Heritage Tour India, Dances of India, Music of India, Indian Sculpture, Paintings of India, Heritage tour planner to India

Heritage of India

Dances of India | Paintings of India | Indian Sculpture | Music of India

DANCES OF INDIA

Indian dancing related back to Shiva role as a Natraja, Lord of the Dance. It is said that when Lord Shiva shook his hand drum, the world heard its first rhythm and when he  moved his body in tune with its beat, the universe came into being. Classical dancers conceive the dance as the highest form of worship they dedicate themselves to Shiva - the dancing Nataraja and the supreme symbol of cosmic energy. Along with offering flowers to the God for worship people offer dance and music as well. Dancing was the part of the religious temple rituals and the dancers were known as devdasis . As dance is considered as the most pure and beautiful expression of the human spirit.  Indian dance, the concept of Rasa of the aesthetic mood holds the central place. Nine Rasas are recognized - Shringara or  love in all its variations, devotion, humour, pathos, heroism, fury, terror, disgust, wonderment and peace. 

Indian dance is divided into nritta - the rhythmic elements, nritya - the combination of rhythm with expression, and natya - the dramatic element. Nritya is usually expressed through eye, hand and facial movements and with nritta makes up the usual dance programmes.

The Natya Sastra written in 3rd century BC, is generally recognised as the most authoritative work on the subject. According to Bharata's exposition of the art of histrionics, dancing is a part of drama, and the classical dancer is, therefore ,essentially, a storyteller, with the descriptive power of a poet. For this purpose, traditional Indian dancing employs a highly developed, symbolical gesture language which is almost as eloquent as poetry. A hastamudra (hand gesture) , for instance, can be used to convey such a wide range of meanings as pearl, fragrance, a drop of water, silence, salvation, generosity, testing medicine, and calling the beloved.

There are numerous mudras and the possibilities of expression through their combinations are infinite. There is always a set pattern for the musical accompaniment. The literary content of the song is interpreted in abhinaya or mime, of which hand gestures are an important part.
A characteristic feature of classical dancing is the use of intricate patterns of rhythm which are evident in the footwork. To understand this dance form you have to understand and appreciate Indian legends and mythology.

Some classical dance forms of India associate with different States are:-

Generally speaking in India there is a dance for every occasion. Only factor which divides them is the regional and cultural influences.  For instance in Punjab people do Bhangra and in Gujarat- Garba.  Dancing is an inherent part of the Indians.

PAINTINGS OF INDIA

Despite the great gap in our knowledge of continuous history, the story of Indian paintings can begin with art of the primitive man in rock shelters and caves. Indian art has been one of the oldest and omnipresent through out the passage of different cultures that India has survived. Though influence of each culture can be seen on the Indian arts. The Indian art has evolved and changed as one era changed into another. All this thus evolving and influencing by way of social, political and religious upheavals even then Indian paintings and  sculptures have carved their own niche in the World of Art.

A fine blend of emotion, colour, beauty and nature , woven together to give an Art immortal dimension which prevailed over the centuries. Every state of India has its own distinctive cultural influence on the art which in return makes India   one of the most outstanding examples of display of different eras which India experienced under various dynasties.

{Murals} {Manuscripts} {Contemporary Art}

Murals:  The fine examples of Indian painting tradition is found in the Ajanta Caves . These Caves are in the  modern Maharashtra . The theme is of the compassionated Buddha  which is their inspiration. Jataka tales pertaining to Buddhist mythology form the themes of these paintings. Anonymous artists painted them collectively in sinuous line and sensitive colours.

The entire Ajanta is covered with sensitive characters from the various former lives of the Enlightened One, the Buddha.  There is mixture of tropical vegetation, insects, birds, animals, human and angelic forms, textiles, Jewellery and architecture all shown in various colours. The themes are in form of  continuous narrative story portrayed on the walls.  The stream of shapes, as if encompassing the manifest world, frequently congeals into groups held together with the tension of the inner relationship of being to being. There is an elaborate language of gestures intensifying the expression. The murals also formed the basis of an entire artistic tradition which later spread to other countries.

