T. N. Ramachandran
Encyclopedia
T.N. Ramachandran was an India
n art historian, artist, archaeologist and a Sanskrit
scholar, specialising in the study and exposition of various aspects of Indian art. He was born to Narayanan (who performed yaga and is a Sanskrit scholar) & Visalakshi (an able administrator). He was the author of several monograph
s, and was the Director General of Archaeology In India
. He conducted research and wrote extensively on various subjects during his tenure as Curator
of Archaeology at the National Museum, New Delhi.
Ramachandran and Y.D. Sharma visited Afghanistan
between May and July 1956, in order to explore and investigate the art traditions, epigraphical records and archaeological remains. During the survey, a number of sites were visited and the antiquarian remains housed in museums were also extensively studied.
Ramachandran identified images at Brhadiswara temple at Tanjore, as the earliest extant visual representation of Bharata’s karana
s. Apart from the literary evidence for the popularity of Bharata’s karanams, the dance sculptures in the temples of Tamil Nadu
prove beyond doubt that the Tamils took great pains in preserving Bharata’s style. When the Chola king Rajaraja built the Tanjore temple in the beginning of the 11th century, dance art enjoyed such a high status in society that he had the karana figures chiselled as sculptures in the first tier of the Vimana
. He has taught dancers, including Ramaa Bharadvaj, and Padma Subrahmanyam, Bharatnatyam Dancer, performing artist and scholar, who conducted extensive research on Karana sculptures, at Annamalai University
under his guidance.
Ramachandran was awarded the Padma Bhushan
in 1964. He has traveled widely all over the world, participated in international seminars, delivered lectures at the invitation of several universities, which have been published as books. He has delivered endowment lectures at many universities in India. He has many books and papers on architecture, iconography, epigraphy, numismatics and literature to his credit.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n art historian, artist, archaeologist and a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar, specialising in the study and exposition of various aspects of Indian art. He was born to Narayanan (who performed yaga and is a Sanskrit scholar) & Visalakshi (an able administrator). He was the author of several monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
s, and was the Director General of Archaeology In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He conducted research and wrote extensively on various subjects during his tenure as Curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of Archaeology at the National Museum, New Delhi.
Career
Sporadic research by Ramachandran on certain groups of antiquities at the National Museum revealed the importance of the objects, and thus made the Museum well known. Only after the formation of the Section were more detailed studies of the antiquities of the Museum undertaken. Arachnologist and student of archaeology, Frederic Henry Gravely, collaborated with Ramachandran on the scientific basis for identifying the period of metal images between 1925-1935.Ramachandran and Y.D. Sharma visited Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
between May and July 1956, in order to explore and investigate the art traditions, epigraphical records and archaeological remains. During the survey, a number of sites were visited and the antiquarian remains housed in museums were also extensively studied.
Ramachandran identified images at Brhadiswara temple at Tanjore, as the earliest extant visual representation of Bharata’s karana
Karana dance
Karanas are the 108 key transitions in the classical Indian dance described in Natya Shastra. Karana is a Sanskrit verbal noun, meaning "doing"...
s. Apart from the literary evidence for the popularity of Bharata’s karanams, the dance sculptures in the temples of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
prove beyond doubt that the Tamils took great pains in preserving Bharata’s style. When the Chola king Rajaraja built the Tanjore temple in the beginning of the 11th century, dance art enjoyed such a high status in society that he had the karana figures chiselled as sculptures in the first tier of the Vimana
Vimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
. He has taught dancers, including Ramaa Bharadvaj, and Padma Subrahmanyam, Bharatnatyam Dancer, performing artist and scholar, who conducted extensive research on Karana sculptures, at Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
under his guidance.
Ramachandran was awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1964. He has traveled widely all over the world, participated in international seminars, delivered lectures at the invitation of several universities, which have been published as books. He has delivered endowment lectures at many universities in India. He has many books and papers on architecture, iconography, epigraphy, numismatics and literature to his credit.
Personal life
Ramachandran was a tall and thin and frail man. He frequently smiled and spoke softly. He had five sons: Gurumoorthy, Suryanarayanan, Rajamani, Navaneethakrishnan and Kamal Kumar.Works
Some of T. N. Ramachandran's works include:- Buddhist Sculptures from Stupa near Goli Village, Guntur DistrictGuntur districtGuntur district is located in Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of Bay of Bengal. The district has a coastline of around 100 kilometers. Guntur City is the largest city in the district and administrative center of Guntur District. The district is a major center for learning.-Etymology:There are...
- NagapattinamNagapattinamNagapattinam is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. It is a prominent seaport on the east coast of India and an important centre of trade and commerce.The town of Nagapattinam dates back to the Sangam period...
and Other Buddhist Bronzes - Tirupparuthikundram and its Temple
- TemperaTemperaTempera, also known as egg tempera, is a permanent fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium . Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the 1st centuries AD still exist...
Painting in Sitabhinji, District Keonjhar, OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April... - History of Buddhism in the Tamil Kingdoms of South India
- The Three Main Styles of Temple Architecture Recognised by Silpa Sastras (F. H. Gravely and T. N. Ramachandran), 1934
- Catalogue of Hindu Metal Images in the Government Museum, Madras (T. N. Ramachandran and F.H Gravely), 1932