Books

Saktism, the concept of Śakti, the source of all energies of the Universe plays a vital role in the socio-religious tradition of India since the dawn of human civilization. Mahiṣāsuramardinī, the Divine Mother is one of the manifestations of Śakti. She is the most impressive and formidable goddess of the Hindu pantheon. The cult of Mahiṣāsuramardinī is of considerable antiquity. Its genesis can be traced from the Vedic literature. The Mahabharat and the Purāṇas have provided varied but vivid accounts of the origin of the goddess. The author besides emphasizing on the descriptions of the deity as per the Puranic texts, has also discussed the emergence and representation of the goddess who has occupied a prominent place in the sculptural history of India through the ages.

Here the author presents a rich and variegated picture of the Mahiṣāsuramardinī art of Orissa, highlighting the evolving iconography of individual images with special reference to the Śilpa and Tantric Texts. He focuses on different forms and depictions of the goddess. In this work the generalization and characteristics have been drawn on the basis of iconographic, ritualistic and comparative studies. The book also incorporates the genesis of Śakti cult, historical development, ritualistic patterns along with the elements of art and aesthetic in Mahiṣāsuramardinī images. The work abounds in photographs revealing the variety forms of the goddess and provides many maps, diagrams and iconographical charts, yantras, mudras etc which will create interest not only for the scholars of archeology, history and religion but also for the historians of art as well.
The Author
Dr. Sanjaya Kumar Mahapatra (born 1963) who is an ardent devotee of Female Divinity,has devoted two decades of his illustrious career to the study of Archaeology, History and culture of the state of Odisha. Presently he is working as the Principal and the Departmental Head of History in Janata College, Kuhuri, Dist-Khurda(Odisha). For his excellence he has been conferred upon the titles such as Rastriya Gaurava Award by the India International Friendship Society, Delhi and also"Jyotishavidya Bachaspati" by the Astrological Foundation, Dinalipi, Berhampur (Odisha) and is also felicitated as educationist by Sri Sashi Bhusana Behera, the honourable M.P on behalf of Ramadaya Parishad, Nirakarpur, Khurda, Odisha.

Dr. Mahapatra is well versed in Yoga, Tantra and Astrology and has got the credit to publish seventy articles in the different national and state magazines like "The Kalyan Kalpataru", Gita Press Gorakhpur, "The Bhavan's Journal" Bombay, "Orissa Review" (Odisha), "The Orissa Historical journal", Bhubaneswar(Odisha), "The Mahodadhi", "The Nirmalya", "The Daivi Sakti", "The Niyati" and "The Nakshatra" etc. which brought him state and national repute in recognition. For the achievement of the spiritual goal he was initiated into the path of Kriya-Yoga in 1988 and simultaneously blessed with the divine grace of Sri Paramahamsa Hariharananda Giri, the beloved Kriya-Yoga Master.

Author : Dr. Kamal Shankar Srivastava
ISBN : 9788173201578
Edition : 2015
Language : English
Size & Pages : 29 Cm, Page 200, color Plates
Publisher : Agam Kala Prakashan
Format : Hardbound

The present piece of work is the outcome of the holistic, original documentation and survey of the art and architecture of South Kosala which is one of the interesting and dazzling chapters of Indian art history. Temples of a wide range of varieties were constructed in India during the post Gupta period over a time span of more than a millennium broadly in three varieties, namely nagara, dravida and vesara. The inscription Amritesvara temple at Holal Karnataka speaks of the Kalingan style too. The regional schools of art adopting nagara style came into existence under the patronage of the local ruling dynasties between 6 th -11 th century AD. in the territory of South Kosala. This aspect of cultural history has not received adequate attention of the scholars hitherto.

These temples of South Kosala later on developed a sub-regional manifestation. The temples were constructed either of brick or brick and stone or entirely of stone. The uniqueness in the South Kosalan architecture is that group of temples constructed after a star-shaped ground plan, rarely found elsewhere in India. As many as eleven temples of this type documented so far, revealed an interesting account of their architecture. Besides, altogether twenty three temples have been documented including both stellate and non-stellate temples. Thus the study focuses that South Kosala played a significant role in the temple building of all conceivable forms and Experiments of which stellate order is not only pronounced but also unique.

