SolomonL12: creating a data...

2026-04-24T07:57:19Z

creating a data...

New page

{{Short description|Indian historian (born 1936)}}
'''O.C. Handa''' (born Om Chanda Handa, 2 October 1936; also spelled as ''Omacanda Hāṇḍā'') is a historian of the western Himalayas, noted for his work on the history, architecture, archaeology, and folk arts of this region. He is the author of numerous books on these subjects.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 10, 2016 |title=Seminar on NE domestic architecture held at Dimapur |work=The Assam Tribune |url=http://asiguwahaticircle.gov.in/papercut/The%20Assam%20Tribune%2010%20February,%20Wednesday%202016.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shabab |first=Dilaram |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8uPDwAAQBAJ&dq=o+c+handa+IIAS+Shimla&pg=PT10 |title=Kullu: The Valley of Gods |date=2019-02-26 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-86832-92-4 |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Handa was born in the [[Mandi State|Mandi princely state]] (in the present-day [[Himachal Pradesh]] state, India) on 2 October 1936. He was born to the fourth wife of Goverdhan Das, a [[patwari]] in the Mandi state. All of Das's wives died soon after birth, as did all the babies born to them. So upon the advice of an astrologer, under Mandi's 'bhatka' tradition, soon after his birth, Handa was sent away far from home, and dedicated to Sona Sinhasan, the clan deity of Nyul village in Mandi. The priest of this deity gave Om Chand over to the [[dalit]] musician of the deity, who raised the child for the first few years of his life. Afterward the musician returned the child to the temple, from where an uncle of the child picked him up. After a while, the uncle gave Om Chand back to his father, Goverdhan Das.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Nem Chand |title=Himalayi itihaas aur sanskriti ke purodha: O.C. Handa (Festschrift) |publisher=Subodh Prakashan |year=2020 |location=New Delhi |pages=12–15}}</ref>

== Education and career ==
Handa was schooled at Mandi's Vijay High School till tenth standard. He proved to be very skilled at drawing and painting while at primary school - skills that he would later use extensively in his publications. Following school, he took a diploma in draftsmanship from the Industrial Training Institute, Mandi. On the basis of this diploma he got a job at the Public Works Department (PWD). Later, he did an MA in History from [[University of Mysore|Mysore University]] (1981), a PhD in Buddhist Archaeology from [[Chaudhary Charan Singh University|Meerut University]] (1987), and was awarded a D.Litt. form [[Agra university|Agra University]] (1993). Handa retired from the PWD in 1994 as an assistant engineer. He also served as a Census official and at the Department of Language, Art, and Culture in Himachal Pradesh (DLAC). At DLAC, he served in the fields of [[museology]] and archeology, and for a while served as the curator of Himachal Pradesh's State Museum in [[Shimla]]. Handa travelled extensively all across Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, which informed his numerous writings on the history, archaeology, and folk traditions of these regions.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Dr. O. C. Handa |url=http://kalpfoundation.in/File/1/About%20the%20Author.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. O. C. Handa, Writer & Author, Shimla |url=https://stories.workmob.com/dr-oc-handa-arts-entertainment |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=stories.workmob.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Distinguished Personalities - Khatri Sabha Mandi |url=https://www.khatrisabhamandi.org/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Distinguished Personalities - Khatri Sabha Mandi |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=List of courses conducted by this centre in last five years i.e. 2015-16 to 2020-21 (Up to December 2020) |url=http://hrdcshimla.org/List%20of%20courses%20conducted%20by%20this%20centre%20in%20last%20five%20years%20i.e.%202015-16%20to%202020-21.pdf}}</ref>

