Professor M.A. Dhaky, lately Director (Emeritus) at the American Institute of Indian Studies (Center for Art and Archaeology), Gurgaon (Haryana), is a historian and researcher of ancient and medieval Indian art, architecture, and historical archaeology as also of Sanskrit and Prakrit texts that relate to the architecture of the ancient buildings. Prof. Dhaky had served at the AIIS’ Varanasi Center from August 1966, on deputation first from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat, and next, from 1974 onwards, from the L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad, where till 1987 he was posted as the Research Professor of India Art and Architecture.
Among his publications are the short and long monographs and papers. Chapters to the volumes of the Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture, and many research articles in English, Gujarati, and in Hindi. Basides archaeological and art historical themes, he also wrote on the history and chronology of ancient and medieval Jaina literature (including the agamas, their commentaries, and ancient and medieval hymns in Sanskrit and early Gujarati) as well as had determined the dates of the famous authors of Nirgrantha-darsana/Jainism just as those of literary works. Moreover, he has published articles and papers involving criticism and interpretation of art, architecture, as also those related to musicology, horiticulture, and gemology. Altogether, these writing number over 310. He also has participated in several national and international seminars and delivered lectures in a few prestigious lecture series. He is also an external referee for the Ph.D. of the Universities of Gujarat, Baroda, Poona, and Mysore and had been an advisor for Ph.D. students of history of Indian art of the London and Berlin universities.
He is recipient of several awards and honours; the ‘Kumara’ silver medal (Ahmedabad 1974), silver plaque with citation from the Archaeological Research Society, Porbandar (Porbandar 1974), an award of the Prakrta Jnanabharati, Bangalore (Bangalore 1993), the Campbell Memorial Gold Medal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay (Bombay 1994), the Hemacandracarya Award from Jaswanta Dharmarth Trust, Delhi (Delhi 1997), and an award with gold medal from Hemacandracarya Nidhi, (Ahmedabad 1999). He also got silver plaques, each with citation (Varanasi 1996 and Delhi 1998) from the American Institute of Indian Studies and the R.C. Parikh gold madal from the Gujarat Itihas Parishad, Ahmedabad (2007). Ranjitram Gold Medal, Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, Ahmedabad (Ahmedabad 2011); Silver plaque, Jain elibrary, U.S.A., (Ahmedabad 2011); Cash award, Jain elibrary, U.S.A., (Ahmedabad 2011); National Award of Padma Bhushan by the President of Indian (New Delhi 2010).
As earlier had been planned, this Volume was to appear in print five years ago. However, my preoccupations with other urgencies, and priorities did not allow sufficient time to modify and revise the bulk of articles and papers to be compiled as the further advances in knowledge necessitated: moreover, the printing errors in earlier versions had to be rectified just as English had be revised at place. And next followed a period of illness, which lasted for over four years. The writing in this compilation cover period of over three decades, appear as they did in various journals, seminar proceeding volumes, as also a few felicitatory and commemorative volumes. The particulars concerning the original source of publication, of each article, with short observational comments wherever needed, is also included. Their details are given hereunder. The only unpublished paper, included here is No. 5, “The Date of the Lohanipur Jina Torso.”
1. “Arhat Parsand Dharanendra Nexus: An Introductory Estimation,” Arhat Parsva and Dharanendra Nexus, Ed. M.A. Dhaky, Delhi 1997.
2. “Arhat Parsva and Dharanendra in Hymnic Literature,” Arhat Parsva and Dharanendra Nexus, Ed. M.A. Dhaky, Delhi 1997.
3. “Urjayatgiri and Jina Aristanemi,” Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, (NS), Vol. XI, Calcutta 1980.
4. “The Jina Image and the Nirgrantha Agamic and Hymnic Imagery”, The Shastric Tradition in Indian Art, Ed Anna Dallapiccola, Volume I, Heidelberg 1989.
5. “The Date of the Lohanipur Jina Torso’.’ (Unpublished)
6. The ‘Camara-Pratiharya’ in Southern Nirgrantha Representation,” Festschrift Klaus Bruhn, Nalini Balbir et al, Reinbek 1994.
7. “New sources on the ‘Genesis Myth’ of Yaksi Ambika,” Sudarsana (A Commemoration Volume of B.R.Gopal), Eds. S. Ritti and K.V. Ramesh, Dharwad 1998.
8. “Modhera, Modha-vamsa, Modha-gaccha and Modha-caityas,” Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, Vols. 56-59/1981-84 (combined), (NS), 1986.
9. “Mahavira of Satyapura in Historical Perspective”, Sambodhi, Ahmedabad, Vol. XXVIII, 2005. 10. “Santara Sculpture,” Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, Calcutta, (NS), Vol. IV (1971-72).
11. “Jaina Sculptures in Harsur Temple,” Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, Vol. 73 (NS), 1998.
12. “A Note on the Older Parts of the Annigeri Temple,” Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, Vol. 76, (NS), 2001.
13. “Ganga Jaina Sculpture,” Aspects of Jaina Art and Architecture, Eds., U.P. Shah and M.A. Dhaky, Ahmedabad 1975
14. “ArchitecturalData inthe Nirvanakalika of Padalipta Suri,” Sambodhi, Ahmedabad, Vol. 3, No. 1, April 1974.
15. “The Vimala Period Sculptures in Vimala-Vasahi,” Aspects of Jainology: Vol. II, Pt. Bechardas Doshi Commemoration Volume, Eds. M.A. Dhaky and Sagarmal Jain, Varanasi 1987.
16. “The Tirthas of Parsvanatha in Gujarat,” Arhat Parsva and Dharanendra Nexus, Ed. M.A. Dhaky, Delhi 1997.
17. “The Jaina Architecture and Iconography in the Vastusastras of Western India,” (Jointly with Prabhashankar O. Sompura), Aspects of Jaina Art and Architecture, Eds. U.P. Shah and M.A. Dhaky, Ahmedabad 1975.
18. “The Creed-Affiliation of Samiddhesvara temple in Chitaudgadh,” Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art Calcutta, (NS), Vol. XIV, 1984-85.
19. “a Propos of the Image of Jina Rsabha with Nami and Vinami on Satrunjaya-Giri,” Aspects of India Art and Cultue, S.K. Saraswati Commoration Volume, Eds. J. Chakrabarty et al, Calcutta 1983.
20. “The Western Indian Pilgrim Notices of the Jaina Sacred Places of South Indian,” Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society, Hyderabad, Vol. XXXVIII, Pt.2, N. Venkataramanaya Commemoration Volume, Hyderabad 1986.
21. “The Belgolian Bahubali and Western Indian Notices,” Gommatesvara Commemoration Volume, Sravanabelgola 1981.
22. “The Nagabandha and the Pancanga-Vira Ceiling,” Sambodhhi, Ahmedabad, Volume 4, Nos. 3-4, 1975-76.
N.B. The paper No.4, originally read the Hieldberg Seminar, was limited to the number of pages the organizers had decided and the number of plates included there was only 10. In the present enlarged version, the photo-illustrations are 30 which consequence in the augmentation of the text.
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