The Author
Dr.Jeeban Kumar Patnaik obtained his first class Master Degree in History from Berhampur University, Odisha in 1980. He did his M.Phil in History from the same University in 1981 with first class first rank. He completed his P.G. Diploma in Archaeology from Institute of Archaeology, New Delhi in 1990. Later on he was awarded Ph.D in History on the topic “Art and Architecture of South Kosala: A case study of Stellate Temples (6 th -11 th century A.D) from Sambalpur University, Odisha in 1998. He rendered his service as a professional archaeologist in Archaeological Survey of India in 1984 and continue to hold various posts. Presently he is Superintending Archaeologist in Excavation Branch-IV, Archaeological Survey of India and Bhubaneswar. As a chartered archaeologist, he has explored many archaeological sites in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. He participated in excavations of Harappan site of Dholavira (Gujarat), Tarkhanewala Dera (Rajasthan). He assisted in undertaking excavations at Lalitagiri, Udayagiri, Barabati fort in Odisha, Chak-86 in Rajasthan. In addition, he has also undertaken exploration and excavation programmes. Of late, as a director he conducted archaeological excavation at Suabarei, a chalcolithic- neolithic site near Pipili, District Puri, Odisha for two consecutive seasons 2014-15 and 2015-16 along with exploration in the right bank of river Daya during the period under review. His academic bent of mind compels him to involve in contributing a large number of research papers in the field of archaeology, history, culture, art and architecture, epigraphy and numismatic. All the papers were also published in books, journals of national and international repute. Besides he has attended may conferences, workshops, seminars etc. in India and abroad.

He has edited to volumes to his credit cultural heritage of Jajpur, Odisha (2004), Pratna Bharatam “Glory of Archeology, Art, Epigraphy and protection of cultural heritage (2016). His forthcoming books are Excavations at Lalitagiri (1985-91) now in press. He is one of the editors of Indian Archaeology: A Review 2006-07 and 2012-13. He is closely associated with several academic bodies of Odisha State.

The Indian Temple is a unique institution and its development from almost the fifth century A.D. onwards is a fascinating tale. It furnishes material for reconstructing the religious history of India and also casts a spell on the student of art and architecture. It is in the temple - abode of the God –that the beauty and sublimity of divine experience meet so as to create a feeling of ananda (unalloyed joy). The function of the temple is to facilitate the union between the living being (Jiva) and the universal spiritual ground (Brahman) personified in the anthropomorphic God whose dwelling is in the temple. The temple was the spiritual centre from which religious and social life was regulated.

Styles of temples throughout India have been discussed. Nagara, Vesara and Dravida temples have explained. Temples from Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala have been described. But to appreciate Indian art to the full, one must study the temples that Indian ideas and local genius built in Greater India which was renamed as South-east Asia after the II World War in 1945. Angkor Wat in Cambodia the great Hindu complex of Brambanan in Java (Indonesia,) Ayutthya in Thailand, three groups of temples in Vietnam, Hindu-Buddhist temples in Bali (Indonesia) where Siva and Buddha are considered brothers!, Myanmar having more than 2000 red-brick temples and monuments in the city of Pagan, etc. are the examples of Indian art in Greater India which students of art and architecture should study to understand Indian art to the full. These books will be useful to general readers, professional and students.

The present monograph entitled “Jharkhand-Cultural and Archaeological Perspectives” Authored by Dr. Kamal Shankar Srivastava, an attempt has been made to trace and to explain the cultural and archaeological aspects of Jharkhand especially related to Chotanagpur and Santal Pargana regions of Jharkhand

The present work consists of eight chapters i.e., Indian Archaeology Introduction and Historical Approach, (2) Jharkhand-Pre and Proto-Historical Perspective, (3) Ranchi-Chota Nagpur Cultural and Archaeological Perspective, (4) Historical and Cultural Perspective of Santal Pargana, (5) Santal Pargana and Santals, (6) Art and Archaeology of Jharkhand- A Critical Approach, (7) Important sites of Chotanagpur and (8) Important sites of Santal Pargana, apart from detailed bibliography and relevant illustrations. Certainly, it proves to fascinate the scholars of Indian culture and Archaeology and History-lovers.


