Nalini Rao, PhD


Nalini Rao, Chair of the Taksha Institute Center for History and Architecture (TICHA), has a PhD in Art History from UCLA and a PhD in Ancient History and Archaeology from the University of Mysore, India. She is an Associate Professor of World Art at Soka University of America, in California (US). Dr. Rao’s specialization includes South and Southeast Asian Art, Ancient and Medieval Indian Art and Religion, and Ancient Indian History and Archaeology. She is also the Chair of the Dr. S. R. Rao Memorial Foundation for Indian Archaeology, Art and Culture, a non-profit organization in Bengaluru India (www.srraofoundation.org).

Dr. Rao has curated Indian and S.E.Asian Art exhibitions, and published many articles and books, including “Boundaries and Transformations” (a Catalogue of Indian and S. E. Asian Art in the Amarillo Museum), “Sangama: Confluence of Art and Culture during the Vijayanagara Period,” “Contours of Modernity, Royal Imagery and Networks of Power at Vijayanagara: A Study of Kingship in South India,” and “Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilization: New Perspectives.”

Selected Publications:

Click here for a list of selected publications by Dr. Rao.