Hopefully this list will be kept somewhat updated over time. I've posted a first revision (post Pennsic!) November, 2002. Books that are new since the first run of this list have a NEW label in front of them.
NEW - Since this library got so huge it was annoying for even me to search, I figured anyone reading this would just go batty. So here's a menu of all the subjects, each book is in one (and only one) of these subjects. All the books are on very page, so you can scroll if you'd prefer to browse, or do a page search if you're looking for something specific. The subjects are in no particular order, either the order is an expression of my chaotic mind, or it was just the order in which my books happened to be stacked.
Samavedic Chant by Wayne Howard. Yale University Press: New Haven and London, 1977.
ISBN 0-300-01956-4
- Fairly technical discussion of traditional chant. Has notated chants and other pictures.
The Raga Guide: a Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas ed. by Joep Bor. Nimbus Records with Rotterdam Conservatory of Music: United Kindgom, 1999.
- Discussion of the concept of raga in Northern Indian music. Looks at each of the ragas that are popular modernly, includes a short selection of a typical raga performance, and a transcription of the major elements of the song are noted in Western style notation. Lastly it has a list of pictures from Ragamala paintings - classical images of a human form which embodies a raga or ragnini. Many of the pictures date to close to our period. One or two are within the 16th century. Though it's all modern, and all Hindustani, this is definitely on of my picks for first book to buy to understand Indian music.
Temperament: the Idea that Solved Music's Greatest Riddle by Stuart Isacoff. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 2001.
- A dicussion of the evolution of Western music into what we know modernly. It has nothing to do with India, but it's a great beginner intro to some of the concepts in music theory history.
The Ragas of Early Indian Music: Modes, Melodies, and Musical Notations from the Gupta Period to c. 1250 by Richard Widdess. Clarendon Press and Oxford: New York, 1995.
ISBN 0-19-315464-I
- The single most informative work on Indian music I've found to date, but it's really heavy. It covers the evolution of the concept of the raga - rather than particular ragas, from it's earliest inception. Somewhat more northern focused, but the discussion is of such ancient origin that it helps understand both forms of music. It does require a pretty comprehensive understanding of music theory and a basic understanding of modern Indian music theory.
NEW - The Origin of Raga by S. Bandyopadhyaya. Munshiram Manoharial Publishers Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi, 1995.
ISBN 81-215-0261-6
- This an overview on the history of music, particuraly the concept of the Raga in Indian music. The parts in English are pretty good, it's lacking in that all the quotes included in the book are quoted in Sanskrit (or another language...), and are not translated or paraphrased into English. It makes some sections rather frustrating, as the author then interprets the quotes, or simply refers to them as though they are self-evident. Oddly, though, the parts written in English are very clear, and it's probably my second pick for good books for starting to study Indian music history - it helps that I bought it at abebooks for $9.00.
NEW - Theory of Indian Music by Ram Avtar 'Vir'. Pankaj Publications: New Delhi, 1999.
ISBN 81-87155-18-3
- The table of contents looked very promising - medieval musical education, the two systems of Indian music, tala - the system of counting time, sympathetic notes, and regular notes. Largely stuff I haven't read much about before. Unfortunately, it's hard to read it here. The book is written in "Hinglish" - English written by and for folks who also speak Hindi. It also doesn't give much technical information - it usually just lists words, without doing much in the way of defining them, or saying what we do and do not know about historical terminology. May be worth it to get more Indian words to search for, though, it seems to cover alot of music vocabularly.
Learn to Play on Sitar by Ram Avtar'Vir. Pankaj Publications: New Delhi, 1998.
ISBN 81-87155-14-0
- Not the best instrument instruction I've ever seen - it assumes alot. But it's got some decent pictures, and good practice studies. Very light on music theory.
The Sitar: The Instrument and Its Technique by Manfred M. Junius. Indica: Varanasi, 2001.
ISBN 81-86569-23-5
- Nice overview on the history of the sitar, and it's technique. Fairly deep, but totally worth it. No songs in it, but the information on technique is far more valuable.
Songs of Three Great South Indian Saints by William J. Jackson. Oxford University Press: Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Mumbai, 1998.
ISBN 0 19 564655 X
- collection of English transalations of the song/poetry of three Visnaivite saints of South India. All are part of the bhakti movement, and write around 1500AD in the peak of the Vijayanara empire.
Painting and Performance: Chinese Picture Recitation and Its Indian Genesis by Victor H. Mair. University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu, 1988.
ISBN 0-8248-1100-3
- a historical analysis of "picture showmen" and thier possible evolution from India to China, as well as their migration to other parts of the world. Many references to storytellers and other performers in Indian culture.
The Dance of Shiva and Other Tales From India trans. by Oroon Ghosh. New American Library of Canada: Toronto, 1965.
- Wonderful little paperback. Sometimes the stories have a wacky 70's American flavor, but they are always introduced with a little bit of information on history, including dates, and there's a nice selection of different types of stories, almost all geared toward the short attention span.
Tales of Ancient India trans. by J. A. B. Van Buitenen. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1959.
- Absolutely yummy! One of my favorites, the stories are fun to read, yet still very Indian-feeling. Stories are also fairly secular and of varying lengths.
