Mayamata: An Indian Treatise on Housing Architecture and Iconography

The present book is based upon a French translation, in the Publication Series of the Institut Francais d'Indologie. The Sanskrit text has been omitted so that the book may be of a reasonable size; by the same token most of the footnotes which accompanied the French translation have been dispensed with. The glossary is presented in an abridged form; most of the drawings have been retained and some more added. Lastly, the interpretation of the English text has been revised.

Review(s)

About the Author(s)

Dr. Bruno Dagens (b.1935) is an eminent Sanskritist and archaeologist. He is a member of the Ecole Francais d'Extreme-Orient. Dr. Dagens taught Sanskrit at the University of Louvain (Belgium) and did archaeological research in Afghanistan and Cambodia. He also worked, since 1977, at the Institut Francais d'Indologie, Pondicherry for quite a few years. Besides articles and research papers on the Archaeology and Iconography of monuments in Afghanistan and Cambodia, two earlier editions of the Mayamata and one edition of the Saivagamaparibhasamaryari (a compendium of Saiva doctrines and rituals), Dr. Dagens has authored Architecture in the Ajitagama and the Rauravagama (Sitaram Bharatia Institute of Scientific Research, New Delhi 1984). "The Mayamatam is an important treatise on Vastusastram dealing exhaustively with the construction of temples and human dwellings-from the choice of the site, iconography of temples etc. It is intended as a manual for the architect and a guide book for the lay man." K.Kunjunni Raja, Adyar Library Bulletin-95 "The work under review has a total of 36 chapters with Sanskrit definitions and easily understandable English translation,aided by relevant footnotes at various places. The example diagrams (36 in all) given for relevant topics ease the reader's mind and bestow upon him clear material for study of the principles enunciated in the original. Every minute detail, needless to stress, has been well-attended in the various chapters." R. Santhanam, The Times of Astrology, Dec.-95