CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

The site of Sarnath is identified as the place where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon. The excavated site has foundations of monastic dwellings, temples, and stupas. The collection covers structures within the excavated site. Excavations at Sarnath reveal that the oldest levels date to the Marurya period to the reign of Ashoka. The site contains the famous lion-capital memorial pillar from 3rd century BCE along with stupas from Gupta and Pala periods.

Archaeological Site, Kumrahar, Bihar

The Center for Art & Archaeology has a large repertoire of manually made measured architectural drawings, created through several documentation programs of the Center. Some of the earliest drawings were made in 1966 when the Center started its first project of surveying and documenting the historical buildings, particularly temple architecture of India. The types of architectural drawings housed in the archives of the CA & A include maps, site plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, mouldings and individual drawings of specific architectural components. The maps depict political regions of various dynasties of the subcontinent. All the drawings that are part of the above collection are made by the Center’s draftsmen who visited each of these sites and buildings, measured and created about 10,000 drawing including 6000 hand-drawn measured sketches.

Ariancoupam, Baroque Architecture, Pondicherry

Arthumkal, Baroque Architecture, Kerala

At the Arunajatesvara temple in Tiruppanandal, a female Asuri, Tatakai is said to have adored the Lord with garlands every day. So the temple is also called Tiruttatakai Isvaram. Sambandar and Appar have sung the glory of the Lord at this place. One of the Saiva saints associated with this place is Kungiliyak-kalaya Nayanar (one of the sixty-three Nayanars) of Tirukkadavur who served the Lord by burning incense before Him. His wife was driven to poverty by his self-sacrificial behaviour but the Lord was so impressed by his single-minded devotion that he raised a mansion for his devotee. This miracle is said to have wrought here. Another miracle associated with this place is that the Lord had turned His face to one eye to save Tatakai’s modesty while accepting a garland offered by her. Only Kungiliyak-Kalaya Nayanar could restore the Lord to his original position. The present structure of the temple seems to belong to the days of Prantaka I (907 – 954 CE). There are two inscriptions of the twenty-ninth year of Parantaka I. Reference: S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1966, pp.178-179.