For the major part of my research during the last sixty years, my devotion was directed toward the study of Buddhist and Jaina art and iconography interspersed with my attention to Islamic culture as expressed through epigraphy and numismatics. In all these studies, however, Hindu, i.e., Brahmanic, iconography was not altogether left out, as Hindu iconography was undeniably the main stem of the two heterodox offshoots of religion. Given this situation, it was naturally felt that an exclusive study and exposition of Hindu images of the pantheon remained a desideratum and deserves to be taken up with all serious attention. It is this urge that, at the fag end of my research career, impelled me to make an
attempt here to fulfill that desideratum at least with some select concepts. In this field, however, as is well-known, there have been stalwarts of scholars like B.C. Bhattacharya, J.N. Banerji, Stella Kramrisch, Gopinath Rao, and a host of others whose legacy remains as a pioneer contribution and a basis for all future attempts to delve into this field. It is, therefore, no ambition to break any very new ground but only to bring to the for some select concepts that deserve to be so treated. In doing so, I am inclined to all humility to say in the words of VarÈhamihira :
Yadvistarena kathitam munibhistadasmin
sarvam maya nigaditam punaruktavarjam |
srutvapi kokilarutam balibhugvirauti
yat tat svabhavakrtamasya pikam na jetum ||
"What is said (i.e., written) in detail by the sages (i.e., earlier scholars) that all is said (laid down) (in this work) except those that are repetitions, (just as) the crow cries only according to its habit
even after hearing the (sweet) chirpings of the cuckoo, but not to over-ride the latter.› If in this endeavor, however, a new approach or some new material is discerned by connoisseurs, it will be surely to their credit. What is to be humbly stated further in presenting the work is that it is only some chosen gleanings that have been included here from among the more popular and more important concepts out of the vast storehouse of Hindu images. Before concluding it is my pleasure to thank all those, my family, the museums whose holdings have been utilized, my close friends, and last but not least the publisher Messrs. Bharatiya Kala
Prakashan, Delhi, and the photo studios - who all have directly or indirectly helped and encouraged this humble effort leading to its fruition.
A.K. BHATTACHARYYA
Budh Purnima
30th April 2018
