Aryan Books

FROM CHUNAR TO VARANASI-SARNATH: Stone Art, Artisans and Workshops in the Sacred Landscapes of the Middle Ganga Plain

By :- Vidula Jayaswal

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Type: English

Pages: 160

Format: Hard Bound

ISBN-13: 978-81-7305-747-2

Edition: 1st

Publisher: ARYAN BOOKS INTERNATIONAL

Size: 16cm x 24cm

Product Year: 2026

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From Chunar to Varanasi–Sarnath explores the remarkable stone-carving tradition of the Middle Ganga Plain – one of the great centres of sculptural art in ancient India. Drawing upon recent archaeological discoveries in the Chunar hills and the Vindhyan region, the book reconstructs the complete journey of sandstone: from quarry extraction to transportation, and finally to the chiselling of icons in major carving centres and shilpa-grams.

Rare signatures of quarrymen, inscriptions of artisans and patrons, and material evidence from workshop sites together illuminate the human network behind some of India's most celebrated masterpieces, including the Lion Capital (India's National Emblem) and the iconic Buddha images of Sarnath. By integrating new field data with earlier scholarship, the volume offers fresh perspectives on major questions – such as the making of Ashokan pillars, the evolution of carving styles, and the organisation and production capacity of sculptural workshops.

Scholarly yet accessible, this study will interest students of archaeology and art history, as well as all readers drawn to the material and artistic foundations of India's civilizational heritage.

Preface

List of Figures

1. Introduction

2. The Sculptural Wealth of Sarnath

3. Ancient Stone Quarries of Chunar

4. The Stone Carving Workshops of Varanasi–Sarnath

5. Mundeshwari: Monument–Cum–Workshop Site

6. The Artisans at Quarry and Workshop

Bibliography

Index

Professor Vidula Jayaswal is a distinguished archaeologist and former faculty member of Banaras Hindu University, where she served for over four decades. Later, she held the prestigious Prof. R. C. Sharma Chair of Archaeology and Art History at Jñāna-Pravāha, Varanasi.

A recipient of several scholarships and fellowships, she received specialised training in archaeology and anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Jayaswal has conducted extensive archaeological and ethno-archaeological field research and has authored more than twenty books and numerous research articles. Her work is widely recognised for its original contributions to Indian prehistory, ethno-archaeology, and the interpretation of historical-period remains of the Middle Ganga Plain.

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