Prof. Dr. Adalbert J. Gail, Freie Universität Berlin

Tuesday, May 15, 12:30 PM, Room 337, Celetná 20

Mathura, south of Delhi, can rightfully be called the cradle of North Indian art. In the same way can Māmallapuram, south of Chennai, be taken as the cradle of South Indian /Dravidian art and architecture.

My lecture will discuss the most important caves (maṇḍapa), the monolithic temples (ratha), one of the greatest bas-reliefs in Asia, and the beginnings of structural temples (vimāna) documented by the famous Shore Temple.

A glance at the Kailāsanātha at Kāñcipuram and the Vaikuṇṭha Perumal will function as a bridge to Cola art (9th to 12th century CE) that will form the subject of a later lecture.