Alka Pande Book order

Description 'The freedom and beauty of the green outdoors-soft beds of grass and ferns; the caress of the breeze; the scent of flowers; birdsong and moonlight-inflame desire in the nayak (hero) and the nayika (heroine) in ancient and medieval Indian art and literature... Whether the nayak and nayika be mortals or gods, love is always erotic, and its most beautiful expression happens in the lap of nature, as the lovers give themselves to each other without inhibition beneath the open sky.' In this exquisite book, one of India's most respected authorities on art, aesthetics and pre-modern sexuality brings us images that celebrate erotic love in the outdoors. With a brilliant introduction providing the context, she has put together glorious visual evidence of the freedom that lovers once enjoyed in South Asia.

'Until recent centuries―when Indian society turned prudish and hypocritical―the sexual sensibilities of society were derived from the kamashastras, which give sexuality pride of place in human experience... And in the kamashastras, it appears that adultery is considered almost a prerequisite for good, uninhibited sex that satisfies both partners.' In this delightfully mischievous book, a celebrated scholar of Indian art, aesthetics and sexuality brings us a selection of images from pre-modern India of men and women engaged in sex that is most probably adulterous: married men and women―and courtesans―having quick or leisurely secret liaisons. With a brilliant introduction providing the context, Alka Pande gives us thrilling visual evidence of secret, subversive love.

'The Nayika in her different moods animates ancient and medieval art, poetry and drama... Her desire for physical union with the lover is as strong as her anguish due to separation from him. Her passion is both generous and intense; she knows how to give pleasure, and she knows how to take it.' In this lovely book, a celebrated scholar of Indian art, aesthetics and pre-modern sexuality presents a selection of images that show the Nayika―the ideal romantic heroine of classical Indian literature.

Phallic symbolism is one of the oldest and most prevalent motifs in religion, culture and art: the earliest known representations go back to prehistoric times. Starting off as a symbol of fertility, the phallus has gone through numerous interpretations in the way it is perceived, and its symbolic significance varies across cultures as well. In the west, the erotic symbolism of the phallus is often emphasized, whereas in India, the most widely seen representation of the phallus is religious, in the form of the lingam, associated with Shiva. Pha(bu)llus draws on the intricate network of ideas and beliefs regarding the phallus to present a fascinating look at the most obsessed-with body part in human history.

Featuring illustrations from museums worldwide, this book offers a captivating exploration of India's most treasured artistic masterpieces. It showcases the rich diversity and cultural significance of Indian art, highlighting its historical context and the skill of its creators.

Shringara is a metaphor of love in its various expressions including the spiritual dimension. Shringara is equally an aesthetic that explores the pleasure of being the lover and exuberance for the beloved, who is also manifestly the divine. Shringara journeys as the king of rasas through forms that bind the ancient to the modern. The book presents a multidisciplinary interpretation through poetry, painting, architecture, visual arts and brings alive the joy of beauty. Adorned with illustrations, myriad representations that seek to capture the essence of the rasa, Shringara will take you into the known and the unknown.