Brijbasi Art Press Ltd.

So much so has been read written and heard about the Taj and yet when faced with its ethereal beauty, you could never cease to wonder could the hands of mortals create such an eternal signature of love. If a dream could find an expression, it would surely be the Taj Mahal. This beautifully produced book bring out the beauty of this monument of love with some astonishing photographs of the exteriors and the details of the exquisite pietra dura inlay work of the interiors not seen before.

• Khajuraho is an obscure little village in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It would have remained so if not for its group of marvellous temples, chiselled by the finest craftsmen. Though it is a little known fact that eroticism forms a very small proportion of the entire sculptural genius, these temples remain famous for this very theme.
• And if you have ever wondered, why eroticism on such places on sanctity, why on earth so far away from civilization, this book is an insight to what Khajuraho is all about. Brimming with photographs, especially shot to capture the unusual facets of the temples, it gives information on the temple architecture, distinguishing details of each of the temples, peppered with a historical background.
• At the heart of the book is an in-depth look into the religious and social backdrop that inspired such bold and uninhibited representation of erotica. A vivid illustration points to the surviving architectural high points to the surviving architectural high points that you must visit. A true legacy in stone, you have to see it to believe it.

• Situated in the heart of Central India, the eleventh century temples of Khajuraho rank amongst the architectural marvels of the world. The temples display a sculptural exuberance which qualitatively and quantitatively excels any other centre of monumental art in India. The book attempts to analyse the art of Khajuraho in its historical and cultural perspective.
• But Khajuraho is perhaps best known for its erotic art. The mystery of the erotic theme has also been explored, and various scholarly theories have been brilliantly examined by the author.
• A distinguished scholar of Indian art, archaeology and architecture, Krishna Deva has distilled his decades of research and study into a lucid and detailed text. Darshan Lall, a specialist in sculptural and archaeological photography, has captured the sublime images of Khajuraho.

• Because of its unique geographical location and divergent climatic conditions, India has a huge variety of wildlife in fact, the second largest diversity of life forms found in any single country of the world.
• It is this richness of varied and fascinating fauna that is explored in the book. The author and photographer have spent many years in the snow ranges, the valleys, the deserts and jungles of India to gather a wealth of material, including several thousand photographs. From this, they have culled out a definitive and detailed account of the lifestyle and behavioural pattern of a large variety of animals and birds. Rare pictures show the hatching of a King Cobra, the birth of a baby gharial and a combat between a camel and lions.
• Rajesh Bedi’s internationally acclaimed photographs and Ramesh Bedi’s erudite text are supplemented by an index and reference guides with maps.

• The weather-scarred moonscape of Ladakh leaves an indelible impression on all those who visit it. Equally memorable are the sturdy colourful people, and their many monuments to their faith: the monasteries, the chortens, the stone walls and prayer flags. Situated amidst high mountains, Ladakh lay on the southern spur of the great Silk Route from Central Asia, but the influences in most of Ladakh were dominantly Tibetan.
• Rajesh Bedi’s stunning photography vividly captures many aspects of this enchanting and mysterious area the faces, the costumes, the homes, the monasteries, and above all, the haunting magic of its landscape.
• Ramesh Bedi’s text is a lucidly written and deeply understanding interpretation of the history, culture and present day life of Ladakh.

Banaras one of the oldest cities in the world, it is also many things to many people. To Hindus, it is the ultimate pilgrimage, the City of Salvation and Light washed by the holy waters of the river Ganga. But this city of Shiva has other facets too history, culture, festivals.

Rajesh Bedi’s photographs capture the many faces of Banaras in a series of subtle and eloquent frames, revealing rare glimpses of worship at the Vishwanatha Temple and aerial views of the city. The pictures are complemented by John Keay’s lively yet sensitive text, which not only interprets Banaras in its religious context but also evokes the essence of the city.

