C. Sivarama Murti
Encyclopedia
C. Sivaramamurti or Calambur Sivaramamurti, (1909–1983) was an eminent art historian and Sanskrit
scholar. His entire life has been devoted to the study and exposition of various aspects of Indian art
. Author of several monographs, he has surveyed the panorama of Indian art as archaeologist, numismatist, epigraphist, historian and scholar. A sculptor and an artist in his own right, he has often illustrated his book with his own sketches.
After a brilliant academic career, C. Sivaramamurti entered the museum profession as curator
for Archaeology in the Madras Museum. He then joined the Archaeological Survey of India
as Superintendent, Archaeological Section, Indian Museum, Calcutta, whence he came over to the National Museum as Keeper and rose as Assistant Director and finally became the Director. Closely associated with the International Council of Museums
he was on its executive committee and was Chairman of the Indian National Committee of ICOM. He conducted pioneering research and wrote extensively on various subjects during his tenure at the Indian national Museum.
Eminent arachaeologist, zoologist and student of archaeology, Frederic Henry Gravely, along with the Curator Dr. C. Sivaramamurti, ensured in 1938 that the antiquities
and industrial art collected by the Museum was organized effectively, into a collection that exists even today. His monumental book L'Art en Inde originally published in French earned the Dadabhai Naoroji Award. The book is available in German, English, Spanish and Italian.
Dr.C.Sivaramamurti was the first fellow of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fundwhen it was instituted, as he was specially chosen by the Trustees of this Fund in an endeavour to set a standard to Indian scholarship.He did a special exhaustive study of Nataraja,the dancing form of Siva, in all aspects as represented in Art,thought and literature.The product of two years of efforts was a monumental work,"Nataraja in Art,Thought and Literature", which he dedicated to his parents.
Nataraja in Art, Thought and Literature is acclaimed as his major achievement. First published 1974, it was 412 pages with 22 colour plates and over 250 monochrome illustrations. Nataraja
as a theme represents life force itself. The ancients visualised Nataraja as a manifestation of the cosmic energy symbolising the three aspects of creation, preservation and destruction. Chapters include: Natya, The Significance of Siva
's Dance, Karanas
Presented in Siva's Tandava, Karanas Presented by Vishnu
as Krishna
, The Vedic Roots of the Concept of The Great Dancer, Nataraja Pictured in literature, Varieties of Nataraja as Described in Silpa Texts, Nataraja Form in Sculpture and Painting, The Nataraja Concept Beyond Indian Frontiers.
The dance of Nataraja has always been synonymously viewed with truth and beauty, force and rhythm, movement and change, realisation and dissolution. Nataraja has been visualised in variety of forms by seers, poets and artists; it has been chiselled, painted, described and sung about in many parts of India and countries. This itself is a testimony to the twin aspects of time and timelessness of Nataraja, both as a personality and as a theme. This book highlights Nataraja as the presiding deity of fine arts whether it be music, dance, painting, sculpture or epigraphy. The Vedic
roots of the cosmic dancer and the blend of tradition and modernity is woven as a thread throughout the book describing vividly the exploits of the great dancer on world stage. It also contains interesting information on famous spots of the Nataraja theme and the concept of Nataraja beyond Indian frontiers. Dr. Sivaramamurti has been one of the most acclaimed art historians of this country. He had devoted an entire lifetime to iconography
, especially to the Nataraja theme. This book was an outcome of his research as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship awarded to him in 1968. In her foreword to this book, Mrs.Indira Gandhi called it' a monument to Indian Scholarship.'
Dr. Sivaramamurti has been responsible for popularizing epigraphy and numismatics, sculpture and paintings from an approach through literature giving literary parallels. His love for Sanskrit and art, his aesthetic taste and capacity to draw, paint and sculpt helped him to achieve his purpose of such a study of art and literature. He was a frail man with conspicuous vibhuti
and tilak on his forehead. Dr. Sivaramamurti belonged to the lineage of the great Appayya Dikshita.He was the son of Calambur Sundara Sastri, a civil servant, a great Sanskrit scholar of his times and author of a great kavya in Sanskrit,'Sundara Ramayana'. C.Sundara Sastri was an ardent devotee of Rama and as if by divine will his son, Sivaramamurti was married to Sampurna, the granddaughter of the great Ramayana
exponent Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri and daughter of Pattabhi Rama Sastri, then District educational Officer of Tanjore. They had two sons Sundararamamurti and Krishnamurti
Dr. Sivaramamurti died in a learned assembly, where he was explaining the specific features of a rare Nataraja icon.He was describing the attributes of Siva with the names, Sankara and Shambhu. He explained how the two names were derived from the word 'sham' in Sanskrit which means 'bliss'.He explained, 'sham karoti iti shankarah'- one who creates bliss is shankara.The other is Shambhu- the one who is an embodiment of bliss. He suffered a severe heart attack and collapsed on the stage, clutching the idol of Shiva
. He was a pious Hindu and was dedicated to art; everybody felt that he could not have dreamt of a better Shivasayujya (becoming one with God), or merger with his favorite deity, Lord Shiva.
