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STONE – WORK, ART, ARCHITECTURE, STYLE AND DATING ININDIAN CONTEXTK. V. Ramakrishna Rao,
B.Sc., M.A., A. M. I. E., C.Eng (I)., B. L.,
 Independent ResearcherGeneral Secreatary, Bharatiya ItihasaSankalana Samiti (Tamilnadu)25 (Old.9), Venkatachala Iyer Street,West Mambalam, Chennai – 600 033.Phone: 98402 92065 (Mobile).e-mail: kopallerao@yahoo.co.uk
1. Introduction
: Ancient Indians have had their Standard books, Manuals and WorkingInstructions since Vedic period (c.12,500-3,500 BCE)
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for Art and Architecture. Theyhave produced crores of monuments throughout the ancient India or Bharat (outsideand beyond the 1947-India). At one period, definitely, throughout the world, Indiandomination was there or the ancient Indians were living. Donald A. Mackanzie
2
,Waddell
3
and others have provided enormous amount of evidences to this effect. Whenthe Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Arabic and European (all categories) truth-seekers,travellers and others heard about India and came to witness the splendour of India inall aspects, the dating of Indian monuments after them appears to be artificial. That
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Different authorities place Vedas to various dates ranging from 12,500 BCE to 3.500 BCE. Inany case, as Vedas pre-date, IVC, the interpretation would be made accordingly. The westernscholars have been biased in dating the Vedas, as they have shifted their stands many times,only with an aim to reduce the chronology rather than coming to such revised dates after acritical or professional study.Boghas Koi inscription dated to 14
th
cent. BCE records about a treaty signed between theMittanis and the Hittites, in which the Vedic Gods Mitrasil (Mitra), Arunasil (Aruna), Indar(Indra) and Nasattya (the twin) are mentioned along with Teshup and Hepa, their gods.The names of the Mittani Kings are strikingly Indian - Sutarna I (good sun), Paratarna I (GreatSun), Parashukshatra (Ruler with axe), Saukshatra (Son of Sukshatra, the Good Ruler),Paratarna II, Artatama or Ritadhama (Abiding in Cosmic law), Sutrana II, Dashratha, Mtivajaor Matiwazza (whose wealth is prayer).This evidence is given to prove the prevalence of Vedic people beyond 1947-India and also toshow how illogical and unhistorical any attempt to date Vedas after 1500 BCE!
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Donald A. Mackanzie,
Pre-Christian Buddhism in UK and Ireland 
, Blackie & Son Ltd, UK,1928.………………, Pre-Columbian America,
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Waddel, History of the World
 
 2the Europeans wanted to find a sea-route to India is a different story, as it has somany mathematical, astronomical and scientific implications
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. When the travellersvisited, they were mainly astonished, bewildered and dumb-folded to see thearchitectural and monumental magnificence of India.In between, there had been the Iconoclast invasions and rule of Mohammedans, inwhich lakhs of Indian monuments suffered heavily. They destroyed lakhs of monuments, demolished equally the places of worship, mutilated Idols and sculptures,used parts of the temples for construction of mosques and of course, they convertedtemples themselves into mosques, by retaining the structure but demolishing Idols andsculptures. They did not study or analyze the features of monuments, but consideredas the representations of Satan and hence faithfully demolished.However, the European recordings differ because of their level of understanding, biasand prejudice
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. Here, their psyche worked with religious and racial superioritycomplex. The Europeans – Portuguese, Danish, French and British tried their best toenter India. With manipulations, they succeeded to establish their factories first andthen power-centres. When they started studying Indian material and non-materialculture, tradition, heritage etc., they too behaved like their predecessors.The British were so astonished about the Stone Art of India that the British Architectstook so much interest. In 1883 William Simpson
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read a paper “
 Architecture in theHimalayas
” before the members of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in whichhe brought to notice that most of the houses in the hill country between the Sutlajand the Ganges valley were built of wood and stone; timber being used in alternatelayers to bind the courses of stone together.
 2. Stone
: The different ancient Indian books on Architecture, their authors andapproximately assignable dates (provisional) are tabulated as follows:
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The Longitude problem exposes the claim of European sailors going to different places byships and reaching their destinations. And of course, the transmission of Indian sciences tothe European scientists.
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Partha Mitter,
The Much Maligned Monsters
,
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Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Session 1882-1883.William Simpson,
Origin and Mutation in Indian and Eastern Architecture
, IndianArchitecture, Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects, 1891.
 
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Name of the work / book Author Date assigned provisionalVedas Compilation c.12,500-3,500 BCEStapatyavedaStaring with Brahma,Viswakarma and others.c.3,500-1,500 BCEVastu Satram Upaveda of Atharvana Veda c.1000 BCEVasistha c.500 BCENagnatjit(his work is referred to byVarahamihira)Before 6
t
cent.CEBrihat Samhita Varahamihira 5
th
cent.CEManasara Do Gupta period4
th
-5
th
centuriesVishnu Dhamothatharam 7
t
to 9
t
centuriesHeyasirsha PancharatramVaikanasa AgamamMayamata Mayan. 10
t
– 11
t
centuries CESilparatnaCitra-lakshanaNaganajitcitralakshananagnavrataNagnajit An authority of Indian arts.Samarangana Sutradhara Raja Bhoja of Dhar 11
t
century CEAparajita PricchaPratimalakshnamSadhanamalaDastalanyagrodhaparimandalaBuddhapratimalakshnanamaAll translated from theoriginal Sanskrit works intoTibetan, but, the originalswere reportedly lost.Sambuddhabhasitapratimalakshnavivaranana 
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