The Five Brothers (the story of the Mahabharata) adapted by Elizabeth Seeger. The John Day Company: New York, 1948.
- This is the book that first got me interested in the Mahabarata and Indian stories. It's a lively, Western-friendly book that still retains an Indian flavor. Best of all, I found it a quick and relaxing read. If you're trying to document stuff, though, I suggest a more literal translation.
The Mahabharata retold by William Buck. New American Library: New York, 1973.
- A nice sized paperback, probably fairly accurate, though certainly trimmed.
The Ramayana retold by William Buck. University of California Press: Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1976.
ISBN 0-520-04394-4
- A reasonably complete copy of the Sanskrit epic. Not exactly flavorful, but I have yet to find a better one.
Classical Hindu Mythology, a Reader in the Sanskrit Puranas ed & trans byCornalia Dimmit & J. A. Buitenen. Temple University Press: Philadelphia, 1978.
ISBN 0-87722-122-7
- Collection of historic myths of ancient/medieval India. Generally a little dry, but offers the skeleton of good storytelling material. Also offers alot of background for understanding alot of other Indian art and architecture.
Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization by Heinrich Zimmer. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1974.
- Descriptions of the symbols of Indian culture and the myths surrounding them. And interesting approach, though somewhat dry.
The Clever Adulteress and Other Stories ed. by Phyllis Granoff. Mosaic Press: Ontario, 1990.
ISBN 0-88962-435-6
- Great set of Jain stories. Has some good descriptions and commentary on cultural information, too. A little heavy for a "fun read", but generally worth it.
Demons, Gods and Holy Men from Indian Myths and Legends by Shahrukh Husain. Shocken Books: New York, 1987.
ISBN 0-8052-4028-4
- A great rendition of many stories that date into our time. They take some research into other sources to document, but they are very well-told and Western-accessible. The pictures are completely modern.
Museums of India: National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum by Jyotindra Jain and Aarti Aggarwala. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.: Ahmedabad, 1989.
ISBN 0-944142-23-0
- collection of a variety of Indian handicrafts, including metal forms, jewelry, wood, stone and ivory carving, printed wood, paper mache, lac-turnery, folks painting, textiles, basketry and matting, taerracotta and glazed pottery, dolls, toys puppets and masks. Each one has an introduction that discusses the history and various styles of the craft. Laden with great pictures, though they are mostly not of objects in our period.
The Arts of South and Southeast Asia text by Steven Kossak. Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York 1994.
- the major highlights of the Met's collection of Indian and other Asian arts. Organized by location and then by date, it's a great way to compare the different styles of art, see the evolution over time, and the pictures are good enough that you can often get a good idea of the details of the works for garb/jewlery ideas.
South Indian Paintings by C. Sivaramamurti. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India: New Delhi, 1994.
ISBN 81-230-0052-9
- Talks about Painting Tools, Matrials and Techniques, as well as a view of paintings from 2 BC to the 19th century, separated by empire. Has lots of good pictures of clothing from various periods.
The Ajanta Caves: Artistic Wonder of Ancient Buddhist India by Benoy K. Behl. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers: New York 1998.
ISBN 0-8109-1983-4
- Huge collection of pictures of Ajanta Cave paintings from four major caves (1, 2, 16 and 17), along with useful annotations and short versions of the stories portrayed in many caves. Forwarded by history of caves. Somewhat lacking in listing of possible dates with each picture - attempts at dating are made only on the caves.
Realms of Heroism: Indian Paintings at the Brooklyn Museum by Amy G. Poster with Sheila R. Canby, Pramod Chandra, and Joan M. Cummins. Hudson Hills Press: New York, 1994.
ISBN 1-55595-000-0
- Collection of paintings that date well into our time frame. Divided into categories: Pre-Mughal, Mughal, Deccani and Punjabi Hills. The first three all have useful pictures, although the pictures are somewhat Nothern. Probably best for Mughals, the Hindu/Buddhist/Jain stuff is far less copious.
Indian Painting: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art Collection by Pratapaditya Pal. Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Los Angeles, 1993.
ISBN 81-85822-22-0 (Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.)
ISBN 0-944142-95-8 (Grantha Corporation)
ISBN 0-8109-3465-3 (Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)
- Very nice collection of paintings and calligraphy including Eastern Indian Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, Islamic (pre-Mughal), Mughal, and Decanni paintings. Nearly all of it fits within our time frame - with Decanni ending in 1700. Has a great, well-rounded look at the various art styles, although the Mughal is still the most copious.
A History of Far Eastern Art, Fifth Ed. by Sherman E. Lee. Prentice Hall, Inc and Harry N. Abrams, Inc.: New York, 1994.
ISBN 0-13-393398-9
- Class textbook on the huge topic of Asian Art. One of the four sections is devoted to Indian and Indonesian art, which gives a good look at temple architecture and an idea on the forms of the different styles of Indian art. Good for learning the basics of Indian art, but no so much for garb or a particular time and place.
Indian Miniature Painting by Anjan Chakraverty. Lustre Books: Delhi, Banaras, Agra, Jaipur, the Netherlands, 1996.