Auther: Dr.Kamal Shankar Srivastava
Publishers: Agam Kala Prakashan

The book Neolithic Cultures of South India deals with cultural changes and adaptations of the settled life in different stages of time span during the Neolithic period in South India. This particular book has many unique qualities like the south Indian Neolithic cultural sites are briefly documented based on the excavation reports. Being the field archaeologist the author very well used the various data available in the excavation reports to farm the conclusive results. Technological developments in the field of stone tools and other associated technologies such as metallurgy, stone and terracotta beads; development of pottery and its stages really attracts the attention. In Origin and Chronology of the Culture the methods he adopted is not based on hypothesis; but based on the scientific dating methods which speaks volumes on the authenticity of the facts. The book deals with all the aspects of the Culture like disposal of the dead, domestication of the animals and plants, architecture and the aesthetic wisdom of the people in detail. This culture in South India is associated with ash mounds and it is briefly cited in this volume. In the Archaeological studies of Indian cultures such compilation and analysis is needed and this particular book faithfully fulfills the need of the hour in many respects. The photographs and drawings used in this book are original in nature. They enhance the quality of the presentation and it is worth to be possessed by anyone interested in the field of study.

ABOUT THE AUTHER

Dr. Shivananda was born in Bengaluru the capital of Karnataka State in 1954. He received his higher education at Hubli, earning B.A., (1972), M.A., (1974) from Karnatak University, Dharwad and Ph.D., in Ancient history and Archaeology (1995) from the University of Mysore, Mysore. Dr. Shivananda worked in Archaeological Survey of India in various capacities before he retired as Regional Director. He has authored several books including the Guide book on Mattanchery Palace (1997) and Champaner Pavagadh (2009) Catalogue of Antiquities in Tipu Sultan Museum at Srirangapattana (2013), Excavations in Gujarat (2015). He has published more than 50 papers in various books and journals and edited Gauravam, Dr. B. K. Gururaja Rao Felicitation Volume (1996), Pratnakirti Prof. Srinivasa H Ritti Felicitation volume (2012) and assistant Editor of Sri Nagabhinandanam: Dr. M.S. Nagaraja Rao Felicitation Volume (1995).

Buddhism is vast field spanning a wide variety of concerns. For twenty five centuries Buddhism has inspired the greatest achievements of Asian thought and culture, and today the impact of its message is beginning to be felt in the western world as well. The greatness of the religion lies in the method of its spread. In the entire world religions, Buddhism is the only religion which made its way without persecution, censorship or inquisition. As H.G. Wells, the great Historian stated “Buddhism has done more for the advance of world civilization and true culture than any other influence in the chronicles of mankind”. Buddhism is not confined to any particular race, nation or country it is universal. Similarly the torch of Dhamma spread to the lands of gold and islands of gold (Suvarnabumi and Suvanadvipa). Andhradesa had been the strong hold of Buddhism from early times and the Andhakas as the Andhra Buddhists were known to Pali literature had been in the forefront of all the later developments in Buddhism. The Mahayana schools of Andhra, and the Andhra Mahayanists who settled at Srilanka have chosen the Southeast Asian countries where there were already commercial colonies set up by Andhra merchants. Nalinaksha Dutt rightly observes that to South India particularly Andhra goes the credit of being the birth place not only of Mahayana but also its earliest exponents Acharya Nagarjuna and Aryadeva. Buddhism is perhaps the earliest of the missionary religions; it adopted itself to the local condition and absorbed the local systems into itself without any prejudice to its fundamental tenets. That is one of the reason for the rise of different schools and sects not only in India but also Southeast Asian countries. The absorption of the local primitive beliefs and rituals led to the rise of peculiar or even strange principles in each of the countries and in no two countries Buddhist practices look alike. With the rise of worship the Mahayana pantheon like Avalokiteswara, Amitaba, Vajrapani, Manjusri, Prajnaparamita, Tara, Trailokyanatha, Lokanada, Lokeswara huge temples were constructed to these gods all over Southeast Asia. Theravada and Mahayana coexisted in these countries from early centuries but from about the 12 th century A.D Theravada became predominant.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Professor Sitaramamma Jagarlamudi born on 5 th August 1958 in Andhrapradesh. Completed her Post Graduation from Acharya Nagarjuna University in Ancient Indian History and Archeology in 1980. Later joined in the Centre for Mahayana Buddhist Studies for her PhD and selected for the U.G.C N.E.T fellowship. In 1988 she joined as an Assistant Professor in the Centre for Mahayana Buddhist Studies. In 1998 promoted as the Associate Professor and from 2006 onwards serving as the Professor in the Centre for Mahayana Buddhist Studies in different capacities as Head, Chair person Board of Studies. Published more than 60 Research Articles in the National Journals and 25 International publications. Guided 15 PhD Scholars. Participated in various National and International Conferences and presented Research papers. Published one book on The History of Mahayana in Andhradesa.

