Hindu art

Hindu art includes many beautiful artworks and artifacts from different times. These artworks are connected to Hinduism, a major religion that many people follow. The art has a long history and is often linked to Hindu holy books, special ceremonies, and ways of worship. People create Hindu art to show respect and tell stories about the gods and goddesses important in Hinduism.

Background

Hinduism is a major world religion with 1.2 billion followers, making up about 15-16% of the world's population. The culture of Hinduism includes many different kinds of art that affect daily life. There are 64 traditional arts, from music to making and wearing jewelry.

Because religion and culture are closely linked in Hinduism, common symbols like gods, their different forms, the lotus flower, and even figures with extra limbs appear often in sculptures, paintings, music, and dance.

History

Earliest depictions of Hindu deities (3rd-2nd centuries BCE)

Early Hindu art began with simple pictures of gods and goddesses. Before stone sculptures were used, artists made figures from clay or wood, but these did not survive because they were too fragile. Some old coins from the Mauryan Empire and the Indo-Greek king Agathocles show early images of Hindu gods like Balarama and Vasudeva-Krishna.

Early reliefs (1st century BCE)

By 100 BCE, artists in Mathura began creating more detailed scenes in their art. These scenes showed gods and important moments in stories, making the art more interesting and full of meaning.

Hindu art under the Kushans (2nd-3rd century CE)

Hindu art grew and changed a lot between the 1st and 2nd century CE. It was inspired by Buddhist art but began to include more Hindu styles and symbols. During this time in Mathura, artists created the first standard shapes for many Hindu gods and goddesses.

Hindu art under the Guptas (4th-6th century CE)

During the Gupta period, Hindu art continued to develop. Statues of Vishnu became more common, and artists added new details like halos around the gods’ heads. Lakshmi, the goddess of good luck and beauty, was also included as part of the stories about Vishnu.

Medieval period (8th-16th century)

From the Medieval period onward, Hindu art became very popular. Many beautiful paintings and sculptures from this time show gods like Balarama, Shiva, Vishnu, and others.

Early modern period (16th-19th century)

In the early modern period, artists continued to create images of Hindu gods. Paintings from this time show scenes like Krishna lifting Mount Govardhan and Lakshmi Narayan sitting on Garuda.

Modern period

In more recent times, artists began making colorful pictures called "god posters" of Hindu gods, saints, and holy places. These pictures are popular and many people display them in their homes as part of their worship.

Popular dance and music art forms

The Natya Shastra and many years of Hindu culture have created beautiful dance and music styles. Some well-known ones include:

• Bharatanatyam
• Kuchipudi
• Manipuri
• Mohiniyattam
• Odissi
• Sattriya
• Bhagavata Mela
• Yakshagana
• Carnatic Music

64 traditional arts

• Singing
• Instrumental music
  • Learning music in Hindu culture was a difficult task before the 20th century because of a necessary birth into a gharana. After the early 1920s, integration of anyone wanting to learn classical Hindustani music could occur. An average ensemble normally includes a harmonium (which was brought to India by French missionaries), flute, veena, sitar, swaramandala, and a tabla. Many of the songs have strong themes that are related to theology such as a God's favorite pastimes, praise of any God whether they be in their original form in the Trimurti or the God's reincarnation, even stories of the creation of earth. Since instrumental music is a performance art it must follow strict guidelines that come from the treatise Natya Shastra.
• Dancing
• Painting
  • Indian variety – the different types of folk paintings are proud for Indian culture which reflects beauty, tradition and heritage of India. There are many types of traditional paintings like Madhubani, Rajsthani, Batik-Art, Patachitra, Gond, Mandala, Tribal Art Warli, Pithora, Bengali, Nirmal, Mysore, Tanjore paintings etc. which are the expressions of love, almighty, beauty, truth, tradition and art of each and every region of the India.
• Forehead adornments
• Rangoli: Making decorative floral and grain designs on the floor
• Home and temple flower arranging
• Personal grooming
• Mosaic tiling
• Bedroom arrangements
• Creating music with water
• Splashing and squirting with water
• Secret mantras
• Making flower garlands
• Head adornments
• Dressing
  • Drapery- The art of drapery has progressed over time. At one point both men and women wore dhotis but around the 14th century that changed and women's fashion became more intricate thus creating the sari. The drapery involved distinguishes the wearer's taste, occupation, and social status. The fabrics chosen range from cotton and synthetic fabrics all the way to silk. The fabric chosen depends on what occasion the wearer is going to use the item of clothing for. The draping of the sari comes in four different families: Marwari, Dravidian, Tribal, and Nivi. The family that the wearer chooses depends on the wearer's personal taste. The way an item of clothing is draped tells a lot about the wearer such as expression of creativity, progression of fashion, and where the user comes from.
• Costume decorations
• Perfumery
• Jewelry making
• Magic and illusions
• Ointments for charm and virility
• Manual dexterity
• Skills of cooking, eating and drinking
• Beverage and dessert preparation
• Sewing (making and mending garments)
• Embroidery
• Playing Vina and drum
• Riddles and rhymes
• Poetry games
• Tongue twisters and difficult recitation
• Literary recitation
• Drama and story telling
  • Drama in its early essence was performed mainly by male troupes and was often integrated with many of the other traditional art forms such as poetry, music, and story telling. Since drama is a performance art it also follows the Natya Shastra guidelines.
• Verse composition games
• Furniture caning
• Crafting wooden furniture
• Architecture and house construction
• Distinguishing between ordinary and precious stones and metals
• Metal-working
• Gems and mining
• Gardening and horticulture
• Games of wager involving animals
• Training parrots and mynas to speak
• Hairdressing
• Coding messages
• Speaking in code
• Knowledge of foreign languages and dialects
• Making flower carriages
• Spells, charms and omens
• Making simple mechanical devices
• Memory training
• Game of reciting verses from hearing
• Decoding messages
• The meanings of words
• Dictionary studies
• Prosody and rhetoric
• Impersonation
• Artful dressing
• Games of dice
• The game of akarsha (a dice game played on a board)
• Making dolls and toys for children
• Personal etiquette and animal training
• Knowledge of dharmic warfare and victory
• Physical culture

