THE DIVINE WOOD: WOODCARVINGS IN WESTERN HIMALAYAS: Temples, Monasteries and Sculptures

Dr. O.C. Handa (born 2nd Oct. 1936 at Mandi in H.P.) is a well-known connoisseur of art and culture, having been in the field for more than half a century. He is an outstanding scholar of history and archaeology of India in general and of the Himalayan region in particular. He has been travelling extensively in all parts of India to have firsthand knowledge of the sociocultural life of people and their creative skills. His writings vividly reflect that quality. Dr. Handa holds a post-doctoral degree in History. Having come from a civil engineering background, he underwent training in Archaeology and remained in-charge of Museums & Archaeology in Himachal Pradesh and Director of the International Roerich Museum Trust. He has authored thirty-five books on various aspects of Indian culture, and contributed more than five hundred papers in national & international journals and volumes including the Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. He has been a member of various expert committees of the Lalit Kala Akademi and of the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Govt. of India. He remained a Fellow of the Himachal Academy of Art, Language & Culture, the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), the US-based Infinity Foundation, Senior Fellow of the ICHR and a Senior Fellow of the Ministry of Culture as an outstanding person in the field of culture. He also remained Consultant, Infinity Foundation & Senior Editor, History of Indian Science & Technology (HIST) Series for many years. The Government of Himachal Pradesh honoured him with the Prerana Strot Samman (2018) and Shikhar Samman (2020). Besides, several organisations have honoured him for his achievements in various fields.