THE ARCHITECTURAL SERIES BOOK BY JAICO PUBLISHING HOUSE
These five architectural series book by Jaico Publishing House is really a treat for one who loves histor and is more than interested to know about historical places sitting at one place.One could also refer these books while travelling to these places as these books work as a guide for you and will let you know more than a guide can tell you.
Title : Hampi Vijayanagara
Author : John M Fritz and George Michelle
As the back cover says ‘Hampi is one of the most beautiful and evocative of all historical sites in south India.Austere yet grandiose, it was established as the seat of the Vijayanagara empire in the mid -14th century,a time when art and architecture flourished.Contemporary chroniclers from Persia,Italy,Portugal and Russia visited the empire during this period and left glowing accounts of a city that was conquered by Sultanate troops in AD 1565, pillaged for six months, and abandoned.
Hampi Vijayanagara examines the temples renowned for their florid ornamentation,intricate carvings,magnificent pavilions, stately pillars and a wealth of iconographic and traditional depictions.The book also includes site plans and three-dimeensional reconstructions.
Title : Elephanta
Author : George Michelle
As the back cover says ‘ The 6th- century rock-cut cave temple on Elephanta island, in the middle of Mumbai harbour, is the home of Shiva, the greatest of all Hindu gods.Elephanta leads the reader through this magnificent cave temple, examining its overall architectural scheme and interpreting the myths of Shiva that are depicted so forcefully in the extraordinary stone sculptures.The outstanding photographs capture the beauty and magic of the cave.
This book also contains fascinating accounts of European travellers , documenting their discovery of Elephanta from the 17th century onwards, and includes information on the ongoing efforts to preserve this monument that was designed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.’
Title : Bombay Gothic
Author : Christopher W London
As the back cover says ‘The Gothic Revival architectural style, innovatively adapted to local conditions, was introduced to 19th century Bombay by Governor HBE Frere.Famous architects, theorists and prominent Indians of the era asssited him in the realization of his vision for Bombay as the country’s first city.Tracing the evolution of its distinctive architectural style, Christopher London reveals the fascinating history of a developing metropolis.
Lavishly illustrated with color photographs as well as rare archival material, and drawing visual comparisons with both contemporary and medieval European models, Bombay Gothic presents a comprehensive perspective of Victorian architecture in Bombay.’
Title : Badami · Aihole · Pattadakal
Author : George Michelle
As the back cover says ‘ The town of Badami, the nearby villages of Aihole and Pattadkal, and the pilgrimage site of Mahakuta, in the Malprabha valley of central Karnataka, are celebrated for their magnificient rock-cut shrines and structural temples.These Hindu and Jain monuments are associated with the Early Chalukyas who reigned over this part of the Deccan during the 6th-8th centuries.Together with a profusion of maginificient sculptures, mostly found in situ, these shrines and temples may be considered among the earliest, best preserved vestiges of temple art in India.
This guidebook, the first ever for the Badami region, is authored by a scholar whose PhD was on Early Chalukya architecture.The text is illustrated with regional and town maps, building plans, and more than 130 splendid coloured photographs.’
Title: Gulbagra · Bidar · Bijapur
Author : Helen Philon
As the back cover says ‘ The maginificient monuments of Gulbarga, Bidar and Bijapur in northern Karnataka are manifestations of a vibrant culture that flourished under the rule of the Bahmani and Adil Shahi sultans during the 14th to 17th centuries.The wealth of these the Deccan plateau, while the splendour of their courts owed much to an open immigration policy by which gifted individuals from other parts of India, as well as from the Middle East and Central Asia, were encouraged to settle.
Though the Bahmanis were supplanted partly by the Adil Shahis at the turn of the 16th century, and the latter were annihilated by the Mughal invasion of the Deccan in the 1680’s ,their capital cities preserve many splendid buildings.These include the imposing fortresses of Gulbarga and Bidar,the grand audience halls and ornate residential apartments in Bidar and Bijapur, the mosques and Sufi shrines in Gulbarga, and the beautifully decorated royal tombs on the outskirts of Bidar and Bijapur.For more adventurous travellers there are the abandoned ruins of Firuzabad and the decaying pleasure resort at Kumatgi.
All these monuments and sites are described and profusely illustrated in this guidebook, the first ever to be published in this region.
All these archietectural books are enriched with lavish pictures and quality content that let you travel on some great historical places. Along with the rich quality of content, the quality of pages are also excellent offering clear and beautiful pictures of historical places.
It is worth to read about each and every places that has camouflaged in these books.Albeit all the books are written by different writers every writer has their own charm to present their work and feed reader’s mind.
These books will travel you to places where your heart gets nourished to a good extent and also feed your brain with the historical information of these places. The information about the places are neither too descriptive nor too less.It has been maintained in a precise fashion. It was interesting to know about all these eye-catching places and the journey is really worth to have.
Summing up the features of these books ,I could only come up with these words aesthetic, releshing, powerful,sound, beautiful, worthy and precious.For history lovers this would surely be a worth read.
Rating : 5/5
Reviewer : Shweta Kesari