Hinduism and the Religious ArtsThe cultural manifestation of Hinduism is uniquely complex. In particular, the visual arts associated with the Hindu religion are recognised as being the most complex and rich of any living religion. No serious effort to understand ancient or contemporary Indian culture can be made without a clear understanding of the visual arts and their sources in religious belief and practice. In this book, Heather Elgood provides the best synthesis and critical study of recent scholarship on the topic. She emphasizes the ritual aspect of religious art - with reference to monumental architecture, sculpture and rural arts. Throughout, strong connections are made and explained between the bewildering variety of religious belief and practice in India and the power and richness of ancient and contemporary rural Indian art. This bok will be central to the studies of anyone interested in the social and anthropological roots af artistic creativity, as well as the rites, practices and beliefs of the hundreds of millions of Hindus in the world today. Heather Elgood is a lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Sciences, University of London. She is also Director of the SOAS and Christie's Arts pf Asia and Africa programme. |
Contents
1 | |
13 | |
44 | |
93 | |
CHAPTER 5 Royal Patronage of the Religious Arts and Its Historical Development and Objectives | 135 |
CHAPTER 6 Village and Tribal Patrons and Their Religious Arts | 187 |
CHAPTER 7 Conclusion | 227 |
Glossary | 232 |
Bibliography | 237 |
Index | 241 |
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Common terms and phrases
According Aiyanar ananku ancient aniconic animal architecture associated auspicious became believed Brahmans Buddhist building carved cave century BC ceremony Chandella Chola clay colour cult dance decoration deity depicted Desai devotee divine Durga dynasty earliest early earth example expressed female fertility festival figure fire first century flame flowers goddess gods Gupta Hindu temple Hinduism icon identified Ikshvaku images Indus valley influence inscription Jain Khajuraho king king’s known Krishna Lakshmi lbid linga linked lotus maithuna Mamallapuram mantras monuments Murukan naga North offerings Orissa painting Pallava Parvati patron patronage period placed popular portrait practice Pratihara priests protection Purana refers reflects religious represent revealed Rg Veda rites ritual river Robert Elgood royal sacred sacrifice sanctum Sanskrit Satavahana sculpture seen sexual shrines significant Siva Siva’s snake South India specific spirit stone stupa suggests symbolic Tamil Nadu tantric terracotta texts tradition tree tribal Veda Vedic village Vishnu walls women worship yaksha