ISBN 81-7437-045-5
- Light overview of Indian painting. It's got some examples in our time frame, but many of the pictures are significantly newer.
India: Paintings from the Ajanta Caves intro. by Madanjeet Singh. New York Graphic Society: Paris 1954.
- A REALLY BIG book of pictures from the Ajanta Caves. Generally the best pictures I've found yet, since they are so large, but there aren't many of them. It largely hits the most often seen pictures in other books.
NEW - The Hindu Temple by R. Champakalakshmi (text) and Usha Kris (photography). Greenwich Editions: London, 2001.
ISBN 0-86288-3350
- When I saw this, I thought "Oh no! Not another dippy Hindu Temple book!" But it really surprised me. The writing is insightful and gives yet another lense for looking at temples, temple culture, and temple history. It has a nice fusion between architecture, iconography, and cultural significance. Some of the stuff is a repeat, some is a further elaboration of concepts that other books below mentioned, and some is entirely new - including an interesting look at the contrast between Brahmanical and folk traditions, the comparison between the three big gods (Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma) and the goddess (Parvati/Durga/Kali) to the village dieties of the common people. I would definitely recommend this as a first temple book - it is written for a non-Hindu, non-academian, has fabulous pictures of a wide variety of things and people, and does a nice coverage of various topics. Plus, I suspect you won't have to mortagage your soul to buy it!
Laddigam, a Later Chola Temple by B. Venkataraman. Orient Longman:New Delhi, 1971.
- overview of the temple as a work of Chola period art.
The Home of the Dancing Sivan: The traditions of the Hindu Temple in Citamparam by Paul Yonger. Oxford University Press: New York, Oxford, 1995.
ISBN 0-19-509533-2
- the author has intensely studied the religious community of the Citamparam temple, including their worship rituals, the actual building, and the literature associated with the community. He also analyzes the history of these topics, and where certain elements may have originated.
Hindu India: from Khajuraho to the Temple City of Madurai by Henri Stierlin. Taschen: Koln, London, Madrid, New York, Paris, Tokyo, 2002.
ISBN 3-8228-1767-8
- the history of the art and architecture of hindu temple construction. Traces the evolution over time with great pictures of many prominent temples in India.
The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism by Alain Danielou. Inner Traditions: Rochester, VT, 2001.
ISBN 0-89281-854-9
- a combination of two of Danielou's works on the forms and functions of Hindu temple. Particularly aimed at describing the connection between humanity and divinity that the temple represents, particularly in the terms of it's erotic elements.
The Hindu Temple: an Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms by George Mitchell. University of Chicago Press: Chicago and London, 1988.
ISBN 0-226-53230-5
- a look at the philosophies that contributed to the building of Hindu temples. More academic than Danielou's approach, and less focused on the erotic. A nice, academic compliment to Danielou.
Temples & Legends of Assam by B.K. Barua and H.V. Sreenivasa Murthy. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan: Bombay, 1988. Temples & Legends of Maharashtra by M.S. Mate. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan: Bombay, 1988. Temples & Legends of Bengal. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan: Bombay, 1988.
- Collections of stories and possible histories on temples in the various regions of India. A little hard to read, but has a lot of stories I don't find elsewhere. Generally does not date the history of the legends.
The Sacred Thread by J.L. Brockington. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, 1996.
ISBN 0 7486 0830 3
- Broken down by major movements in the history of Hinduism, it describes the evolution and elements of each movement as well as covering the major times, places and historical figures of each evolution. Has an excellent index, as well. A great jumping off point for historical philosophy research.
The Upanisads, Parts I and II trans. by F. Max Muller. Dover Publications Inc.: New York, 1962.
ISBN 0-486-20992-X and ISBN 0-486-20993-8 (two books)
- Translations of a collection of the Hindu texts on mystical philosophy. Not for the faint of heart. It's the depth of Hinduism and provides great thinking material. Very little on culture, but a great insight into Hindu thought.
Sacred Writings: Hinduism, the Rig Veda trans. by Ralph T. H. Griffith. Book of the Month Club: New York 1992.
- The Rig Veda is the beginning of Hindu philosophy - it's one of the four Vedic texts that date into the pre-history of Hinduism. This is a direct translation, annotated by hyms and verses. A great reference if you want to look up precise references. Kind of a heavy read on its own.
Pastoral Deities in Western India by Gunther-Dietz Sonheimer. Oxford University Press: New York, Oxford, 1989.
ISBN 0-19-505500-4
- Discussion of Western Indian dieties as they relate to literary landscapes. Fairly heavy, but a pretty unique topic, and a little lighter than verses of philosophy. Certianly covers dieties I've never heard mention of before, that are probably quite unique to Western India.
Religions of India in Practice ed. by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1995.
ISBN 0-691-04325-6
- A really unique collection of papers on the religions of India, including Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Muslim and Sikh, with Hindu being by far the most common topic. Covers all sorts of different subcultures and topics - generally modern, but with a nod to history. Fairly geeky.
Dharmasutras, the Law Codes of Ancient India trans. by Patrick Olivelle. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1999.