Numerical list

1. gita — art of singing.
2. vadya — art of playing on musical instruments.
3. nritya — art of dancing.
4. natya — art of theatricals.
5. alekhya — art of painting.
6. viseshakacchedya — art of painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics.
7. tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara — art of preparing offerings from rice and flowers.
8. pushpastarana — art of making a covering of flowers for a bed.
9. dasana-vasananga-raga — art of applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, clothes, and painting the body.
10. mani-bhumika-karma — art of making the jewel garlands.
11. sayya-racana — art of covering the bed.
12. udaka-vadya — art of playing on music in water.
13. udaka-ghata — art of splashing water on ground.
14. citra-yoga — art of practically applying an admixture of colors.
15. malya-grathana-vikalpa — art of designing a preparation of wreaths or garlands.
16. sekharapida-yojana — art of practically setting the coronet on the head.
17. nepathya-yoga — art of practically dressing
18. karnapatra-bhanga — art of decorating the tragus of the ear.
19. sugandha-yukti — art of practical application of aromatics.
20. bhushana-yojana — art of applying or setting ornaments.
21. aindra-jala — art of jugglery.
22. kaucumara — a kind of art.
23. hasta-laghava — art of sleight of hand.
24. citra-sakapupa-bhakshya-vikara-kriya — art of preparing varieties of foods – curries, soups, sweetmeats
25. panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana — art of preparing palatable drinks and fruit juices
26. suci-vaya-karma — art of needleworks and weaving.
27. sutra-krida — art of playing with thread.
28. vina-damuraka-vadya — art of playing on lute and small x-shaped drum.
29. prahelika — art of making and solving riddles.
    1. pratimala — art of caping or reciting verse for verse as a trial for memory or skill.
30. durvacaka-yoga — art of practicing language difficult to be answered by others.
31. pustaka-vacana — art of reciting books.
32. natikakhyayika-darsana — art of enacting short plays and anecdotes.
33. kavya-samasya-purana — art of solving enigmatic verses.
34. pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa — art of designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows.
35. tarku-karma — art of spinning by spindle.
36. takshana — art of carpentry.
37. vastu-vidya — art of engineering.
38. raupya-ratna-pariksha — art of testing silver and jewels.
39. dhatu-vada — art of metallurgy.
40. mani-raga jnana — art of judging jewels.
41. akara jnana — art of mineralogy.
42. vrikshayur-veda-yoga — art of practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs.
43. mesha-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi — art of knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds.
44. suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana)? — art of maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos.
45. utsadana — art of healing or cleaning a person with perfumes.
46. kesa-marjana-kausala — art of combing hair.
47. akshara-mushtika-kathana — art of talking with fingers.
48. mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa — art of fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry.
49. desa-bhasha-jnana — art of knowing provincial dialects.
50. pushpa-sakatika-nirmiti-jnana — art of knowing prediction by heavenly voice or knowing preparation of toy carts by flowers.
51. yantra-matrika — art of mechanics.
52. dharana-matrika — art of the use of amulets.
53. samvacya — art of conversation.
54. manasi kavya-kriya — art of composing verse mentally.
55. kriya-vikalpa — art of designing a literary work or a medical remedy.
56. chalitaka-yoga — art of practicing as a builder of shrines
57. abhidhana-kosha-cchando-jnana — art of the use of lexicography and meters.
58. vastra-gopana — art of concealment of cloths.
59. dyuta-visesha — art of knowing specific gambling.
60. akarsha-krida — art of playing with dice or magnet.
61. balaka-kridanaka — art of using children's toys.
62. vainayiki vidya — art of enforcing discipline.
63. vaijayiki vidya — art of gaining victory.
64. vaitaliki vidya — art of awakening master with music at dawn
65. aaaah vidya — art of awakening sound from Mani.

Historic texts on art practices

The Natya Shastra is an important book for Hindu performing arts. It has about 37 chapters and 6,000 slokas, or verses. It is based on an older text called the Natya Veda, which we no longer have.

Cities dedicated to the production of art

• Raghurajpur
  • This city is focused on creating art inspired by Hinduism. It is located in Eastern India (Orissa). At one time, the city faced challenges during British rule, when its traditional way of life was threatened. Later, a man named Jacnnath Mopatra started a training center for artists, helping the city revive its art in the 1950s. Today, the art from Raghurajpur is known around the world.

Common symbols

Hindu art often shows gods and goddesses with extra limbs. These extra arms let the deities do many things at once, showing their great power. For example, the goddess Sarasvati, who is linked to learning and art, usually has at least four arms. She might play a musical instrument called a vina with two arms, hold prayer beads in one hand, and a book in another, showing her love for knowledge and spirituality.

Another important symbol in Hindu art is the lotus flower. It stands for purity, beauty, and growing through hard times. The lotus grows in muddy water but stays beautiful, showing strength and beauty even in tough places. Many gods and goddesses have names that connect to the lotus flower.