such good reasons, the Kullu Valley has attracted notice of many explorers, scholars and administrators since the colonial period, but most of them confined themselves to its scenic grandeur. Thus, little is known about its cultural history, archaeology and architecture despite the fact that it is extremely rich in these areas. The age-old and magnificent stone and wooden temples and objects of faith preserved  in these reflect vividly the sociocultural ethos of this region. It is for the first time that the cultural history, archaeology and architecture of this region have been discussed critically in the present work, which is largely based on the firsthand study of the author.

Written in lucid style, the book is divided in three section: Historical Review, Archaeology and Architecture, and spread in nine chapters, each dealing with different topic. Being highly informative and well-illustrated with photographs, sketches and maps, this book shall be of great interest and use for general readers and research scholars.

ABOUT Author

fjrigjwwe9r0pp_Books:aboutAuthor

Dr. O.C. Handa (born 2nd Oct. 1936) is a well-known connoisseur of art and culture. Having been in the field now for half a century, he is an outstanding scholar of history and archaeology of the Himalayan region.

He has been undertaking expeditions, many solo ones, to the remotest corners of Himalayan interiors. That underscores his zeal to explore the extant evidence of history, art and culture of Himalayan region, and his dedication to acquire the firsthand and authentic knowledge of the people’s creative enterprise. That quality is vividly reflected in his writing.

He is a post-graduate in History from Mysore University, Ph.D. from Meerut University and D. Lit. from Agra University. Having come from the civil engineering background, he underwent training in Archaeology. He remained in-charge of Museum & archaeology in Himachal Pradesh for several years.

Dr. Handa has authored thirty books on art, history, archaeology and culture of the Himalayan region. Besides, he has written many research papers for various national and international journals, and contributed to the Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Thus, he has more than five hundred papers to his credit. He has been participating in the international, national and regional seminars and lecturing at various forums in India and abroad. He has also been performing for the radio and TV.

Dr. Handa remained member of different expert committees of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of India. He remained a fellow of the Himachal Academy of Art, Language and Culture; Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at different periods. He also remained Senior Fellow of the ICHR and fellow of US-based Infinity Foundation. Presently, he is Director, Indus-Infinity Foundation & Senior Editor History of Indian Science & Technology Series (HIST).

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