Bilvapatra: The Treasures of Indian Art is a volume, which felicitates Dr. N. P. Joshi, the living legend in the field of Indological Studies, specially Indian Art and Iconography. Keeping in view the multi-faceted contributions of Dr. Joshi, the volume is designed as a garland containing probing research papers on various aspects. These are from eminent scholars of Indian Art and Iconography from India and abroad. The contributors like Gourishwar Bhattacharya, Gerd J. R. Mevissen, Peter Flugel, Doris M. Srinivasan from abroad and M. A. Dhaky, Rai Anand Krishna, R. C. Agrawal, Ratan Parimoo, Devangana Desai, Devendra Handa, P. K. Agrawal, Kirit Mankodi, Haripriya Rangarajan, R. D. Choudhury, G. B. Deglurkar, Shridhara Andhare, A. L. Srivastava, T. P. Verma, Y. K. Mishra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Kumud Kanitkar, Susmita Pande, Anjan Chakraverty, Sitaram Dubey, A. K. Singh, Iravati, Jayalakshmi Yegnaswamy and others from India have contributed on potent and enigmatic areas of Indian Art and Iconography.
About the Author:
Dr. Maruti Nandan Pd. Tiwari (b. 1949) M.A., Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of History of Art, Banaras Hindu University and has headed the Department for three terms under the rotation system. His publications deal extensively with different aspects of Indian art and iconography, specially Jaina art and iconography. He has many books to his credit including: Jaina Pratimavijnan (Hindi), Elements of Jaina Iconography, Ambika in Jaina Art and Literature, Khajuraho Ka Jaina Puratattva (Hindi), Jaina Kala Tirtha: Deogarh (Hindi, joint), Madhya Kalina Bharatiya Murtikala (Hindi, joint), Madhya Kalina Bharatiya Pratimalakshana (Hindi, joint) & Jaina Art and Aesthetics. His academic pursuits and publications have brought several honours and awards to him. He was invited by the President of India to Rashtrapati Bhavan twice. He was awarded Acharya Narendra Deva Puraskar by Hindi Samsthan (U.P.) and Indira Gandhi National Raj Bhasha Award (Delhi). He has been invited for lectures, including Keynote Address at SOAS (London) and at University of Cardiff, UK; Nehru Centre, London and Berlin University (Germany). Prof. Kamal Giri Hon.Director, JZna-Pravha: Centre for Cultural Studies and Research, Varanasi has completed her education M.A. in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology; History of Art and Ph. D. from Banaras Hindu University. After completing her 33 years of teaching assignment she retired from the Department of History of Art, Banaras Hindu University. Alongwith teaching she has a good experience of museum work as Asstt. Curator in Bharat Kala Bhavan: Museum of Art and Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University. Prof. Giri published more than 100 research papers and several books to her credit on different aspects of Indian Art and Culture and presented papers in seminars and conferences in India and abroad. Her publications are awarded by Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, Hindi Sansthan, Lucknow (U.P.) and Hanuman Prasad Trust, Kolkata. The publication entitled Madhyakl-na Bhrati-ya Mrtikal, in joint authorship, was presented to President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. She has been the Editor of the prestigious publications like Chhavi Rai Krishnadas Felicitation Volume (1981), Khajuraho in Perspective (1994), KALA Journal of Indian Art History Congress (1995-2006), Treasures of Indian Art Suresh Neotia Collection (2006) and at present editing JZna-Pravha Research Journal. She has been recipient of UGC, ICHR and Nehru Trust for Victoria and Albert Museum, London research projects. Recently she has completed UGC major project on Terracotta and Painting in Ka-. She visited Hong-Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and U.S.A. in connection with academic purposes. She has been the convenor of the UGC Panel History of Art and Nodal Person, Curriculum Development Committee at UGC, New Delhi.