Theory and practice of temple architecture in Medieval India: Bhoja's Samaranganasutradhara and the Bhojpur line drawings, with tr. from the Sanskrit by Mattia Salvini

Book Details

• Publisher: ADITYA PRAKASHAN Indological Publishers & Booksellers

• Language: English

• Edition: New Delhi

• Year: 2015

• ISBN-13: 9789381406410

• ISBN-10: 9381406413

• Subject: Fine Arts

• Binding: Hardcover (assumed – please confirm)

About the Book
This book explores Vastuvidya, the ancient Indian architectural theory, and the creation of temples, focusing on the crucial role of drawings as a bridge between conceptual design and physical construction. Centered on two significant works attributed to Bhoja, the legendary Paramara ruler of Malwa in the 11th century, the book delves into his ambitious, yet unfinished, royal temple at Bhojpur.

The first part of the work examines the unique architectural drawings engraved on the surrounding rocks of the Bhojpur temple site—presented for the first time in this volume. These intricate drawings offer new insights into ancient construction processes and provide glimpses of previously unknown temple forms. Additionally, the drawings unlock the intended design of the Bhojpur temple, which, if completed, would have been the largest Hindu temple in the world at the time.

This book is an essential resource for scholars and enthusiasts of architectural history, Fine Arts, and Indian culture, offering a rare look into one of the most significant yet underexplored architectural projects in India’s history.