Dr. Sivaramamurti is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Sri Sankaracharya the great Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha conferred on him the title of Vichitrachitta- meaning 'the curious minded one'.The great Pallava ruler of the 8th century from south India,Mahendravarman, held this epithet 'vichitrachitta', as described by him in his inscription in the rock-cut temple of the Trinity, Brahma,Vishnu and easwara(siva) at Kudumiamalai. He was awarded by the President of India,the Padma Sri in 1968 and the Padma Bhushan
in 1975. He travelled widely, participated in international seminars, delivered important lectures at the invitation of several universities, which have been published as books. He delivered important endowment lectures at many universities in India. He has over thirty-four books and innumerable papers on sculpture, painting, architecture, iconography, epigraphy, numismatics and literature to his credit. He was honoured with a number of awards during his lifetime, and in view of his contribution to Oriental Research, in 1981, the Asiatic Society of Bombay
posthumously awarded a special Campbell Memorial Gold Medal.
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. His entire life has been devoted to the study and exposition of various aspects of Indian art
Indian art
Indian Art is the visual art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is...
. Author of several monographs, he has surveyed the panorama of Indian art as archaeologist, numismatist, epigraphist, historian and scholar. A sculptor and an artist in his own right, he has often illustrated his book with his own sketches.
After a brilliant academic career, C. Sivaramamurti entered the museum profession 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...
for Archaeology in the Madras Museum. He then joined the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
as Superintendent, Archaeological Section, Indian Museum, Calcutta, whence he came over to the National Museum as Keeper and rose as Assistant Director and finally became the Director. Closely associated with the International Council of Museums
International Council of Museums
The International Council of Museums is an international organization of museums and museum professionals that is committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.- Overview :Created...
he was on its executive committee and was Chairman of the Indian National Committee of ICOM. He conducted pioneering research and wrote extensively on various subjects during his tenure at the Indian national Museum.
Eminent arachaeologist, zoologist and student of archaeology, Frederic Henry Gravely, along with the Curator Dr. C. Sivaramamurti, ensured in 1938 that the antiquities
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
and industrial art collected by the Museum was organized effectively, into a collection that exists even today. His monumental book L'Art en Inde originally published in French earned the Dadabhai Naoroji Award. The book is available in German, English, Spanish and Italian.
Dr.C.Sivaramamurti was the first fellow of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fundwhen it was instituted, as he was specially chosen by the Trustees of this Fund in an endeavour to set a standard to Indian scholarship.He did a special exhaustive study of Nataraja,the dancing form of Siva, in all aspects as represented in Art,thought and literature.The product of two years of efforts was a monumental work,"Nataraja in Art,Thought and Literature", which he dedicated to his parents.
Nataraja in Art, Thought and Literature is acclaimed as his major achievement. First published 1974, it was 412 pages with 22 colour plates and over 250 monochrome illustrations. Nataraja
Nataraja
Nataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
as a theme represents life force itself. The ancients visualised Nataraja as a manifestation of the cosmic energy symbolising the three aspects of creation, preservation and destruction. Chapters include: Natya, The Significance of Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
's Dance, Karanas
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"...
Presented in Siva's Tandava, Karanas Presented by Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
as Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, The Vedic Roots of the Concept of The Great Dancer, Nataraja Pictured in literature, Varieties of Nataraja as Described in Silpa Texts, Nataraja Form in Sculpture and Painting, The Nataraja Concept Beyond Indian Frontiers.
The dance of Nataraja has always been synonymously viewed with truth and beauty, force and rhythm, movement and change, realisation and dissolution. Nataraja has been visualised in variety of forms by seers, poets and artists; it has been chiselled, painted, described and sung about in many parts of India and countries. This itself is a testimony to the twin aspects of time and timelessness of Nataraja, both as a personality and as a theme. This book highlights Nataraja as the presiding deity of fine arts whether it be music, dance, painting, sculpture or epigraphy. The Vedic
Vedic
Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...
roots of the cosmic dancer and the blend of tradition and modernity is woven as a thread throughout the book describing vividly the exploits of the great dancer on world stage. It also contains interesting information on famous spots of the Nataraja theme and the concept of Nataraja beyond Indian frontiers. Dr. Sivaramamurti has been one of the most acclaimed art historians of this country. He had devoted an entire lifetime to iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
, especially to the Nataraja theme. This book was an outcome of his research as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship awarded to him in 1968. In her foreword to this book, Mrs.Indira Gandhi called it' a monument to Indian Scholarship.'
