Describe the arts of India as they reflect the basic precepts of Hinduism and the Hindu way of life
What will be an ideal response?
Hinduism teaches that all individual aspects of being belong to the same divine substance: the impersonal, all-pervading Absolute Spirit known as Brahman. Much of the arts of India reflect this pantheistic system, as well as drawing heavily on the mythology and legend of early Hinduism.
In literature, many of the early arts were written in Sanskrit, the language of India's educated classes. Among the most popular forms of Hindu literature are the Puranas, a collection of eighteen religious books that preserve the myths and legends of the Hindu gods. Many of the tales in the Puranas illustrate the special powers of Vishnu and Shiva or their avatars. Much of Indian poetry is devoted to physical pleasure, and Sanskrit lyric poetry is the most erotic of all world literatures.
Hinduism generated some of the finest works of art and architecture in India's long history. Between the sixth and fourteenth centuries, Hindus built thousands of temple-shrines to honor Vishnu and Shiva. A Hindu temple encloses a series of interior spaces leading to a shrine—the dwelling place of the god on earth. Devotees enter the temple by way of an ornate porch or series of porches, each porch having its own roof and spire. Beyond these areas lies a large hall, and, finally, the dim, womblike sanctuary that enshrines the cult image of the god. The sacred space at the center is the primordial Brahman; the surrounding squares correspond to gods, whose roles in this context are as guardians of the Absolute Spirit. The Hindu temple is as a place of private, individual devotion, a place in which the devotee may visit and make offerings to the god.
The music of India is inseparable from religious practice. A single musical tradition—one that goes back some 3,000 years—dominates both secular and religious music. In ancient times, India developed a system of music characterized by specific melodic sequences (ragas) and rhythms (talas). The centuries have produced thousands of ragas, sixty of which remain in standard use; nine are considered primary. As with the Greek modes, each of the basic Indian ragas is associated with a different emotion, mood, or time of day.