SHRI N. RAMESAN. M.A., I.A.S. (born December 1921 at Tiruchirapalli, Madras State) has had a distinguished acadernic career, passing with First Class in English, Sanskrit and Mathematics from St. Joseph's College. He was recruited to the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (Class I) in 1945. Later, in 1949 he entered the Indian Administrative Service and worked in various posts in Andhra Pradesh for 13 years.

At present he is the Regional Director of Food Madras.Shri Ramesan has a sound knowledge of classical Sanskrit in which he has been always keenly interested. He specialized in Epigraphy and Temple Architecture.

While serving as Joint Secretary to the Govern- ment of Andhra Pradesh in the Public Works Department, he was also the Director of Archaeology for the State. During this time and the previous years he served in the districts, he visited and studied almost all the temples in Andhra Pradesh, and the present book gives the wealth of information thus collected.