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More than one thousand illustrations document a study of India's awesome artistic heritage that places each work discussed within its cultural environment and includes descriptions of archaeological sites

Originally published in 1977, this welcome reissue offers an impressive introduction to a vast and complex field encompassing the otherworldly mystery of the Taj Mahal, the glorious mural paintings in the fifth-century cave temples of Ajanta, exquisite Mogul miniatures, serene statues of the Buddha and soaring temples of almost hallucinatory impact. Beneath these diverse forms, Sivaramamurti, former director of the National Museum in New Delhi, sees an underlying spiritual unity. Augmented with 1175 plates (180 in color), the book sweeps from naturalistically rendered animals and sophisticated statues of ancient Mohenjo-Daro, a city that flourished 2500 years before Christ, to the elegant monuments, sculptures and paintings nurtured by medieval Hindu dynasties. With erudition lightly worn, the author relates the saga of India's art to the country's religions, literature and myths. (Nov.) Copyright 1993 Cahners Business Information.