Salagrama-Kosha (In Two Volumes)

Salagramas are celebrated as visible symbols of the supreme god Vishnu, and are worshipped all over the country by devout Hindus. It is therefore rather strange that till now there has been no comprehensive publication on the subject either in English or in any of the Indian languages. The Salagrama kosha has been written in two volumes. The first volume deals with the Salagrama lore in its entirety, while the second volume focuses attention on other details of formal worship like Bana-linga (for Siva), Sona-sila (for Ganesha), and Dhatu-patra and Yantra (for Devi). It also contains a detailed - description of necessary accessories of worship like Ghanta (Bell), Sankha (Conch), Arati (waving of light), rosaries of Rudraksha and Tulasi, Pedestals (Pitha-asana), etc. These publications made extensive use of manuscripts, most of which were in the personal library of the author. These books can be therefore be considered as original contributions to Indology, being based on material that has not yet been published or translated. Vidyalankara, Sastra-Chudamini, Sangita-Kalaratna, Professor Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rae, - was a well- known scholar who had combined traditional learning with modern research. Well versed in Sanskrit, Pali, Ardhmagadhi and several modem Indian languages and acquainted with Tibetan and some European languages, he had written extensively on Vedanta, Buddhism, Janism, Indian Culture, Art and Literature. He had written more than Sixty Books in Kannada, a Play in Sanskrit, and a Pall Commentary on a Buddhist classic. One of his books on Iconography in Kannada has won the State Sahitya Academy Award, as also another of his Book on the Tirupati Temple. Some of the books he had authored are- Encyclopaedia of Indian Iconography, Agama Encyclopaedia, Lalita Kosha, Sri Vidya Kosha, Tantric Practices in Sri Vidya, Sri Cakras, Yantra.