ISBN 0-19-283882-2
- Fairly geeky but entirely historic - translation of an ancient text of rules for students of righteous behavior. Gives some interesting insight into the culture of India.
Hindu Gods & Goddesses by A. G. Mitchell. UBS Publisher's Distributed, Ltd.: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Calcutta, Patna, Kanpur, 1997.
ISBN 81-85674-63-9
- Nice overview of some of the major Hindu iconography. Each blurb comes with a picture of the diety and explanation of the diety and the iconography.
Essentials of Indian Philosophy by M. Hiriyanna. Diamond Books: London, 1996.
ISBN 0 261 66934 6
- A heavy but solid look at the evolution of Hindu philosophy.
Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India by Diana L. Eck. Columbia University Press: New York, 1996.
ISBN 0-231-10845-1
- A very unique look at the concept of worship by viewing an icon. The author comes from an outside perspective but seeks to explain this aspect of Hindu religion in a sympathetic viewpoint. Although the work and focus is modern, the tradition of Darsan is very ancient.
Bhagavad-Gita As It Is trans. & comm. by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadanduism. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust: Mumbai, 1997.
- Verse translation of the Bhagavad-Gita, interspered with commentary from the Swami. The good part is the translation has Sanskrit verse, transliterated Sanskrit, word for word translation, and then verse translation. Unfortunately, you also have to wade through the Swami's teaching, which is completely modern.
The Bhagavad Gita trans. by Eknath Easwaran. Nilgiri Press: Tomales, CA, 1985.
ISBN 0-915132-35-4
- Verse translation of the Bhagavad Gita for Western Enlightenment. The topic is never light, but this is aimed at being reader-friendly.
The Holy Vedas selections by Satakam Vidyalankar. Clarion Books: Delhi, 1996.
ISBN 81-85120-54-4
- A collection of Vedic verses from the various Vedas, organized by inspirational topic. Generally not a complete source for Vedic philosophy, but very inspiring.
Atharvaveda selections by Dr. B. R. Kishore. Diamond Pocket Books, Ltd.: New Delhi. Samveda selections by Dr. B. R. Kishore. Diamond Pocket Books, Ltd.: New Delhi. Yajurveda selections by Dr. B. R. Kishore. Diamond Pocket Books, Ltd.: New Delhi. Rigveda selections by Dr. B. R. Kishore. Diamond Pocket Books, Ltd.: New Delhi.
- small collection of verses in each Veda. Gives a taste, but nothing more.
Teach Yourself Hinduism by V.P. Kanitkar and W. Owen Cole. NTC/Contemporary Publishing: Chicago, 1995.
ISBN 0-8442-3682-9
- A good starting guide to Hinduism, a fairly generic overview of many of the popular beliefs and practices. Fairly homogenized and completely modern. My one gripe would be that it does not mention differences between the various branches of the religion - it seems as homogenous as Catholicism.
Hinduism ed. by Louis Renou. George Braziller: New York, 1962.
- An overview of Hinduism, the general stuff - practices, beliefs, major sects. Has a nice collection of text excerpts.
A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy ed. by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1957.
ISBN 0-691-01958-4
A nice collection of texts of Indian philosophy with history and explanations... always leaves me wanting more, though.
NEW - The Canon of the Saivagama and the Kubjika Tantras of the Western Kaula Tradition by Mark S. G. Dyczkowski. State University of New York Press: Albany, NY, 1988.
ISBN 0-88706-494-9
- Discusses a variety of Saiva Agamas and Kaula Tantras that are important to the philosophy of the Western Kaula Tradition. It is not actually a translation of the Agamas, it is a review, overview and historical discussion of the various texts. As of yet, it's as close as I've gotten to the Agamic texts I'm looking for.
NEW - The Camphor Flame by C.J. Fuller. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1992.
ISBN 0-691-07404-6
- Discussion of the rituals and traditions of Hinduism. It's mostly modern, although it does cover the evolution of traditions over the last hundred years or so. It's quite a thorough discussion, although there aren't many parts that have much to do with India in the SCA. I generally think it's useful to understand what religion would be for Lakshmi.
Nityasumangali: Devadasi Tradition in South India by Saskia Kersenbloom. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Pvt., Ltd.: Delhi, 1998.
ISBN 81-208-0330-2
- Cultural history, function and form of the devadasi tradition in temple ritual, rituals of passage of the devadasi tradition. She's studied the ancient texts and then compares them to live interviews with modern devadasis.
Dancing to the Flute: Music and Dance in Indian Art by Jim Masselos, Jackie Menzies, and Pratapaditya Pal. The Art Gallery of New South Wales: Sydney, 1997.
ISBN 0 7313 0003 3
- Several good articles about dance history, with a collection of pictures of dancing figures from all eras of Indian history, organized by subject.
Dance Terminologies: their Epigraphical Interpretations by Hema Govindarajan. Harman Publishing House: New Delhi, 1993.
ISBN 81-85151-78-4
- The ultimate in geeky anal retentive dance books. A voluminous listing of terms relating to dance and dancers as listed in epigraphs, along with the location and dates of the reference. Certainly not the first book one should get, but it satisfies a certain niche. Also a great source for names - most often names of local kings and dancers.
