Art

The Indian culture has always evoked in a person visions of mysticism and spirituality quite unlike any other civilization. Bred from a millennia of cultural formations, Indian art remains a window into the vibrant soul of this most interesting culture and is a metaphor of the ideologies and beliefs of this amazing people. But most prevailing among these art forms is Indian architecture. According to Diagoro Chihara, architecture shows a peoples religious sentiments that arouse peoples emotions of mystery (Chihara 5). Clearly showing the different factors, mainly Hindi and Buddhist influences, that brought about our understanding of their culture, Indian architecture gives us a look into the Indian worldview, a perspective that gives importance to worship and spiritual tradition. For this paper, we shall focus on Buddhist and Hindu architecture of early Indian societies, and how these have come to perpetuate our understanding of the Indian perspective.

Hindu architecture, whose primary examples are the temple complexes, definitely predates that of Buddhist, having been in existence as a religion a few hundred years earlier. And because it is of spiritual in nature, a major factor in the creation of these buildings entails an assessment of the process in accordance to their belief system. The primary step involves pinpointing the site of the building, a site which was called vastu. Square as a rule, it represents the Supernal or the Cosmic Man and becomes central to the concept of Existence (Burnier and Karmrisch 21). After which the necessary steps towards construction are begun, following either a Nagara style (beehive-shaped) or Dravida style (consisting of smaller pavilions). These characteristics are usually seen in the construction of the towers or shikharas that loom over the ground, a vestigial sign of the temples connection to the heavens.

One of the best examples of Hindu architecture are the Brihadeeswarar Temple, or better known as Rajarajeswaram, in Tamil Nadu and is considered the worlds first complete granite temple and one of the best architectural examples from the Chola Dynasty. Erected in 11th century A.D. by Rajaja Chola the Great, it is part of a grand temple complex that involves seven other shrines around this main temple (Ponniyin Selvan Historical Society 2010). It served as a temple of the Lord Iswara, and like most temples, was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Looking at the shikharas that dominate the skyline, it is evident that the architects opted to follow the Dravida style, with its angular towers that resemble steps that lead to the heaven and to the repose of the soul.

Another excellent example of Hindu architecture is the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple found in the Chhatarpur District of Madhya Pradesh. It was built by the Chandella king Vidyadhar around the same time as the Brihadeeswarar Temple was built. Unlike that temple, the Mahadeva Temple, also dedicated to Shiva, was constructed following the smoother lines of the Nagara style and consists of an Mahamandapa, an elevated pavilion supported with pillars. The temple is also famous for its Shivling, a shrine inside one of the main halls containing 800 ornately carved images of the many Hindu deities (Kandariya Mahadeva Temple 2010).

Buddhist architecture also blossomed during Indian antiquity and usually pertains to monasteries, stupas, and temples. At a first glance, there is a great amount of similarity between Hindu and Buddhist architecture, perhaps because of their development within a close vicinity. But, while one might think that the influence came from Hindu architecture because it is an older religion, it is in fact the Buddhist temple structure that influences the method and style of construction of many Hindu edifices. But of all the varying architectural elements of Buddhist architecture, it is the stupa, a brick and plaster edifice that points to the sky as a symbol of the cosmos, that has inspired the formation of the Hindu temple structure, proceeding Buddhist temples in the rest of South East Asia, and the pagodas of China and Japan. Ideally, the stupa should contain a statue of Buddha in its many different forms, and serves more as an altar than anything else.

One of the most famous Buddhist structures found in India is the Maha Bodhi Temple Complex in Bihar, East India. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the vast area is renowned as one of the four holy sites of Prince Siddharta Gautama or Lord Buddha to whom people attribute this far-reaching religion. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Site webpage, it is one of the earliest Buddhist to be made of brick to have survived long years since its creation in the 3rd century B.C. during the Gupta period. The structure follows the same shape as that of the Nagara style of Hindu architecture, a beehive-like dome that is surrounded by smaller spires that are both intricately designed with stone sculptures of deities and devils.

By looking at these art forms we venture into Indias past, understanding what this society values. Like many other civilizations whose temples and religious structures manage to stand the test of time, we can deduce that the Indian people, both past and present, put a real premium on spirituality and the importance of the tradition of worship, no matter what religion you may come from. At the same time, seeing that most of these structures are left to stand, strong and steady, reveal the Indian appreciation of history and tradition. These structures, despite their age, the wear and tear of a millennia of use and misuse, remain, symbols of what the Indian people hold dear.