Buddhist Monasteries in H P by Handa

BUDDHIST MONASTERIES IN HIMACHAL PRADESH. By O. C. Handa, Pp. 216, 37 plates, 54 sketches, 1987. (Indus Publishing Co., New Delhi, Rs. 150).
This book is a detailed study of the Buddhist monastries in Himachal Pradesh, a historical record from ancient India to medieval Renaissance, and to modern transformation.

The author has divided the romantic centres of Himachal Pradesh into four valleys.

The author starts from Lahul Valley where Buddhism must have entered around the 2nd century A.D. The Vajravarahi temple, Trilokinath temple, Guru Ghantal monastery have all the common link of carvings of the same era. The present structure is a fascinating monument of Hinduism and Buddhism through the ages.

Lahul monasteries adopt the Tibetan construction technique marked by flat roofs and sun dried brick walls. But in the layout they follow the ancient Indian scheme as a matter of tradition.

Spiti valley has seven monastrics which profess the unreformed form of Lamaism, the Nyingmapa order. There are 21 monastries belonging to the Ge-Lug-Pa order. The author studies each in great depth, about the structure layout, comparison with Tibetan and Indian temples. Well drawn sketches accompany each section.

Satluj valley: This is the Kinnaur region, narrated in the Indian epics and Puranas. Here the Buddhist influence can be seen on the demoanical Kinnaur dieties.

In Kinnaur, the primitive deities are propitiated and the Mahanayanist pantheon worshipped by all. This region is a socio-economic divide between the Buddhist Tibet and the Brahmanic India.

Beas valley: It was till the 9th century that Buddhism thrived here, then the Brahamanism held sway again in the 14th century Lamaism found its way, and the most prominent example is of Rawalsar.

The explanation of a minor structure like chorten, its significance, are in details with diagrams. Further chapters explain the educational, social economical and political aspects of this region. The architectural development with local construction technique is studied in detail.

The monastic art makes interesting and knowledgeable reading about the paintings in thanks, the motifs, and the different types of casting and carving of statues.

This history of this the Western Himalayan region is well preserved in minute details by O.C. Handa in this book.

Geeta Kapadia