Devadasi Dancing Damsel by Kali Prasad Goswami. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation: New Delhi, 2000.
ISBN 81-7648-130-0
- Focus on the history of the devadasi, particularly in the area of Assam. Seems to paint the devadasi as somewhat more virginal than she may actually be. A little light in the actual research, tends to re-interpret other modern sources, has as much to do with general religious topics as the history of devadasis.
Creations by Mrinalini Sarabhai. Mapin: Ahmedabad and New York, 1986.
- Doesn't have a thing about history, but a great book on a dancer's creative process and perspective on the communicative process of the modern form of classical Indian dance. Also has some great close ups of eye makeup, facial expressions, and hand and foot markings.
Women as Devadasis: Origin and Growth of the Devadasi Profession by Kakolee Chakraborthy. Deep and Deep Publications Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi, 2000.
ISBN 81-7629-263-0
- A look at devadasis from a devadasi-as-exploited-woman point of view. It's always good to get another view, but the historical information is fairly light. The modern data seems more solid, and it poses a situation in modern India that is well worth noting.
Donors, Devotees, and the Daughters of God - Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu by Leslie C. Orr. Oxford University Press: 2000.
ISBN: 0195099621
- Absolutely wonderful, one of my favorite books. Another one that's so good, it deserves it's own category... It's an analysis of epigraphs involving women whose identity is affiliated with a temple in the Chola era. It looks into all aspects of their possible relationship to the temple and trys to unearth any information that the epigraphs may tell us. A great insight into temple culture, devadasi history, names, royal decrees and many other wonderful tidbits...
Shilappadikaram by Prince Ilango Adigal, trans. by Alain Danielou. New Directions Publishing Corporation: New York, 1965.
ISBN: 0811200019
- Another one that transcends a category. It's a story by a Jain prince that centers around a love triangle involving a dancing courtesan and her ankle bracelet... A great read for pure entertainment, made better by the useful historical information about dance, music, and many aspects of the life of a dancer in this time period.
The Natya Sastra of Bharatamuni trans by a Board of Scholars. Sri Satguru Publications: Delhi, 2000.
ISBN 81-7030-134-3
- The most comprehensive English translation (of 2, to my knowledge) to date of this oldest known medieval dance text. Unfortunately, also the least intelligible. They do a good job of covering all chapters, verse for verse, but some verses leave something to be desired in clarity. Hard to tell whether the flaw is in the translation or the text.
The Natyasastra: English Translation with Critical Notes by Adya Rangacharya. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi, 1996.
ISBN 81-215-0680-8
- A translation of the Natya Shastra by a leading expert on Indian theater. Both the translation and the commentary are well-thought out and insightful. Unfortunately, it is not complete. The author passed away before finishing it, and some chapters are left undone.
Tandava Laksanam, the Fundamentals of Ancient Hindu Dancing by B. V. Narayanaswami Naidu, P. Srinivasulu Naidu, and O. V. Rangayya Pantulu. Munshiram Manoharlal: New Delhi, 1971.
- Publication of the fourth chapter of the Natya Shastra, on Karanas - complex dance postures. Each Karana is associated with a picture of the pose depicted in the Cidambaram temple. Glossary also contains a compilation of terms from the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th chapters relating to dance poses. Currently this is Bhairavi's book, but I intend to run out and get myself one... just as soon as she asks for her copy back.
Bharata Natyam: from Temple to Theater by Anne-Marie Gaston. Manohar Publishers and Distributors: New Delhi, 1996.
ISBN 81-7304-146-6
- Great first book for understanding Bharata Natyam. She does a great overview of the history, as well as a great review of the current position of the art, and what can be known of recent history.
NEW - The Mirror of Gesture: Being the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikesvara by Ananda Coomaraswamy. Munshiram Manoharlal, Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi, 1997.
ISBN 81-215-0021-4
- For $9.00 (www.abebooks.com!!) this is an EXCELLENT buy. It's all about the techniques of abhinaya as dictated by Nandikesvara, an Indian sage who is said to have lived between the 5th and 13th century. Ananda Coomaraswamy has chosen only the sections of this text which related to abhinaya, the expressive form of Indian dance, and combines it with his own commentary on the meaning of each gesture. Unfortunately he doesn't reference much of his notes, but at least they are differentiated from the actual translation. The preface has a great discussion of the place of dance and the dancer in Indian society and how it differs from the West. However, the preface is sadly lacking any historical information about the text, which means you have to go elsewhere to find out how old it is, and one wonders the history of this precise translation.
NEW - The Nrtyavinoda of Manasollasa, A Study by Hema Govindarajan. Harman Publishing House: New Delhi, 2001.
ISBN 81-86622-40-3
- This one is a study, rather than a transalation, so it gives more useful information, yet still quotes verses directly - a really great combination. It's part of a large text called the Manasollasa, which describes almost every facet of Indian life around 1131 AD in Karnataka. The Nrtyvinoda is the segment that deals with dance. It does a great look at types of dance and place of dance in society - quite rare for a historical dance treastise. It includes both abhinaya and nritta movements, although it does not break them down in this way. This may be the friendliest interpretation of a historical dance text I've run across.