== Recognition ==

* Handa has been a Fellow of the [[Indian Institute of Advanced Study|Indian Institute of Advanced Studies]], the Himachal Academy of Art, Culture, and Language, and the [[Indian Council of Historical Research]]. He has been a member of various expert committees of the [[Lalit Kala Akademi|Lalit Kala Academy]] ([[New Delhi]]) and the [[Ministry of Tourism (India)|Ministry of Tourism]], [[Government of India]]. He has also been a fellow of the USA-based [[Infinity Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Nem Chand |title=Himalayi itihaas aur sanskriti ke purodha: O.C. Handa (Festschrift) |publisher=Subodh Prakashan |year=2020 |location=New Delhi |pages=iv}}</ref>
* In 2002, Handa was awarded the ''Sahitya Yogdan Samman'' (Literary Contribution Award) by the Shabad Manch.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Nem Chand |title=Himalayi itihaas aur sanskriti ke purodha: O.C. Handa (Festschrift) |publisher=Subodh Prakashan |year=2020 |location=New Delhi |pages=161–162}}</ref>
* In 2009, Handa was awarded the Abhutpurva Sahitya aur Samajik Yogdan Samman (Unprecedented Literary and Societal Contribution Award) by the Himachal Rajya Patrakar Maha Sangh.<ref name=":3" />
* In 2012, Handa was made the Indian curator of the [[Nicholas Roerich|International Roerich Memorial Trust]]'s museum in [[Naggar]], Himachal Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2012-09-10 |title=Russian curator quits, O.C Handa assumes charge of Roerich Museum |url=https://hillpost.in/2012/09/russian-curator-quits-o-c-handa-assumes-charge-of-roerich-museum/50940/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Hill Post |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In 2017, Handa received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the ''Himalaya Sahitya, Sanskriti Evam Paryavaran Manch'', Shimla.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Tribune News |title=Honouring litterateurs in the evening of life |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/himachal/honouring-litterateurs-in-the-evening-of-life-422509 |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en}}</ref>
* In 2018, Handa received the 'Prerna Srot' (Source of Inspiration) Award from the [[Government of Himachal Pradesh|Himachal Pradesh Government]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018 |title=हिमाचल की 6 विभूतियां सम्मानित |work=Dainik Bhaskar |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/news/latest-shimla-news-020502-1478408.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=आंचल ठाकुर को मिला हिमाचल गौरव पुरस्कार, इस जिले को सिविल सर्विस अवार्ड |url=https://www.amarujala.com/city-and-states/himachal-gaurav-purskar-to-manali-girl-aanchal-thakur |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Amar Ujala |language=hi}}</ref>
* In 2019, Handa received the 'Naval smriti aajivan shiromani samman' Award.<ref>{{Cite web |last=divyahimachal |title=विविध साहित्यिक गतिविधियों का साक्षी बना हिमाचल |url=https://www.divyahimachal.com/2019/01/विविध-साहित्यिक-गतिविधिय/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Divya Himachal |language=hi}}</ref>
* In 2020, Handa received the [[Government of Himachal Pradesh|Himachal Pradesh Government's]] 'Himachal Academy Sahitya Shikhar Samman' Award for the year 2018, for his contributions to Himachali traditions, cultures, and languages.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 7, 2020 |title=Himachal Academy Shikhar Samman 2017-18 Announced |url=https://himachalwatcher.com/2020/06/07/himachal-pradesh-academy-shikhar-samman-2017-18-winners/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ओमचंद हांडा को मिलेगा हिमाचल अकादमी शिखर सम्मान |url=https://www.jagran.com/himachal-pradesh/mandi-himchal-acadmi-shikhar-samman-goes-to-om-chand-handa-20366847.html |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Dainik Jagran |language=hi}}</ref>
* The Himachali writer Nem Chand Thakur brought together several scholars to write a [[Festschrift]] in honour of O.C. Handa, which was published (in Hindi) in 2020. The Festschrift was titled ''Himalayi itihaas aur sanskriti ke purodha: O.C. Handa (Festschrift).''<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Nem Chand |title=Himalayi itihaas aur sanskriti ke purodha: O.C. Handa (Festschrift) |publisher=Subodh Prakashan |year=2020 |location=New Delhi |language=Hindi}}</ref> The title translates into English as 'A Pioneer of Himalayan History and Culture: O.C. Handa (Festschrift)'. Contributors to this volume include, among others, [[Tobdan]] and [https://www.petervanham.com/ Peter van Ham].