Author : Prashant Srivastava
ISBN : 978-81-7320-173-8
Edition : 2017
Language : English
Size & Pages : 23 cm, pp.248,Illus.
Publisher : Agam Kala Prakashan
Format : Hardbound

The author identifies some 25 historical solutions to the problem which are then reduced t Beginning with the problem of evil in the west professor A.L. Herman traces the history of one of the most fascinating of all perennial philosophical puzzles. The author identifies some twenty one historical solutions to the problem which are then reduced to eight quite distinct solutions. Prof. Herman then turns in the second part of the book to the history of the problem of evil in Indian thought. The author then joins the analysis of the problem of evil (taken from the first part of the book) to the Indian doctrine of rebirth in order to attempt a solution to the problem. By careful analysis the author shows that the doctrine of rebirth can satisfy the conditions already set forth as adequate for a solution to the problem of evil.1 o eight solutions. Prof. Herman then turns in the second part of the book to the history of the problem of evil in Indian thought.

The present monograph is a result of the comprehensive and scientific study of the Material Life of Northern India between C. 600 BC to 300 BC. For the better understanding of the contents, the author has presented a synthetic study of the twin sources viz. archaeological and literary sources within the limitations and scope of the given topic and available data. This period also marks the process of political fusion culminating in the first ever great empire of ancient India. Interestingly the material background of this period led to the origin of a number of sects and second urbanization. The book is also helpful to understand the state formation and social proliferation. The authors divides his data into deductions of food habits, construction of house, agricultural activities vis-a vis crops cultivated with the idea of seasonal variations and the irrigational resources exploited, the knowledge of varied technology applied in the making of objects of daily use in metals such as gold, silver and copper, objects of stone, bone, ivory and clay by the people of that remote past make the book worth reading. The book will be highly useful to the research students and scholars working on ancient Indian history, culture & archeology to get a more comparative and comprehensive understanding of the subject.

The Author
Dr. Mohammad Nazrul Bari did his PhD from the Center of Advanced Studies, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. On leave vacancy, he stared his teaching career in the same department. After working for some time in the P.G department of History, Kashmir University, Srinagar (J & K), Dr. Bari joined Poona College, Pune in Maharashtra. Currently Dr. Bari is the Assistant Professor & Coordinator, Department of History, School of Social and Behavioral Science, Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga.

Expert Views
This thesis is thoroughly researched and referenced, listing approximately 280 references... The author's key sources are the forty four archeological excavations he list in the appendix. The author divides his data into his deductions of food productions, architectural evidence, metal objects, indications of metallurgy, finds of bone and ivory, stone objects and ceramics…..The thesis is strong on empirical evidence………

Robert G. Bednarik, Professor & Director, International Institute of Replicative Archaeology, Australia

Dr. Mohammad Nazrul Bari's book titled “Material Life in Northern India C. 600 BCE to 300 BCE” which is a result of meticulous archaeological and historical analysis of data retrieved through some field studies and rigorous literary surveys. I am privileged to read his manuscript before being published and happy to recommend it as one of the best historical reviews of the particular period by a promising academic who is surely be an asset to Indian scholarship.

