Hindu Art and

Architecture

Sarah Modi, Sarah Mupo, Katie Murphy, Mary Petersen

IB World Religions: Blue 4

Art

“The man who knows nothing of music,

literature, or art is no better than a beast.”

•Warning of ancient Hindu wisdom

•Hindus think highly of art

•Art = the key to salvation of the ultimate release sought by all good Hindus

•Art is a unity of many forms and artistic experiences very holistic

Yoga

•Indian art in its purest form

•A disciplined style of self-restraint and worship

•India’s oldest indigenous “science”

•spiritual exercise leading to the beatific vision

-also a psychological process of drawing oneself into the dynamics which control the universe

-and to ready oneself for all kinds of mental and physical activity

Yoga and Artists

• give the craftsman his creative skill

• inspire the artist, poet, and musician who sought spiritual enlightenment

The Art• Hindu/ Indian artists have celebrated/

immortalized the beauty of human bodies in bronze and stone for more than 5,000 yrs

• Art is most often associated with Hindu religion and philosophy

-difficult to appreciate fully unless one has knowledge of Hindu ideals

-religious urge, a looking beyond -attempt to bring down the beauty of

the things above

Art Con’t• Art is essentially idealistic, mystic,

symbolic, and transcendental - Mere bodily strength and

mundane perfections of form are never glorified in Indian art.

• Artist is both priest and poet • Only by meditating on the Ultimate

Perfection could the artist perceive the beauty of the Godhead

•Hindu poetry, art, and mythology, depict the sublime

nature of the Himalayas-regarded as special revelation of divine beauty -seen as fitting shrine for all the gods

The Himalayas

• Hindu philosophy recognizes the impossibility of human art capturing the form of God

• Creates in Indian painting and sculpture a symbolical representation of milder, humanized (but still superhuman), divine appearances which mortal eyes can bear

Philosophy of Art

Purpose of Art• To suggest divine attributes to Indian

people is the purpose of Hindu art

• True Indian art is stripped of the superfluities and vulgarities which delight the uneducated eye

- believe that Hindu art requires a higher degree of artistic understanding

Bhakti• the moving spirit of

all great religious art

• keeps Indian art alive

• Indians believe lack of it Bhakti is what makes modern Western art so lifeless

Ganesha• the Lord of success

and destroyer of evils and obstacles

• worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth

• one of the five prime Hindu deities

Shiva• The “Great God” of

yogic practice

• Visually represented as “King of Dance”

• most remarkable single symbol of divine powers

The Lotus

Brahma on the lotus flower which sprang from Vishnu’s naval

•Even in earliest art, lotus is fashioned as a seat or as a pedestal on which divine or sacred beings rest in a sitting or standing posture

•Symbol of divinity of major Hindu gods

Snakes• important images in

Hindu art

• Sacred to Hindus

• seen as protectors and often featured in Hindu art as wrapped around a god

Architecture

Overview• Not meant for

congregational worship

• Concentrate on religious and spiritual

• Made from rock• Conservative

Overview Cont’d• Vimana• Shikhara • Garba-griba• Sanctum

sanctorum• Mandapa • Ardh-mandapa• Mandala

Temple Architecture• Religious

– Astronomy – Sacred geometry

• Representation of macrocosm and microcosm

• Has an inner sanctum: garba girha• Sanctum crowned by a shikara

– Distinguishes the Nagra and Dravida styles

North Indian Styles

North Indian Styles• Nagara style• From Himalayas to the Deccan• Shikhara – beehive shaped

– Capotas and gavakas– amalaka

• Shrine is square at center• Bell-shaped structure on main

shrine

Lingaraja Temple

Rajarani Temple

Jagannath Temple

South Indian Styles

South Indian Style• Dravida Style• Shikhara – pyramid shaped• Have different: ground plan;

position of stone deities; decorative elements

• Walls around whole building• Different types: Pallava, Chola,

Pandya, Vijayanagar, Nayak

Pallava – Shore Temple

Chola - Brihdiswa

ra Temple

Pandya - Chidambaram

Nayak – Rameswaram Temple

Historical Development

• The earliest worship centers– Abu Simpbel– Elephanta– Ellora

• Horse shoe shaped window• Originally inspired by the Buddhist

Stupa• The Great Stupa

Historical Development cont’d

• The Stupa– Addition to the temple from Buddism

• Shilpa Shastra– Point of reference for architects

• Hindu temples– Large temples vs. mandirs:

Historical Development cont’d

• Shwe Dagon temple • Temples Today

– Fundamentally the same as the 6th century

– Richly decorated

Works Cited"Art and Architecture" http://hinduism.iskcon.com/index.htm. The Heart of

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“Ganesha: The Elephant God.” About. 13 November 2006. <http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/aa083000a.htm>.

Havell, Ernest Binfield. The Art heritage of India. Dutton, 1911.

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<http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/student_work/global_programme/indiaweb/PI2/hindu_architecture.html>.

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Kumar, Nitin. “The Hindu Temple: Where Man Becomes God.” May 2006. Exotic India. 12 Nov. 2006. <http://www.exoticindiaart.com/read/hindu_temple.htm>.

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