The Archaeology of the N¿tha Samprad¿ya in Western India, 12th to 15th Century

This book studies Natha Sampradaya through archaeological evidence for the first time. Drawing on a pioneering approach to the study of ascetic traditions, it investigates not only the nature of the Sampradaya's religious architecture but also examines the extent to which they shared space with other religious groups.

Vijay Sarde, PhD, is an archaeologist working on ancient and medieval religious art and architecture in India. His doctorate from the Deccan College PGRI, Pune is on Archaeological Investigations of the N-tha samprad-ya in Maharashtra (c. 12th to 15th century CE). He has participated in several excavations and explorations in western India and has published research papers in English, Marathi and Hindi. Presently, he is working as an independent researcher in archaeology and history.

1. Introduction 2. Early Marathi Literature: Beginnings of the N-tha Tradition 3. The Archaeological Evidence: Sacred Landscapes in Western India 4. The Iconography of Devotion: Images of N-tha Yogis in Context 5. Hähayoga: The Visual Record 6. Conclusion