Dress and Jewelry of Women: Satavahana to Kakatiya by C.S. Uma Maheswari. New Era Publications: Madras, 1999.
- The actual reading is fairly useful, although the author is somewhat unclear on the descriptions of some articles, but it nicely limits itself to a fairly specific subject, and so gives a more thorough review. Strangely, it's divided by epigraphical and literary references and then sculptural references, which isn't so useful for making sense of a single garment, especially with no index. Pictures are pretty bad, but at least they are copious and of a specific era.
Indian Costume by G.S. Ghurye. Popular Prakashan: Bombay, 1995.
ISBN 81-7154-403-7
- Reviews the large eras of Indian costume - to 320BC, 320BC-320AD, 320-1100AD, 1100-1800AD, and then the contemporary clothing of each region. In that it does survey the clothing over time, it's a reasonable overview, but it lacks depth once you become interested in a specific era. Also, the picture quality is extremely poor - B&W, small, and blurry. And because it is so broad, the depth on any part of the SCA-era is fairly small.
Traditional Jewelry of India by Oppi Untracht. Henry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers: New York, 1997.
ISBN 0-8109-3886-3
- Wonderful pictures and a comprehensive overview of jewelry styles that exist today. It attempts to trace a possible evolution, but has little to no historic research in it. It does have a wonderful collection of examples of various kinds of jewelry and discussion of its current cultural significance. A great place to go to figure out what a given peice of jewelry looks like, and to get inspired.
The Sari: Styles, Patterns, History, Techniques by Linda Lynton. Harry N. Abrams, Inc, Publishers: New York, 1995.
ISBN 0-8109-4461-8
- A good look at modern saris and regional styles. It does some overview of the history of draping, textile terms, and iconography, but it is best as a first look at the general idea of saris.
Traditional Fashions from India Paper Dolls by Ming-Ju Sun. Dover Publications, Inc: Mineola, NY, 2001.
ISBN 0-486-41328-4
- Seems goofy, but it's a pretty decent look at a wide variety of traditional Indian garments, particularly draping styles - how they hang on a human form, what color combinations are appropriate, etc. No pretense at history, a good starting place. All female.
Indian Jewellery by M. L. Nigam. Tiger Books International: London, 1999.
ISBN 1-84056-029-0
- Contains a really great look at Indian jewelry through the various historic ages of India. Also discusses temple and tribal jewelry, along with the gems and techniques used to make it. Lots of great pics, discussion of periods of history is somewhat lacking in descriptions, but has a copious list of types of jewelry that can be researched elsewhere.
Saris: an illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping by Chantal Boulanger. Shakti Press International: New York, 1997.
ISBN 0-9661496-1-0
- Single best book on sari wrapping! Her main focus is not historic sari drapes, but rather preserving the wide variety of modern drapes. But she's got a good perspective on the subject of history, and she has included drapes based on her own historical research. The sketches and instructions are the best I have yet to encounter, and I've never seen another book so comprehensive.
NEW - Cut My Cote by Dorothy K. Burnham. Royal Ontario Museum: Ontario, 1977.
ISBN 0-88854-046-9
- This is very tiny book, with a lot to say. It's about 34 pages long, but in those 34 pages it contains an intense discussion of cut upper garments around the world. It's got a lot of great construction pictures of various shirts and coats, along with cutting layouts and seam lines. There's nothing particularly Indian, although there are garments from Asia and the Middle East. Nonetheless, it's a good discussion of garment construction, and enlightening for any costumer looking to see how different garments are put together.
Textiles and Ornaments of India ed. by Monroe Wheeler, texts by Pupul Jayakar and John Irwin. The Museum of Modern Art: New York, 1956.
- small book with a very light history of textiles through history. Definitely not a heavy source, but the approach is very Western-friendly, and the pictures show a wide variety of different modern textiles and ornaments. It does have a great picture of a 12th century block print. Pictures are almost all B&W, and the descriptions are not so technical.
Tradition and Beyond: Handcrafted Indian Textiles ed. by Martand Singh, text by Rta Kapur Chishti and Rahul Jain. Lustre Press and Roli Books: New Delhi, 2000.
ISBN 81-7436-084-0
- an absolutely gorgeous book covering the various techniques of Indian textiles. Most of the pictures revolve around the modern use of traditional techiques in new and interesting ways. The introduction to each technique does a great review of the history of the technique, along with historic examples, many of which hit our time frame.
Indian Block-Printed Cotton Fragments in the Kelsey Museam the University of Michigan by Ruth Barnes.
University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, 1993.
ISBN 0-472-10293-1
- A definite favorite of mine! Tons and tons of pictures of extant textile fragments believed to be mostly Indian exports. Also a great discussion of technique and possible materials.
NEW - Master Dyers to the World: Techinique and Trade in Early Indian Dyed Cotton Textiles by Mattiebelle Gittinger. The Textile Museum: Washington, D.C., 1982.
