Publication Announcement

[Ganesan]

Dear Indology List members,

I am glad to announce the release of a new book on behalf of the 
French Institute of Pondicherry: 
Diptagama. Tome 1. Chapitres 1 à 21. Edition critique Marie-Luce 
Barazer-Billoret, Bruno Dagens et Vincent Lefèvre avec la 
collaboration de S. Sambandha Sivacarya, Publications du
département 
d'indologie 81.1, IFP, 2004, vi, 449 p., Rs. 600.
Languages: Sanskrit, French
As stated in the IFP's web page, <http://www.ifpindia.org/pubs.html> 
this book, like the other Indological publications of the IFP, is 
distributed by Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi.
Please find below a summary of the book and author-blurb.
With best wishes 
T. Ganesan

Summary
The Diptâgama is a Sanskrit shaiva treatise pertaining to the 
Saivasiddhânta religious system. It deals mainly with the 
installation of images of gods in Siva temples: installation rituals 
(pratistha), iconography, iconometry and architecture. It was 
hitherto unpublished and the present critical edition (to be 
published in 3 volumes) is based upon several manuscripts belonging 
to the collection of the French Institute, Pondicherry. This first 
volume deals especially with mantras and temple architecture as well 
as with numerous iconographical descriptions and with the 
installation of Sivalinga in the temple (Lingapratistha). The 
Sanskrit text is printed in Nagari script with copious critical 
apparatus. There is an Introduction and a detailed chapterwise 
summary (in French).
Keywords: agamas; iconography; saivism; Sanskrit; temple
About the editors
Marie-Luce Barazer-Billoret (senior lecturer, Université
Paris-III), 
specialist of southern shaivism, has authored several contributions 
and, together with B. Dagens, a translation of the Rauravâgama
(2000, 
Prix Bordin) and recently a book on Shiva (2004).

Bruno Dagens (Professor emer., Université Paris III), translator
of 
Mayamatam has published numerous works about the Indian Temple in 
South and Southeast Asia.

Vincent Lefèvre (PhD., curator at the Musée Guimet, Paris)
teaches 
Indian art and archaeology at the Ecole du Louvre and is part of a 
collaboration project with the museums of Bangladesh.

S. Sambandhan Sivacarya a pandit and acting temple officiating 
priest, is attached to the French Institute since 1969.