Indian Temples and Palaces

Indian Temples and Palaces traces the development of art and architecture in India over a period of 2000 years, In a general introduction, the author surveys the cultural environment of Indian art - the social and political conditions from which the various styles evolved - and he dispels the foggy metaphysical speculations of Western art experts mystified by Indian traditions.
The amazing diversity of Indian art and architecture is strikingly displayed in twelve buildings chosen for detailed description. Among them are the mysterious rock-cut temples of Ajanta; the famous 'Black Pagoda', with its extraordinary erotic sculpture; the Great Mosque of Fatehpur Sikri, abandoned city of the Mughals; and the Golden Temple, glittering shrine of the Sikhs. Secular architecture is represented by Shah Jahan's mighty Red Fort and the paradisal palace-city of Udaipur. Viceroy's House, blatant expression of architectural imperialism, trumpets the British influence.
The massiveness and the detail of Indian architecture are revealed in nearly 200 illustrations, including twelve full-page colour plates. The text contains an extensive glossary of architectural terms, an index and some suggestions for further reading.