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
CHAPTER 1 Introduction | 1 |
CHAPTER 2 Sacred Imagery | 13 |
CHAPTER 3 Hindu Deities | 44 |
CHAPTER 4 Hindu Sacred Architecture | 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 |
237 | |
241 | |
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Common terms and phrases
According Aiyanar ananku ancient animal architecture associated auspicious became believed Brahmans Buddhist buffalo building carved cave century BC ceremony Chandella Chola clay colour construction cult dance decoration deity demon depicted Desai Despite devotee divine Durga dynasty earliest early earth elephants erotic evidence example expressed female fertility festival Figure figurines goddess gods Gupta Hindu temple Hinduism icon Ikshvakus images Indus valley inscriptions Jain Kali Khajuraho king king's known Krishna Kusana Lakshmi linga linked lotus maithuna male Mamallapuram mantras monuments Murukan naga North offerings Orissa orthodox Pallava Parvati patron patronage period placed popular portrait practice Pratihara priests protection Purana refers religious represent revealed Rg Veda rites ritual river Robert Elgood royal ruler sacred sacrifice sanctum Sanskrit Satavahana sculpture seen sexual shrines Siva Siva's snake sometimes South India spirit stone stupa suggests symbolic Tamil Nadu tantric terracotta texts tradition tree tribal Veda Vedic village Vishnu women worship yaksha