Vaidyanatha Ganapati Sthapati (1927 – 5 September 2011) was a ''

Sthapati Originating in ancient India, ''Vastu Shastra'' (, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, ...

'' (temple architect and builder) and head of the College of Architecture and Sculpture in the

Vastu Shastra Originating in ancient India, ''Vastu Shastra'' (, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, ...

tradition ascribed to the sage

Mamuni Mayan Mamuni Mayan () is an ancient sage referenced in Tamil literature. He is featured in works of Sangam literature such as the Cilappatikaram, Manimekalai, and Civaka Cintamani, identified with the asura Mayasura of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. May ...

Biography

Sthapati was born in 1927 to sculptor Vaidyanatha Sthapati and Velammal in Pillayarpatti, a village near

Karaikudi Karaikudi is the largest city of Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the centre of the Karaikudi Metropolitan Area, the 21st largest urban Agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area ...

, Tamil Nadu, India. Sthapati attended Dr. Alagappa Chettiar College,

, and graduated with a degree in mathematics. After his graduation, he became a ''Sthapati'' at

Palani Murugan Temple Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan situated atop a hillock amidst the Palani Hills in Palani, Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. The temple is managed by the Hindu Religio ...

Palani Palani or Pazhani () is a town in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about west of Dindigul, south-east of Coimbatore, north-west of Madurai, from Kodaikanal. The Palani Murugan Temple or Arulmigu Dhandayut ...

, Tamil Nadu, India. He resigned this post after the death of his father, who had served as principal of the School of Architecture and Sculpture at

Mamallapuram Mamallapuram (also known as Mahabalipuram), is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It ...

from 1957 to 1960. He succeeded his father as the Principal of the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, TN, India. From the 1980s, Sthapati campaigned to restore and elevate the status of traditional

Hindu architecture Hindu architecture is the traditional system of Indian architecture for structures such as temples, monasteries, statues, homes, market places, gardens and town planning as described in Hindu texts. The architectural guidelines survive in Sans ...

in modern Indian society, by affiliating courses to the

University of Madras The University of Madras is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and most prominent universities in India, incorporated by an ...

and offering degree courses, bringing about a revival of

. After retirement from government service, he established the Vaastu Vedic Trust and the Vaastu Vedic Research Foundation, aimed at research, development, and globalization of

Vaastu Shastra Originating in ancient India, ''Vastu Shastra'' (, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, ...

. He was also the head of the professional guild named "V. Ganapati Sthapati & Associates."

Major works

Architecture and sculpture

Sthapati served as architect for several buildings and sculptures, including the following: *Sculpture of

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

poet and saint

Thiruvalluvar Thiruvalluvar commonly known as Valluvar, was a Tamil poet and philosopher. He is best known as the author of the '' Tirukkuṟaḷ'', a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love. The text is considered an e ...

—

Thiruvalluvar Statue The Thiruvalluvar Statue, or Valluvar Statue, is a stone sculpture of Tamil poet and philosopher Valluvar, known as Thiruvalluvar, the author of the ''Thirukkural'', an ancient Tamil work on morality. It is atop a small island near the town o ...

at the southern tip of India at

Kanyakumari Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the ...

, TN, India (measuring 133 feet (40.5 m) in elevation and weighing 4000 tons). *Design and Construction of University buildings including the Administrative block and library for

Tamil University The Tamil University is a public state university located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established to provide higher research in the Tamil language. Location The university is situated in a campus of about , granted by the State go ...

Tanjore Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore,#Pletcher, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian c ...

. *Design and Construction of

Valluvar Kottam Valluvar Kottam () is a monument in Chennai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar. It is the city's biggest Tamil cultural centre. Location Valluvar Kottam is located at the intersection of the Kodambakkam High road and t ...

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

, TN, India. *Granite sculpture of the

Kannagi Kannagi (), sometimes spelled Kannaki, is a legendary Tamil woman who forms the central character of the Tamil epic '' Cilappatikāram''. Kannagi is described as a chaste woman who stays with her husband despite his adultery, their attempt to re ...

—heroine of the Tamil epic

Silappathikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the earliest Tamil epic. It is a poem of 5,730 lines in almost entirely ''akaval'' (''aciri ...

, erected in an Art Gallery in Poompuhar,

, TN, India. *The Rajagopuram of Sri Rama Temple and Sri Ganesh Shiva Durga Temple at

The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) is a Hindu temple complex in Lemont, Illinois, Lemont, Illinois. It was inaugurated and opened to the public on July 4, 1986. The complex includes a Rama temple and a temple for Ganesha, Shiva, and Durg ...

complex Lemont, Illinois, United States. *Sri Murugan Temple, Nadi-Fiji islands. *The San Marga

Iraivan Temple The San Marga Iraivan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Shiva located on Kauai, an island in the state of Hawaii, USA. "Iraivan" means "One Above All," and is one of the oldest words for God in the Tamil language. It is the first ...

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

, Hawaii. * Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple – Maryland *Design of Great Buddha statue,

Bodh Gaya Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautam ...

. Projects in India and other countries.

As an author

Sthapati has authored a number of books on the science and technology of

and has conducted over 80 seminars. He formed a publishing house called Dakshinaa Publishing house to publish and market books related to Vastu Shastra and architecture. His critically acclaimed book, Building architecture of Sthapatya veda attracted the attention of Scholars, architects and engineers of India and abroad. * *''Building Architecture of Sthapatya Veda, Illustrations Volume II'' * *
''Shiva Vishnu Temple Complex: Concept and Design''
*
Quintessence Of Sthapatya Veda
' *
The Scientific Edific of Brihadeeswara Temple, Tanjore, Tamilnadu
' *
Who Created God?
' *
The Colossal Statue Of Ayyan Thiruvalluvar
' He has authored countless other books including ''Iconometry, Temples of Space Science: The Building Architecture of Sthapatya Veda'' and ''Commentary on Mayan's Aintiram''.

Awards

Sthapati has earned a number of titles and awards including and not limited to: *

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

(the third highest civilian award in India) in 2009. * Doctorate Degree conferred by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic University in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

– 1995 * Honorary fellowship by the

Indian Institute of Architects The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) is a learned society of architects, established in 1917. It has headquarters in Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Mumbai, India. IIA is a member of International Union of Architects (UIA), Commonwealth Association ...

in 1993 * The National Award for Master Craftsmanship from the

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

– 1973

Other awards

* Kalaignar Award (Murasoli Trust)Presented by Dr. Kalaignar in 29 January 2005 * Muttiah Chettiar Award * Kapilavanar Award – Thirukovilur

Gallery

Image:Tiruvalluvar statue LIC.jpg, 133-foot-tall sculpture (40.5 m.) of the Tamil poet and saint

, in Kanyakumari, India. Image:Valluvar Kottam Edit1.JPG,

, designed and constructed by V. Ganapati Sthapati, in Chennai, India Image:Iraivan4.jpg, Artist's conception for

, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Image:Iraivan2.jpg, Detail of Iraivan Temple.

Bibliography

References

External links

Profile at vastuved.com