Punjab has almost been a terra incognita for long with regard to the sculptural art and not much is known even now except 57 railing pillars of Sanghol published by the National Museum, New Delhi. The remaining 60 pieces, some of which are aesthetically equally important, and some stray finds made now and then, have not received due attention which they deserved. Quite a few of the elegant and artistic sculptures have even been pilfered and are not traceable now. An effort has been made here to put everything together and present a coherent picture to the readers. Images published here throw fresh light on the culture, ethnology, trade, art and religious history of the region which have further been substantiated by literary, numismatic and epigraphic evidence. The Kushana railing pillars of Sanghol are a class by themselves and so are the Gupta terracottas from Ropar, Sanghol, Janer and Zahura. Medieval sculptures from Velore, Khanpur, Majhur, Janer, Dholbaha and other sites provide rare glimpses of the artistic, aesthetic and iconographic achievements of the artists. Metal images from Ropar, Bhudan, Sunam, Kharar and Ferozepur, mostly published for the first time, corroborate the evidence of marble images and throw new light on the impact and missionary activities of the Jaina monks from Rajasthan in Punjab. Stylistic and iconographic study of sculptures further reveals influence from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Unfinished images from Dholbaha reveal that it was a great centre of art during the medieval period. Karttikeya with Krittikas from Sanghol; Harihara, Siva with goose, Siva's head with long jata-juta and the Ramayana panel from Dholbaha; Nataraja from Bathinda; Mukha-Linga from Sultanpur Lodi; Uma-Mahesvara from Ghanauli; Vaikuntha-Lakshmi from Lalru; and Jaina figures from Bathinda, Bhudan, Ferozepur, Ropar and Sunam show interesting iconographical innovations. With 62 sketches and 338 plates, Sculptures from Punjab is the first comprehensive work on the subject resulting from author's sustained interest and study for more than the last four decades.\n\n
Devendra Handa is an eminent art historian and numismatist. He is the recipient of Sir Mortimer Wheeler Prize; Maulana Azad, Archaeological Centenary Commemoration, Pt. Bhagwanlal Indraji and Nelson Wright medals; N.M. Lowick grant (twice in 1992 and 2005) of the Royal Numismatic Society, London; Fellowship of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla (2000-2003), Senior Fellowship (Numismatics) of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India (2003-05) and Senior Academic Fellowship of the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi (2009-11). He presided over the 88th Annual Conference of the Numismatic Society of India at Nagpur in 2004; Seminar on Coinage of the North-West India at Chandigarh in 2005; Annual Session of the Centre for History, Archaeology, Epigraphy and Numismatics of the University of Mumbai in 2018 and Annual Session of the Indian Art History Congress at Patiala in 2019. The Numismatic Society of India, the Indian Coin Society and the Gwalior Chapter of INTACH; Numismatic Research Institute, Nagpur and the International Collectors? Society of Rare Items, Pune have bestowed upon him Lifetime Achievement Awards. Haryana Institute of Fine Arts honoured him with Karmayogi Samman in 2011-12 and the Buddhist Society of Haryana felicitated him for his contribution to Buddhist studies in the state in that year. He has attended numerous national and international conferences and delivered lectures in various universities, museums and research institutes. He has contributed articles, research papers, notes, etc. to various national and international journals; to the multi-volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism of the Indian Heritage Research Foundation, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh; various felicitation and commemoration volumes and some chapters to the eleven-volume series ?A History of Ancient India? being published by the Vivekananda International Foundation and Aryan Books International. Presently he is
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