Böcker av Dr Ss Bhatti

Dr Bhatti's book is a pioneering work based on real insight into the mystical phenomenon of the Sikh Gurus, especially the unique and distinctive aspects of Revelation received by them-verbal direct revelation as against non-verbal or revelation through an agent. The author's development of the concept of "Creative Mysticism" in Sikhi context is a very comprehensive thesis as compared to elementary treatment elsewhere in the literature on Mysticism especially by the Sikh scholars. I got almost overawed when I tried to do an analytical study of his book. Every repeat reading of the book opened up every time a new dimension of the mystical phenomenon. -Pritam Singh, President, Institute of Sikh Studies [IOSS], ChandigarhThis book is a fine piece of research on the study of human experience revealed through poetry and architecture, a rare combination. No doubt the Department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, is very proud of this product, but those for whom it is produced would surely feel indebted to Dr Bhatti for exploring the depth of aesthetics in art and culture. I feel extremely proud in presenting this volume to the community of academicians, awakened souls, and readers in general. At the same time, I pray for many more such valuable gifts from Dr Bhatti's pen. I wish this book to be part of every library in home or institution. It will add to the existing set of knowledge. -Dr Darshan Singh, Chairman, Department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Planning - Architecture - Landscape - Urban Design - Art - Services is the richest exposition, with an enlightened evaluation, of actual Chandigarh which grew out of Le Corbusier's planning theories and their realisation. It comprehensively deals with Planning, Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape, Art, and Services, in the context of Le Corbusier's written word and his realised works, vis-à-vis the dynamics of urban phenomena by virtue of which the citizens have acquired a new lifestyle. This book is based on the author's first doctorate (earned in 1991) that had won the 5th JIIA [Journal of the Indian Institute of Architects] National Award for Excellence in Architecture [Research Category] in 1993. Though enormous literature, mostly journalism spiced with glossy pictures, exists worldwide on the City, Dr SS Bhatti shows for the first time how the creation of Chandigarh--a state capital that outrivals national capitals of the modern world, and is the Mother City to some of them--is, in fact, An Irony of History! The uniqueness of this publication springs from the author's amazing professional versatility, with insightful expertise in the History of Modern Architecture along with the History of Indian Architecture, which has enabled him to put Chandigarh in the right global perspective. Having lived in Chandigarh since 1961 and seen it grow--from a daring experiment (drawing-board graphic representation) to an unforgettable experience (palpable reality)--the author brings to his doctoral thesis a rare authenticity. Discountenancing the hypothesis-based method which is used worldwide in the study of Human Settlements, the author has developed a holistic system of scholastic enquiry that he calls "PAR-SOM". With his characteristic tenacity he assures that his method could be used to a great advantage beyond opinionated perceptions and sentimental preferences for the comprehensive investigation and critical evaluation of city that he regards to be "a social organism and a work of art". Plan, Action and Reality, in tandem with the Subjective, Objective and Metaphysical dimensions of Modern Urbanism, constitute his novel procedure of holistic research. As a rich resource for future research, this book is a definitive work which should be compulsory reading for all those concerned with planning for vital communities in the 21st century.

The Author says: the Punjab [whose River Indus gave the country its venerable name "India"] has been cradle of one of the world's most significant civilisations, and mother to such distinguished spiritual legacy, metaphysical inheritance, and art and culture heritage as has given India pride of place among nations of abiding global import. However, though it is hailed as food-bowl and defence sentinel of the country, by some quirk of fate, Indians in other states poke fun on it as having only 'agriculture' but no 'culture'. Bhatti ascribes this deplorable notion to Punjabis' own failure at marketing their wares smartly. While striving to correct this sick impression by exhaustive writings and public lectures, the redoubtable author shows in this book his perennial concern to document for future generations art-works created by Punjabi artists in the post-Partition Era. He brings to this long-awaited publication a professional artist's practical knowledge with analytic discernment of Nobel Laureate TS Eliot's "Workshop Critic". While this publication contains enough material to goad earnest scholars in the furtherance of research it also seeks to educate the students and teachers of art in the subtler aspects of Artistic Creation, whatever may be their materials and modes of expression.