• For thousands of years, the Sadhus the ascetic holy men of the Hindu religion have played their role in society, and yet remained aloof from it. Sadhus form a culture of their own. But the world of the Hindu ascetic is a closed one, impenetrable to the outsider. For the first time, this world is presented in a book.
• Rajesh Bedi has had to photograph for several years to assemble this powerful and impressive pictorial collection. The book brings to life the secret world of the Sadhu their initiation rites, the markings of the different sects, the complex symbology of colours, their methods of ascetic penance. Bedi also captures moments from the Kumbh Mela, one of the most gigantic religious festivals known to mankind.
• The text offers an insiders’s interpretation of the impulse and life of the Sadhu. Written with depth and insight, it is a lucid yet profound account of the tradition and the continuing importance of the Sadhus.

A collection of 23 articles, the book provides unusual insights into India her diversity, her heritage, her lifestyles. Art and agriculture, music and dance, medicine and cinema, rural India and city India, are some of the aspects that highlight the plurality of the country and the vitality and strength of her living traditions.

There are fascinating glimpses of the profuse variety of Indian food, and of women artists who are shaping contemporary art in India; subjects as far apart as wildlife and crafts illustrate the essentially holistic Indian experience. This is an India that tourists do not always see, brought to life vividly by a range of eminent Indian authors (including Pupul Jayakar, Manohar Malgaonkar and Shalini Holkar) and distinguished photographers.

• The enchanting Himalayan land of Sikkim has often been called “the last Shangri-la”. Its abundance of rivers and lakes and its moist air give it a lush, strangely tropical look and make it the habitat of varied fauna and exotic flowers. Its gentle people are predominantly Buddhist; and its famed monasteries are the repositories of not only art treasures but centuries of belief.
• Rajesh Bedi’s photographs capture the essence of Sikkim the faces, the monks, the Buddhist images, the mysterious rituals of the masked dances, the flowers of the lush countryside, and above all the towering and majestic peaks of Kanchenzonga.
• The text, by Pushpesh Pant and AshaRani Mathur, ably supplements the pictures to give the reader glimpses of Sikkim, its history, its life and people.

From the Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world, to a coastline washed by three seas, India is a land of dynamic diversity; in its landscapes, its people and its cultural patterns. This book brings alive India’s infinite variety through a knowledgeably written text and pictures by some of the country’s finest photographers.

Together they capture the many facets of this land through a series of arresting and illuminating images such as one might see through a kaleidoscope. Each chapter, each picture brings to life one of the many faces of India, combining to create a fascinating picture of an intriguingly complex country.

India’s wild wonders captures the essence of the life and work of two India’s most celebrated wildlife photographers. It is an anthology that offers a priceless selection of pictures taken over twenty two years by Rajesh Bedi, accompanied by a first hand account of life in India’s many splendoured forests by his brother Naresh Bedi, who has an international reputation as India’s leading wildlife film maker.

This book reflects a lifetime’s study of animals, birds and reptiles in their natural habitat. It offers rare glimpses of animal behaviour and records the life cycle of several animals for the very first time.

The hatching of gharial (long snouted crocodile) eggs on the sandy banks of Chambal River, in the bandit infested ravines of central India, the rearing of the young by the elusive, rarely seen whistling wild dogs; an overly dependant six month of tiger cub suckling at his mother’s teats with her newly born cubs; a tigeress eating the flesh of a panther that it killed in ferocious encounter; these are some of the many extraordinary photographs that make ‘India’s Wild Wonders’ a unique volume.

• The great tradition of Indian bronze sculpture stretches back into pre history to the Indus Valley civilization. In the hands of the Indian artist, bronze was a very moving medium, capable of many expressions. For the first time a single volume brings together masterpieces drawn from different areas and schools through the centuries, showing the astonishing range and versatility of this tradition.
• Ten eminent authors, each an authority in his field, unfold the glory of the Indian bronze tradition through different periods from 2500 BC to the seventeenth century AD. An overview is provided in the introduction by Karl Khandalavala, eminent art historian and scholar. The photographs, many specially commissioned for the book, include hitherto-unpublished examples from Museums and temples. One reviewer has described the book as “a quantal leap in Indian publishing”.
• Meant for the connoisseur and the lay reader alike, this book is sure to enhance appreciation of this magnificent heritage.