ISBN0-87405-020-0
- All I can say is WOW! This is really a dream come true for me. Tons of great Fustat textiles, with insightful commentary on technique, plus some great images of textile paintings from my specific time and place - late 16th century Southern India. The painting are of a wide variety of people in garb including Indians, Portugese, Arabs, and tribal people. Not everything in this book is historic, but the stuff that's there is very much worth it.
Indian Textiles in the Seventeenth Century by Dr. Satya Prakash Sangar. Reliance Publishing House: New Delhi, 1998.
ISBN 81-7510-023-0
- A really geeky but really useful look at the early European travel logs documenting imports from India. The details on the precise technique or patterns of the textiles are lacking, but the record of the general type of fabric moved to Europe is extremely useful.
Koka Shastra: Medieval Indian Writings on Love, Based on the Kama Sutra trans. by Alex Comfort. Simon & Schuster Editions: New York, 1997.
ISBN 0-684-83981-4
- A great first book on this subject. It reviews the erotic texts that come after the Kama Sutra, and their context within Indian society as it evolves over time. Also contains a translation of the Koka Shastra text and many, many ....inspiring pictures - none of which were made in our period, although the texts are entirely within our time frame. Certainly interesting, if not culturally enlightening.
Ananga Ranga: the Hindu Art of Love Illustrated, Complete and Unexpurgated. Medical Press of New York: New York, 1964.
- My favorite of the sex books. This publication is a combination of a translation of the Anana Ranga, a period text on sex techniques, and Pharmacopeia "Ars Amoris Indica" a set of recipes to fix sex-related human ailments. The Anana Ranga contains some interesting viewpoints on how men view women and how at least one historic author thinks the two should relate. The Pharmacopia has recipes for everything from cosmetics, to birth control, to impotency prevention, to abortives, to birthing assistance. A pretty neat insight into some of the materials available and some of the health treatments related to them.
The Love Teachings of the Kama Sutra trans. by Indra Sinha. Marlowe and Company: New York, 1980.
ISBN 1-56924-779-X
- Excerpts of the juicier tidbits of the Kama Sutra, Ananga Ranga, Koka Shastra and other texts. It doesn't say which text it's quoting, and the pictures are largely out of period. So it's not the greatest resource, but it's probably the most relaxing reading, and can give a general cultural overview, since all three texts pre-date 1600.
The Complete Kama Sutra trans. by Alain Danielou. Park Street Press: Rochester, VT, 1994.
ISBN 0-89281-525-6
- No collection of sexual treastises should be without a copy of the famous Kama Sutra, and if you're gonna get one, this is the one to get. It's complete, with all the verses cut in the Victorian era translations. And it deals with the topic in a scholarly manner. Generally a good read for some cultural insight.
Zardozi: Glittering Gold Embroidery by Charu Smita Gupta. Abhinav Publications: New Delhi, 1996.
ISBN 81-7017-319-1
- A great resource on the history and technique of gold metal thread embriodery, with many fabulous color plates. Unfortunately, the history on our time period is very sketchy, with very, very little extant works or very clear literary references to this technique. But what little there seems to be, is certainly well-noted here, along with comprehensive information on the modern techniques and references to historic techniques where applicable.
Embriodery, v. 35, no. 2, Summer 1984, ed. by Christine Bloxham. Published by Arthur Wright, copyright the Embroiderer's Guild.
ISSN 0013-6611
- Has a neat modern article on Lambadi Tribal Embroidery, another article has a few example from Gujerat with no dates. Also a nice article on metal embroidery. All modern, but generally worth it for some inspiration.
The Techniques of Indian Embroidery by Anne Morrell. Interweave Press: Loveland, CO, 1995.
ISBN 1-883010-08-X
- A great look at the styles and techniques of Indian embroidery, particularly works made over the last 200 years. Not overly descriptive of technique, but enough to puzzle out how to do the stiches. Most comprehensive book I've gotten so far. Has only 1 or 2 pictures of extant works from our time period.
Traditional Stencil Designs from India by Pradumna and Rosalba Tana. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1986.
ISBN 0-486-25118-7
- A book of Indian-inspired stencil designs (black blobs in a pattern). Nothing historic, in fact many of the designs look pretty modern to me, although they have a nice Indian flavor.
Indian Textile Prints (& CD) Agile Rabbit Editions, 1999.
ISBN 90-5768-009-2
- A great set of period-feeling prints. Not having any dates, there's no guarantees, but they *feel* pretty good.
Paisleys and Other Textile Designs from India by K. Prakash. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1994.
ISBN 0-486-27959-6
- It's a nice variety of designs, but much of it is not particularly appropriate to our time period, and there are no references to date or location for any of these patterns. But it can be worthwhile inspiration for what "feels" Indian...
Kannada English Dictionary by Rev. F. Kittel. Asian Educational Services: New Delhi, Madras, 1999.
ISBN 81-206-0049-5
- a very complete dictionary, but the words are listed in kannada characters first, transliterated and translated second. So it helps to have the original word. Appears to be the oldest and most complete of the three major dictionaries out there.
The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology, Book I. - Non-Political by Benoy Kumar Sarkar. AMS Press: New York, 1974.