SHIV DATT SHARMA - Life and Work is intended and written as a Reference Book. With rapid drop in the numbers of those who once upon a time read non-fiction for widening the horizons of their minds with progressively deepening understanding of human purpose, concerns, and creativity, hordes of Coffee-Table Books have been flooding the modern market sustained by strategic lobbying and clever hype. These publications regardless of their authors' credentials have one thing in common: They all carry glossy pictures and flashy opinions that border on the frivolous but promise good reading as cheap amusement for sure-shot time-killing. They thus leave their readers no wiser than they were when they first displayed awesome courage to buy them and later ventured to read them with exemplary patience.This work as a Reference Book on a serious subject like architecture is an attempt at breaking the stated stereotype in order to offer something that should interest the prospective readers besides stimulating their psycho-spiritual appetite for ingesting new food for thought into their cerebral system. The scheme followed in the book draws upon Le Corbusier's classification of City-Functions - Living, Working, Care of Body & Spirit, and Circulation - besides the categorisation of Shiv Datt Sharma's oeuvre into three phases in which his professional career developed steadily honing his skills of architectural creativity as he applied it to diverse building-types.The resulting mix-up of two approaches should provide the readers with essential setting to familiarise themselves with the architect's professional growth thereby enabling them to see for themselves if it is commensurate with the value of author's findings concerning it.

"The book being FOREWORD-ed is written by SS Bhatti, a master of writing and a scholarly expert, with a novel approach to the study and understanding of life and its innumerable expressions across the globe. In the following book, the author has illustrated many facets of his expertise in the field of religion, history, and art. He renders Guru Nanak's Jap stanzas in his own poetry; he covers several dimensions of divinity; he writes a section on the vocabulary employed in the hymns of Guru Nanak. He describes Guru Nanak as a dispenser of love and light. He covers even the paintings of Guru Nanak; the paintings were done by the devotees years after Guru Nanak left for the heavenly abode. Bhatti has added one art-work done by him that expresses in apt visual metaphors the divine exhortation of Guru Nanak: "Naam, Daan, Isnaan", and is supported by a poem published long ago in The Tribune, a leading English newspaper of north-western India. All this makes the scope of the book very vast, holistic and refreshing ... The readers of the book may be from many disciplines and interests besides the Sikhs and the Mureeds. However, I feel that they will find the author's profound insights and holistic interpretations enriching as well as illuminating. To my reckoning, this book should find pride of place in all public and private libraries internationally." From the Foreword by (Bhai) Harbans Lal, Ph.D.; D. Lit (Hons) based in America

ROCK GARDEN IN CHANDIGARH - A Critical Evaluation of the Work of Nek Chand is original research thesis for which its author SS Bhatti was conferred the degree of Master of Architecture [M. Arch.] in 1983 by The University of Queensland, Australia. As one of the three examiners had succinctly observed "The book is valuable one which records and analyses the work of a great, courageous and enormously energetic artist. Mr Bhatti has recorded his painstaking examination of Nek Chand's creation, the Rock Garden in Chandigarh". It is a definitive treatise on what is now called "Outsider Art", so much so that articles based on it and published internationally by the distinguished scholar eventually made Chandigarh's Rock Garden world-famous and its creator Nek Chand a global celebrity. For its sheer thoroughness, insightful analysis, perceptive synthesis, and pragmatic comprehensiveness this book is the first one of its kind, and provides enormously delightful and profoundly enriching reading. It embodies what, according to another examiner, is "A positive reaction to a book that has been written with a thoroughness that makes it a most valuable record and commentary on an exceptional work of art." It would be wrong to regard the relevance of this (pioneer) work as being confined to the field of architecture and landscape architecture. It has something to say to urban and social planners as well as to artists of all kinds. The major thrust (of investigation) is in the objective recording, and this is both a valuable task and one performed with great care and comprehensiveness by the researcher.