Francesco D’Orazi Flavoni has made tryst with this fascinating community. He followed them up in the Rann of Kutch to capture their precious life situations and delightful forms and expression. Of hundred pictures, with which this book is adorned, there are several masterpieces which speak highly of Flavoni, the Artist. Flavoni’s genius for transposing visual impressions of a photographer into words and thoughts of a scholar is reflected best in the descriptions written with enormous artistic sensitivity.

Flavoni’s work ‘Rabari a pastoral community of Kutch’ is unencumbered by ethnography. It serves as a valuable introduction to what we call at the IGNCA ‘Loka Parampara’, peoples tradition. As a picture book it is an art-work of very high quality, and as a descriptive material it is a new and fresh exposition of lifestyle, insightful and a pleasure to read.

• Almost all existing books on Indian birds are either bulky ornithological treatises or small handbooks and field guides with descriptions and notes which rely heavily on line drawings or colour sketches for illustration. Many of these are reprints of the works of old naturalists, originally written at least a half century ago. There are only a couple of recent books that have been illustrated with photographs, but these are dedicated to particular habitats or areas.
• Over the past decade or so, nature photography has taken great strides and several Indian photo naturalists have produced work of high quality. There is now much greater scope for illustrating natural history publication more accurately and with more life than ever before, using photographs.
• The book we are presenting is just one such step in this direction. It is primarily a portfolio of bird pictures, selected from the work of a dedicated photo-naturalist, Lt. Gen. R. K. Gaur, PVSM (Retd). Gen Gaur’s main passion is to observe and document birds as birds, living creatures rather than sets of biological and statistical data. The author has largely avoided repeating basic data and figures about anatomy, measurements, and other biological details that can be obtained from any handbook or compendium. His light and eminently readable narrative takes the reader into the fascinating realm of bird life. Yet, his writing clearly reflects a naturalist’s concern, based on years of painstaking observation.

• Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Modi, a scholar of eminence truly and deeply involved in the Vedic philosophy, respecting our age old Rishis and Munis. His concept of religion is clear and is not dogmatised by the unexplained myths in Hinduism. Thus, his ideas incorporated in this book may find new chapters combining rightfulness of religion to science, logically explaining in simple terms the complexities of Hinduism without hampering its depth.
• One would surely appreciate that with the modern discoveries by scientists, so called legends in Hindu concept are becoming a reality proving that Hinduism was not only a religion but much more versatile in concept and a way of life. The true Hindu does not discard and faith but respects it as much as he respects his own, the real and practical meaning of secularism which can only be achieved by understanding religion and not ignoring it.
• Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Modi had countless opportunities to discuss these ideas with eminent people in the religious world. His audiences were even the heads of other States and many Prime Ministers speak of his genuine efforts in promoting the novel concept of presenting to the modern world the reality of religion, which is, for oneness and for peaceful coexistence backed by scientific explanations, perfectly maintaining the sanctity of Hinduism or any other religion of the world.
• Dr. Modi is the Executive President of the World Buddhist Cultural Foundation and holds responsible positions in many other religious, social, educational, commercial and scientific institutions and organisations of the world.

• The Ajanta Caves, with their compelling architecture, their outstanding high reliefs and sculptures, the remarkable richness and variety of the canopies and profusion of the shafts of their carved columns, are universally admired for the beauty of their paintings.
• These paintings, which decorate the walls, the columns, the door frames, the ceilings, illustrate, in a very detailed and precise fashion, about thirty Avadana, or Jataka extracted from the vast body of tales, poems and ballads, sanctified and edifying tales attributed to the Buddha who, it is said, narrated them to his disciples. These tales relate the history of the various incarnations of the Blessed one.