ISBN 0-404-57839-X
- Meant to be an introduction to Sukra's Sukraniti, it analyzes a variety of anal details of the ancient Indian world, including geography, ethnography, mineralogy, botany, and zoology. Unforutunately, I haven't dug up a precise date or location for this text.
NEW - The Sukraniti by Benoy Kumar Sarkar. AMS Press: New York, 1974.
ISBN 0-404-57813-6
- This book is a system of morality, largely targeted at princes. It's also the source for the Positive Background of Hindu Sociology mentioned above. Unfortunately, I'm still looking for the date and location of the creation of this text.
NEW - The King and the Clown in South Indian Myth and Poetry by David Dean Shulman. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1985.
ISBN 0-691-05457-6
- This is a literary discussion of the place of the king and the clown in Southern Indian literature. In the process, it gives some great incidental insight into the life and times of regular people, and some tantalizing bits of poetry and imagery useful for storytelling. I originally bought this as a storytelling resource, but now I believe that it's a better culture book, than a story resource. It's great for the SCA, which is such a king and nobility focused group - there's very little religion stuff, but a ton of ideas as to how to treat your king!
NEW - Indian Epigraphy by Richard Salomon. Oxford University Press: New York, 1998.
ISBN 0-19-509984-2
- This is my most geeky of all geeky books. Like it sounds, it's a book on Indian epigraphs - carvings, usually in stone, that are the bulk of what we know about pre-1000 AD India. The book is not about what we've learned from them, but about the types of epigraphs available, the languages they are in, and their development over time through the various eras. It quotes a number of epigraphs, and even talks about the lettering of them. I haven't really gotten to chew into it just yet, but I hope it will be a useful scribal source, and provide useful tidbits. One drawback - it's only for the Indo-Aryan languages, so the Dravidian languages are ignored. A real bummer for a South Indian like myself.
NEW - Tabo, a Lamp for the Kingdom: Early Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Art in the Western Himalaya by Deborah E. Klimburg Salter. Thames and Hudson, Inc.: New York, 1997.
ISBN 0-500-018375
- So... This one isn't even Indian! It's Tibetan! And not Hindu, but Buddhist! So, not quite my normal book. But it's just fabulous, it's got quite a bit of everything, the history of the monastery, the temple structure, the style of the art in the temple, and even some textile notes on the clothing in the figures in the paintings. There are alot of similarities between this temple and Indian structures, and the time period is quite a bit earlier than we usually see in India - 10th and 11th centuries. A fabulous book for anyone wanting to SCA Tibetan (please oh please! That would be SO cool!) and a pretty good read for the Indians.
Sexual Life in Ancient India by Johann Jakob Meyer. Dorset Press: New York, 1995.
ISBN 1-56619-888-7
- Not nearly as exciting as it sounds... A comprehensive and rather grim view of the position of women, marriage and love as described by ancient Indian literature. Pretty heavy, but probably has some neat tidbits.
Where Kings and Gods Meet: The Royal Centre at Vijayanagara, India by John M. Fritz, George Michell, and M.S. Nagaraja Rao. University of Arizona Press: Tucson, AZ, 1984.
ISBN 0-8165-0927-1
- Examination of the architectural structures that suggest a connection between the ruling powers and divinity. Gives an interesting perspective on some of the structures in the capital city of the empire.
Aditi: The Living Art of India. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, D.C., 1986.
ISBN 0-87474-853
- Examination of life in India from childhood to adulthood, examining family, traditional beliefs, and folk art forms. Entirely modern, but a nice explanation of many customs and an inspiration to study further. Great pictures.
Living Sculpture: Classical Indian Culture as Depicted in Sculpture and Literature by Prabhakar V. Begde. Sagar Publications: New Delhi, 1996.
ISBN 81-7082-010-3
- This book is so useful, I don't have a single category to put it in. It covers music/musical instruments, dance, clothing, jewelry, and hairstyles. The study centers on statuary from the 8th-11th centuries. Definitely my absolute favorite "Lakshmi sourcebook".
Ancient India: Land of Mystery. Time-Life Books: Alexandria, Virginia, 1994.
ISBN 0-8094-9037-4
- This is an overview of India written for the common man, but it's pretty neat in that it looks at a number of the prominent archeological sites with some great pictures and diagrams.
The Colours of Southern India by Barbara Lloyd by AnneMarie Schimmel & Stuart Cary Welch. Thames & Hudson, Ltd.: London, 1999.
ISBN 0-500-28134-3
- A pretty, happy, artsy book about all the wonderful colors of India. It's got excellent photography and decent descriptions, covering a wide variety of colorful images that you don't see in America. A nice "feeling of India" book.
The Dance of Siva: Essays on Indian Art and Culture by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1985.
ISBN 0-486-24817-8
- A set of fairly opinionated essays on various topics in Indian art and culture - both modern and historic. I don't always agree with them, but they make me think.
Anvari's Divan: A Pocket Book for Akbar by Annemarie Schimmel and Stuart Cary Welch. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York, 1983.
ISBN 0-87099-331-3
- A book about a book from the beginning of the Mughal era - during Akbar's reign. Speaks about Akbar's reign, his influence on the arts, the art of book making, and the story of Anvari's Divan, as well as pictures of every page of the book.