Anura Manatunga, Professor, Department of Archaeology & Director, Centre for Asian Studies University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

"In this thoughtful monograph, Dr.Bari has brought to light very fascinatingly the material life of the entire northern India from 600 BCE to 300 BCE by correlating the archaeological findings with literary sources, which is a vital contribution to our understanding of South Asian Cultural legacy".

Shahnaj Husne Jahan, Professor and Director, Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS), University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The authors have given the life stories, their achievements and their thought process of twenty famous Western philosophers. From Socrates to Santayana, the biographies are given in simple and vivid manner.Each biography is like an adventure story dotted with famous deeds. They inspire and enthrall, they capture our imagination and set fire to it. And they succeed.

The thread that runs through the entire gamut of these twenty odd philosophers thoughts and deeds is that unanimity on the fundamental purpoe of human life which is, happiness through the cooperation of mankind. Plato and Socrates, Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Spencer, William James, Bergaon, Santayana are some of the philosophers in this book whose life stories are given.

The object of this book is to give a clear and concise view of the principal results of Astrology, and of the revolution which they have affected in Modern Thought.
In this book, the author has fully explained all about astrology in Ancient Indian and has given a description of the various constellations of stars - on which the Science of Astrology is based. The volume is divided into eight chapters.

The first chapter gives an account of the antiquity of the Science of Astrology. Chapters II, III and IV give an account of the movements of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. Chapter V gives a number of tables pertaining to dates, latitudes and longitudes, etc. From these tables, the necessary calculations are to be made in framing the horoscopes. Chapter VI and VII deal with special contribution from the author, where the author has examined numerous horoscopes to prove the authenticity of his predictions regarding death and marriage. Chapter VIII is an appendix giving further information to help the calculations.

The book deals with eleven dialogue-hymns of the Rgveda. The original text in Vedic Sanskrit has been translated in as easy an expression as possible. A worth reading book for those having taste for a peep into and respect for the distant past.

Of the eleven dialogue-hymns of the Rgveda, two of them are composed in soliloquy form and are concerned with a gambler and a mendicant respectively. Three hymns are connected mainly with Indra (the god of rains), two with the couples like Agastya and Lopamudra, and Pururavas and Urvashi, and one with the twin siblings: Yama and Yami. Out of the rest, one hymn displays a delightful and heavenly picture of the marriage ceremony which is traditionally prevalent in India even today, another tells us about the prosperous condition of the ancient traders like Panis, and yet another deals with the crossing through the currents of two rivers by Visvamitra, a Vedic seer.

About The Author : Dr. Satya Dev Choudhary :
Dr. Satya Dev Choudhary is a Prof. of Hindi & Sanskrit. His special interest include Indian Poetics, Philology, Vedic Literature and Medieval Hindi Literature. He has about 25 books to his credit and for them he has been felicitated with a number of prizes and awards.

The book deals with eleven dialogue-hymns of the Rgveda. The original text in Vedic Sanskrit has been translated in as easy an expression as possible. A worth reading book for those having taste for a peep into and respect for the distant past.

Of the eleven dialogue-hymns of the Rgveda, two of them are composed in soliloquy form and are concerned with a gambler and a mendicant respectively. Three hymns are connected mainly with Indra (the god of rains), two with the couples like Agastya and Lopamudra, and Pururavas and Urvashi, and one with the twin siblings: Yama and Yami. Out of the rest, one hymn displays a delightful and heavenly picture of the marriage ceremony which is traditionally prevalent in India even today, another tells us about the prosperous condition of the ancient traders like Panis, and yet another deals with the crossing through the currents of two rivers by Visvamitra, a Vedic seer.