Dr. Sivaramamurti has been responsible for popularizing epigraphy and numismatics, sculpture and paintings from an approach through literature giving literary parallels. His love for Sanskrit and art, his aesthetic taste and capacity to draw, paint and sculpt helped him to achieve his purpose of such a study of art and literature. He was a frail man with conspicuous vibhuti
Vibhuti
Vibhuti is a word that has several meanings in Hinduism.-Sacred ash:Vibhuti is the sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism. The main ingredient of Vibuthi is a special kind of wood, but several other substances, such as milk and ghee, prescribed in scriptures are also added...
and tilak on his forehead. Dr. Sivaramamurti belonged to the lineage of the great Appayya Dikshita.He was the son of Calambur Sundara Sastri, a civil servant, a great Sanskrit scholar of his times and author of a great kavya in Sanskrit,'Sundara Ramayana'. C.Sundara Sastri was an ardent devotee of Rama and as if by divine will his son, Sivaramamurti was married to Sampurna, the granddaughter of the great Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
exponent Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri and daughter of Pattabhi Rama Sastri, then District educational Officer of Tanjore. They had two sons Sundararamamurti and Krishnamurti
Dr. Sivaramamurti died in a learned assembly, where he was explaining the specific features of a rare Nataraja icon.He was describing the attributes of Siva with the names, Sankara and Shambhu. He explained how the two names were derived from the word 'sham' in Sanskrit which means 'bliss'.He explained, 'sham karoti iti shankarah'- one who creates bliss is shankara.The other is Shambhu- the one who is an embodiment of bliss. He suffered a severe heart attack and collapsed on the stage, clutching the idol of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. He was a pious Hindu and was dedicated to art; everybody felt that he could not have dreamt of a better Shivasayujya (becoming one with God), or merger with his favorite deity, Lord Shiva.
Dr. Sivaramamurti is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Sri Sankaracharya the great Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha conferred on him the title of Vichitrachitta- meaning 'the curious minded one'.The great Pallava ruler of the 8th century from south India,Mahendravarman, held this epithet 'vichitrachitta', as described by him in his inscription in the rock-cut temple of the Trinity, Brahma,Vishnu and easwara(siva) at Kudumiamalai. He was awarded by the President of India,the Padma Sri in 1968 and 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 1975. He travelled widely, participated in international seminars, delivered important lectures at the invitation of several universities, which have been published as books. He delivered important endowment lectures at many universities in India. He has over thirty-four books and innumerable papers on sculpture, painting, architecture, iconography, epigraphy, numismatics and literature to his credit. He was honoured with a number of awards during his lifetime, and in view of his contribution to Oriental Research, in 1981, the Asiatic Society of Bombay
Asiatic Society of Bombay
The Asiatic Society of Mumbai, a learned society in the field of Asian studies, is based in Mumbai, India. It can trace its origin to the Literary Society of Bombay which first met in Mumbai on November 26, 1804, and was founded by Sir James Mackintosh. It was formed with the intention of...
posthumously awarded a special Campbell Memorial Gold Medal.
Works
Some of his works include:- L'Art en Inde,
- Nataraja in art, thought, and literature,
- Indian Epigraphy and South Indian Scripts,
- Early Eastern Chalukya Sculpture,
- Kalugumalai and Early Pandyan Rock-cut Shrines,
- Sanskrit Literature and Art: Mirrors of Indian Culture,
- La stupa du Barabudur (in French),
- An Album of Indian Sculpture,
- Rishis in Indian art and literature,
- Royal conquests and cultural migrations in South India and the Deccan,
- Vijayanagara paintings,
- Numismatic parallels of Kalidasa,
- Sculpture inspired by Kalidasa,
- Sri Lakshmi in Indian art and thought,
- Ramo Vigrahavan dharmah-Rama embodiment of righteousness,
- Birds and animals in Indian sculpture,
- Sanskrit literature and art,
- Mirrors of Indian culture,
- Satarudriya - Vibhuti of Siva's Iconography,
- Panorama of Jain art,
- Mahabalipuram,
- Shiva,
- Ethical fragrance in Indian art and literature,
- Approach to nature in Indian art and thought,
- The art of India,
- Expressive Quality of Literary flavor in Art,
- Early Andhra Arts and Iconography,
- Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara,Kanak Publications, New Delhi,1978.
- Indian Bronze,
- The Chola temples: Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram & Darasuram,
- Early eastern Chalukya sculpture,
- Harappan Art,
- Indian epigraphy and South Indian scripts,
- Bhagavatpada-Sri Sankaracharya,
- Epigraphical echoes of Kalidasa,
- 5000 years of the art of India: by Mario Bussagli & C. Sivaramamurti,
- An Introduction to South Indian Temple Architecture and Sculptures (F. H. Gravely & C. Sivaramamurti),
- Illustrations of Indian Sculptures Mostly Southern (F. H. Gravely & C. Sivaramamurti), Guide to the Archaeological Galleries (C. Sivaramamurti & F.H.Gravely),
- Notes on Hindu Images (F. H. Gravely & C. Sivaramamurti).