INDIA/The Arts

The arts reached high levels in India even before the time of Christ. They developed differently in each part of the country. As a result, Indian arts include a wide variety of forms and styles.

Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture. The ruins of Buddhist monasteries and shrines at Ajanta include some of the oldest forms of Indian architecture. They were cut into a cliff of solid rock between 200 B.C. and A.D. 600. Some of the world's loveliest frescoes (paintings on plaster) are on the walls and ceilings of these monasteries and shrines. Many have richly carved pillars and outer walls.

Ancient Hindu temples in northern India have tall towers with curving sides that taper at the top. In southern India, the gateway towers of Hindu temples rise in rectangular pyramids made of steplike blocks of stone. Each step tells in sculpture a story about Hindu gods.

When the Muslims invaded India, beginning in the A.D. 700's, they brought arts related to their religion, Islam. Unlike the Hindus, they were forbidden by their religion to carve the human figure. The Muslims decorated their mosques (houses of worship) with beautiful designs, often inlaid in white marble with semiprecious stones. The famous Taj Mahal at Agra has fine examples of this type of decoration. The structure is the tomb of the Indian ruler Shah Jahan and his wife. Many people consider it the most beautiful building in the world..

Indian painting includes two major kinds: (1) wallpaintings and (2) miniatures. Most wallpaintings, such as those in the caves at Ajanta, extend around the walls of a room and tell a story. Buddhists developed this art early in India's history. Miniature paintings, done on small pieces of paper, reached high levels from 1500 to 1800. These paintings generally show life among the ruling classes of India, or scenes from Hindu legends.

Music and Dance. Indian music sounds strange to American and European listeners. This is because it uses a scale different from that of the West. Indian musicians do not usually play chords and other harmonies that Westerners take for granted. Indians play or sing complicated versions of a melody. They generally use one or more stringed instruments that look like guitars but have many more strings. In Indian dancing, the positions of the performers' arms, hands, and fingers tell stories and indicate moods.