Pratnakirti is collection of articles on Indian Epigraphy,History, Archaeology and Art. This Festscript containing 88 articles covering a wide range of subjects is brout out in honour of Dr.Srinivas Ritti,the well-known Sanskritist and Indologist of the post-independent period.
The first volume is devoted exclusively to paper on epigraphy the chosen field of Dr,Ritti. The articles range in study drom early Brahmi inscriptions to those of late Vijayanagara period. The second volume contains papers on genralhistorical themes ranging from those pertaining to imperial Gupta’s to Post-Vijayanagra. However, monotony is avoided because the topic are as diverse as maritime studies, early cave temples, Sufi-saints to village deities. There are papers on Iconography , Art, Archaeology and Numismatics also.
These volumes are useful to the Indologiss, Epigraphists and Archaeologists.
Dr. Shrinivas Ritti (Bron . 8 June 1929) had his B.A. Degree in 1950 from the Karnatak College, Dharwad, with Sanskrit and Kannada as subjects. He did his post graduation in 1952 from the Karnatak University, Dharwad, with Sanskrit and Prakrit as electives. He first served in the Legal Department of the Government of Bombay (1953-55) and later on joined the Office of the Government Epigraphist of India, Ootacamund as Epigraphical Assistant (1955-64). Meanwhile with The Seunas as theme of research, he obtained his Ph.D. Degree in 1964 under the guidance of Dr. P.B. Desai, the veteran epigraphist and historian of Karnataka.
He joined the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, renamed later as Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy, in the Karnatak University, where he served first as Lecturer (1964-68) and later as Reader (1968-70) and Professor (1970-89). He was the Head of that Department from 1970 to 1984. As a teacher, he was loved by all. His contribution to research in History and Epigraphy of Karnataka has been seminal. Even after superannuation, he has continued to engage in epigraphical studies and research. Apart from several scholarly papers and books on history, literature and epigraphy, he has produced volumes of inscriptions from Nanded, Sholapur, and Kolhapur, revised the Epigraphia Carnatica Vol. XXIV, and brought out several of volumes of Inscriptions of Vijayanagara Rulers, published by the ICHR. Residing at “Bharati”, 15th Cross, Navodayanagar, Dharwad-580003, he is still engaged in serious research. His students, associates, friends and well wishers offer this scholarly collection of essays, PratnakiÇrti, as a tribute to this savant.
About The Authors:
Dr. Shrinivas V. Padigar (b. 1952) procured a first class Master’s Degree in Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy of the Karnatak University, Dharwad with the First Rank and Gold Medal and joined the Archaeological Survey of India in 1979. After a short stint as Technical Assistant in Delhi and Badami, he joined as Lecturer in the Department of Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy of the Karnatak University (1984), and later on became Reader (1996) and Professor (2004). He has been heading that Department since 1999. He has been the CWIT Visiting Fellow in the History of Art, University of Edinburgh, U.K. His works include Introduction to Archaeology, Studies in Indian Inscriptions andVishnu Cult in Karnataka. His volume of Inscriptions of the Calukyas of Badami was published by the ICHR in 2010.
Dr. V. Shivanada (b. 1954), belonging to the first batch of students in the Department of Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy of the Karnatak University, passed out from the University with M.A. First class in that subject (1974). He did his post graduate Diploma in Archaeology from the School of Archaeology, A.S.I., Delhi (1975-76). He joined the Archaeological Survey of India as Assistant and worked in different capacities in several places like Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Baroda and Goa. He has participated in several excavations. He has visited Greece, Italy and Portugal as part of cultural exchange programmes. He has to his credit many research publications. He has edited Gauravam (Prof. B.K.Gururaja Rao Festschrift) andSri Nagabhinandana (Dr. M.S.Nagaraja Rao Festschrift) and authored books onMattancheri Palace, Champaner-Pavagad Archaeological Park (both published by A.S.I.) and Catalogue of Srirangapattana Palace Museum. He is presently serving as the Superintending Archaeologist of Goa Circle of the A.S.I.
