Lepakshi

Hidden away in the remote village of Lepakshi in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, merely a couple of hours' drive from Bengaluru, is one of the most spectacular Vijayanagara temples. Unlike so many other religious monuments of the period that have suffered disfiguring additions, or have lost their original carvings and ceiling paintings, that at Lepakshi dedicated to Virabhadra, a fierce emanation of Shiva, is miraculously intact. Its architecture, sculptures and paintings showcase the finest artistic achievements in southern India during the first half of the sixteenth century. While the remarkable qualities of Lepakshi have long been recognized, particularly its unique series of ceiling paintings, this volume is the first to provide the temple with a comprehensive description. It is authored by three eminent scholars: George Michell, who has focused on Vijayanagara temple architecture; Anna L. Dallapiccola, who has extensively researched the sculptural and painting traditions of southern India; and Brigitte Khan Majlis, an expert on Indian textile designs and techniques. In addition to newly prepared architectural plans of the monument, the volume is illustrated with more than 250 specially commissioned photographs of the temple's exterior and interior by Surendra Kumar.

Anna L. Dallapiccola, formerly professor of Indian Art at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany, is now Honorary Professor at Edinburgh University. Brigitte Khan Majlis is a specialist in Indian as well as Indonesian textiles. She is former curator of the Textile Department at the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum Cultures of the World in Cologne, Germany. George Michell trained as an architect in Melbourne. Later he obtained a doctorate in Indian Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Surendra Kumar (Photographer), specialist in Southern Indian art photography, studied information technology in Bangalore. He now works as a photographer and focuses on panoramic topographic views.

Contents: Preface and Acknowledgements; Introduction - Anna L. Dallapiccola and George Michell; Architecture and Sculpture - George Michell; A Note on Game Boards - John M. Fritz; Ceiling Paintings - Anna L. Dallapiccola; Costumes and Textiles in the Paintings - Brigitte Khan Majlis; Bibliography; Glossary; Definitions of Textile Terms; Index of Indian Names.