About The Author : Dr. Satya Dev Choudhary :
Dr. Satya Dev Choudhary is a Prof. of Hindi & Sanskrit. His special interest include Indian Poetics, Philology, Vedic Literature and Medieval Hindi Literature. He has about 25 books to his credit and for them he has been felicitated with a number of prizes and awards.

The book has been written by someone who is not only an agricultural physicist and scientist but also an eminent philosopher and Sanskrit scholar. The book reflects the combination of a deep and analytical mind with the width of the vedic view of life. He has explained that the basic foundation for vedic algebra and cosmology was laid during his childhood in a small village. Questions about the origin and growth of the universe at an early age led him to research and delve into science and find answers, which have been presented in this book. Various theories like the Big Bang theory, extensive Cold Dark Matter and others vis-a-vis the vedic theory have been discussed.

In the vedic theory of the origin of the universe, the result is obtained by sages and rishis of yore who spent ages meditating and concentrating. According to them the seed of the Universe is an entity called Atma. The universe, according to the Upanishadic concept, does not have a beginning and so did not emerge after a big bang but its creation is a continuous cyclic process starting with cold matter (gaseous stage). The possibility of a number of universes coexisting is evident. Tables comparing the Vedic and Big Bang models on the origin of the universe have been given in great detail in the book. Upanishads declare that at the beginning of creation there was only one God who created various species of movable and immovable things. All have God living within them. The book has been written with very deep research on the topic.

About The Author : C.Dakshinamurthi
Dr Dakshinamurti was awarded the first doctorate degree in Soil Physics in 1948. He is an academician, researcher and research manager having over 150 publications in scientific journals.

This is perhaps the first ever biography of an Indian critic (Subbudu) from the world of classical performing arts. Put into place through scores of interviews with country's top musicians, dancers and critics, the book traces the growth of an incorrigible kid as he takes on the high and the mighty from the world of arts to emerge as a fearless critic, whose single minded passion in life has been, to serve the arts.

The book captures Subbudu's rise as critic incisively by juxtaposing it with the way Indian performing arts have shaped up post-independence. Beyond Destiny ends with a note of caution glancing at the reality of music and dance in India and its survival in the mainstream media. Lada Guruden Singh is a trained broadcast journalist and a poet. He has to be congratulated for this in-depth account of the Life and Times of Subbudu.

About The Author : Lada Guruden Singh
Lada Guruden Singh is a trained broadcast journalist, a poet with two collection of poems. Split Ends and Where Must I Go... a Bharatanatyam dancer, a columnist with The Statesman and a freelance writer for host of national and international dance journals and websites.

This is perhaps the first ever biography of an Indian critic (Subbudu) from the world of classical performing arts. Put into place through scores of interviews with country's top musicians, dancers and critics, the book traces the growth of an incorrigible kid as he takes on the high and the mighty from the world of arts to emerge as a fearless critic, whose single minded passion in life has been, to serve the arts.
The book captures Subbudu's rise as critic incisively by juxtaposing it with the way Indian performing arts have shaped up post-independence. Beyond Destiny ends with a note of caution glancing at the reality of music and dance in India and its survival in the mainstream media. Lada Guruden Singh is a trained broadcast journalist and a poet. He has to be congratulated for this in-depth account of the Life and Times of Subbudu.

About The Author : Lada Guruden Singh :
Lada Guruden Singh is a trained broadcast journalist, a poet with two collection of poems. Split Ends and Where Must I Go... a Bharatanatyam dancer, a columnist with The Statesman and a freelance writer for host of national and international dance journals and websites.

The Puranas are infallible source of information of Indian history of religion, philosophy, culture and civilisation, polity of society, arts and crafts, architecture and inconography besides royal dynasties and period of their rule. It was long felt that a comprehensive Index of the Puranas was a desideratum. We have an Index to Vedic literature by Macdonell and Keith; we have also one to the Mahabharata by Sorensen; then why not a similar Index to all the eighteen major and an equal number of the minor Puranas which constitute an important branch of Indian literature?

