Publisher's Synopsis
In "Landscapes in India", landscape architecture professor Amita Sinha shows that landscapes can be read like languages, as arrangements of symbols that reveal cultural values. South Asian landscapes -- rich with formalised symbols, from the Cosmic Tree in Buddhist landscapes to cities patterned on mandalas -- offer a training ground for reading landscapes everywhere. Sinha introduces readers to significant sacred and secular landscapes in South Asia, identifying archetypal forms that have evolved over millennia in both the built environment and in open spaces. Exploring the interface between nature, culture, and built landscape, she traces the meaning of these forms as manifested in Indic mythology and literature. According to Sinha, landscape symbols express all that a culture holds dear and externalise deeply felt emotions -- of security, kinship, and relationship with the divine. Architects, landscape architects, and planners will rely on this beautifully illustrated book's elucidation of archetypal forms and how they co-evolve with nature and culture. "Landscapes in India" also offers fresh perspectives for travellers and readers interested in geography, anthropology, and religion. Heavily illustrated, including a 48-page colour insert.