== Bibliography ==
'''Books'''

In addition to hundreds of articles in various national and international journals,<ref name=":3" /> as of 2020, O.C. Handa had authored the following books, most of which also contain his own pen-drawings as illustrations:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Nem Chand |title=Himalayi itihaas aur sanskriti ke purodha: O.C. Handa (Festschrift) |publisher=Subodh Prakashan |year=2020 |location=New Delhi |pages=26–59}}</ref>

# Handa, O.C. (1969). ''Pahadi Chitrakala'' (in Hindi). National Publishing House, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1975). ''Pahadi Folk Art''. D.B. Taraporewala & Sons Pvt. Ltd.
# Handa, O.C. (1981). ''Pahadi Lok Geet'' (in Hindi). National Publishing House, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1984). ''Numismatic Sources on the Early History of the Western Himalaya''. B.R. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1987). ''Buddhist Monasteries in Himachal Pradesh.'' Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1988). ''Paschimi Himalaya ki Lok Kalayein'' (in Hindi). Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1992). ''Shiv in Art: A Study of Shaiv Iconography and Miniatures''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1994). ''Buddhist Art and Antiquities of Himachal Pradesh.'' Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1994). ''Tabo Monastery and Buddhism in the Trans-Himalaya''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1997). ''Glimpses of the Western Himalaya: pen-drawings and descriptions of majestic mountains, verdant valleys, and marvelous moments''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (1998). ''Textiles, Costumes, and Ornaments of the Western Himalaya''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. and Madhu Jain (2000). ''Wood Handicraft: A Study of its Origins and Development in Saharanpur''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2001). ''Temple Architecture of the Western Himalaya: Wooden Temples''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2001). ''Buddhist Western Himalaya: Part 1 - a Politico-Religious History''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2002). ''History of Uttaranchal''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. and Madhu Jain (2003). ''Art and Architecture of Uttaranchal''. Bhavna Books and Prints, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2003). ''Naga Cults and Traditions in the Western Himalaya''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2004). ''Buddhist Monasteries of Himachal''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2005). ''Gaddi Land in Chamba: its History, Art, and Culture''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2005). ''Panorama of Himalayan Art.'' Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2006). ''Western Himalayan Folk Art''. Pentagon Press, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2006). ''Woodcarving in the Himalayan Region''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2008). ''Panorama of Himalayan Architecture (Vol. 1: Temples)''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2008). ''Panorama of Himalayan Architecture (Vol. 2: Buddhist Monasteries, Castles & Forts, and Traditional Houses)''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2009). ''Himalayan Traditional Architecture''. Rupa and Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2009). ''Kinnaur: Unfolding Exotic Himalayan Land.'' Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2010). ''Catalogue of Museum of Kangra Art''. Museum of Kangra Art, Dharamshala.
# Handa, O.C. (2010). ''Ancient Manuscripts of Himachal Pradesh.'' Museum of Kangra Art, Dharamshala.
# Handa, O.C. (2012). ''Himalayan Rock Art''. Pentagon Press, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2014). ''Lahul and Spiti: the Land of Paradoxes''. Pentagon Press, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2015). ''Kullu: Its Early History, Archaeology, and Architecture.'' Pentagon Press, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2017). ''The Colours of Earth: a study of Indian folk painting.'' Pentagon Press, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2018). ''Panorama of Indian Indigenous Architecture''. Pentagon Press, New Delhi.
# Handa, O.C. (2019). ''Rinchen Zangpo and His Legacy to Buddhism.'' Pentagon Press, New Delhi.

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Scholars from Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:People from Mandi district]]
[[Category:Historians of India]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Architecture writers]]
[[Category:Indian architecture writers]]
[[Category:Himalayan studies]]

O.C. Handa - Revision history

SolomonL12: creating a data...