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The book presents the traditional Vedantic teaching written in a simple and clear language which can be understood by a common man.
The book presents the Vedantic teaching on the lines of the unfolding according to the sampradaya by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati & Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati. This is an admirable piece of authentic work, which is true to the sampradaya.

About The Author : D. Venugopal :
D. Venugopal is a student of Swami Parmarthananda and has also studied at Pujya Swamij'is gurukulam at Anaikatti from 2002 to 2005.

Sri Rajaji presents, in the Upanishads, the grandeur of the ancient wisdom of the great Seers of Bharatvarsha.
In the Upanishads, we have a scripture which, among all the holy scriptures of the world, displays the most scientific spirit in connection with spiritual enquiry. The sages, whose thoughts and teachings we read in the Upanishads, seem to be as much inspired by constructive doubt as the most modern men of science. Their questions and answers indicate that they lived in an age when, alongside of conformism and the rigid maintenance of old practices, men thirsted for truth.


About The Author : C. Rajagopalachari :

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari is a distinguished founder member of the Bhavan. A great patriot, astute politician, thinker, visionary, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, he was a great statesman. A freedom fighter, he was also the Chief Minister of Madras, Governor of West Bengal, India's Home Minister and the first Indian Governor-General of Free India. Rajaji popularized books on Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bhagwad Gita ,Upanishads and several others by writing in his inimitable style which has appealed to millions of people. He wrote in English and Tamil, his mother tongue. He passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

These are the collection of the weekly lectures given by the Swami in the Institute of Culture, Calcutta. The introduction to the book is on the power of the Upanishads. Upanishads are intelligible body of verified and verifiable spiritual insights mixed with myths and legends.
The book discusses the spiritual heritage of Hindus and various aspects of the Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita. Isa Upanishad and Katha Upanishad have been discussed in great detail, making the book interesting and readable. Stories, quotations , Sanskrit verses , interpretations of the Upanishads are included in t his volume.

About The Author : Swami Ranganathananda :
Winner of the first Indira Gandhi award for National Integration, Swami Ranganathananda was President of Ramakrishna Math and then Vice President of the world wide Ramakrishna Math. He has written several books, and 60 titles of audio tapes expounding the ideas of Ramakrishna Vivekananda and Vedanta.

This book deals with the Mahatma's relationship with Muslims and his role in the partition of India. The author has done extensive research and has traced the roots of the Mahatma's approach to this issue from the South African days through various freedom struggle movements and them to the Partition of India
The book is neither history nor a biography nor even a broad survey of the work of Himalayan dimensions that Gandhiji was able to out in during his public life. However the author has quoted extensively from Gandhiji's speeches and writings to put light on the three points he was accused of-that Gandhiji was pro-Muslim, anti-Hindu and the main cause of the partition of India. This book is a result of references to several hundred published works on Mahatma.

About The Author : Rafiq Zakaria :

Dr Rafiq Zakaria has been a cabinet minister and has a distinguished career in law, education, journalism, politics and Islamic studies. He is an author of more than fifteen books. He has represented India at the United Nations thrice.

This is one of the best biographies of Mahatma Gandhi.
The book has been written in a very simple style. The author has covered Mahatma Gandhi's contribution to Indian freedom struggle.

About The Author : Louis Fischer
Louis Fischer, born in 1896, was an eminent journalist who wrote several books on Russia, India, Middle east. He covered the Spanish Civil war and was in France when World War II broke out.

This book is the story of Yogi Sri Krishnaprem, a great mystic philosopher, written by a leading mystic poet of India.
The book is the story of a life-long friendship that turns mutuality into a sense of identity in the Divine. The reading of this book is indeed a delightful and illuminating experience. Sri Dilip Kumar has made a charming presentation to the public with profound feeling and insight of the variegated experience and wisdom of a person who was, as Ramana Maharishi truly observed,"a rare combination of a jnani and a bhakta."

About The Author : Dilip Kumar Roy
Sri Aurobindo's close disciple, Dilip Kumar Roy is a mystic, a singer, composer, poet, author of more than 75 books in Bengali and 25 in English and is an awardee of Sur Sudhakar and Sangeet Ratnakar awards.