Manuscript:   By the 11th century, the size of  murals had been reduced  down from the extended mural surface to the the size of a palm leaf strip. Quality in painting declined over the time and the drawn line became brittle and angular. These manuscript paintings came from Bengal and Nepal , again telling the Buddhist stories.  This style spread to western India and one can see it on many illuminated manuscripts dealing with Jain texts during the period of 12th-15th century.  Manuscript paintings diversified their theme by illustrating the lyricism of the well known romantic poems. Symbolism was at the heart of the Indian miniaturists' visual expressions, relationship with nature, beyond just the primary function of lines and pigments, which is what caught their interest. The beauty of expression of these ideas inspire wonder, enchantment and pleasure. 

Before the Mughals came to India , Indian paintings had established and stabilized a fine tradition of pictorial style.  It was subsequently influenced by the tradition of Persian miniature art.

Muslims came to India and drove the Hindu artistic tradition to dust.  In their obsession to build empires and to convert Hindus to Islam, they had little time for art or culture. It was only Akbar the Great after the Mughals were firmly established India took patronage to arts. His encouragement of miniature paintings took a blend of  Persian and Islamic styles. Both Indian and Persian artists, together wove a spell of art , one drew while the other filled in the colour and details. This further received  momentum when Akbar commissioned the translation and illustration of Hindu Epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  The artists in Akbar's court primarily painted portraits, courtly life, battle scenes, exquisite wildlife, the nature.  The tradition received more encouragement under Jehangir, Akbar's son, who was also a great patron of arts and architecture. Now along with the paints artists' were known to also use malachite, lapis lazuli, gold, silver and an ingenious substance called Peori, a yellow dye extracted from the urine of cows, on mango leaves.

Later the artists went to the  courts of Rajput princes. They improved upon their techniques and skills.  Emergence of  several new schools of miniature paintings took place, each having its own distinctive style.  Among these are Rajasthan or the Mewar School of Paintings, Jammu or the Pahari School and Basohli or the Kangra School . In the hill states, the artists could work undisturbed by the political upheavals of the plains of northern India .  The mythical sources of music are depicted in the Tanjore  Paintings of the South.

Contemporary Art : With arrival of the British Raj, it's  East India Company commissioned Indian artists to paint picturesque landscapes in oil and water colours.    These painters were often referred to as the Company school. Resulting in the loss of originality of  Indian art for a while. However this lasted for a while and soon political awareness was seen all around the country.  

Bengal School was the movement which had Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose as among the most important painters of this movement. Abanindranath developed a highly sophisticated style with a leaning towards portraiture. Gaganendranath showed a flair of being a successes as a cartoonist-critic of social and political (mis) happenings of that time. Nandalal, more of a technical revivalist than the two Tagore brothers, became known for his epic themes and later developed into a bold explorer of vast fields of Asian art.

With advent of  nationalism, some of the  few  painters involved  in the folk forms . Some of the contemporary painters are  Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gill, Benode Mukerjee  and Ram Kinkar were among the more significant artists of the time. And among the present genre of new painters we can add the names of M.F. Hussain and Krishan Khanna and Satish Gujral.

INDIAN SCULPTURE

Indian architecture is as old as the history of the civilization. The earliest remains of recognizable building  activity in the Indian subcontinent dates back to the third millennium in the Indus Valley cities. These cities are among man's earliest attempts to organise urban environment. The Great baths of Mohenjodaro are some of the good examples of building .

The Hindu Temples

Among India's ancient monuments , the most characteristic are the Hindu Temples. Regardless of their size  they are easily recognised by the typical pyramidal spire. Countryside in South India is filled with pyramidal spire  of the temples. The temples of Kanchipuram, Madurai , Srirangam, Rameswaram and other centres of pilgrimage in the South are busy places of worship.  There counterparts in  the North are only  the ancient city of Varanasi . Hindu temples were destroyed in the North by the Muslim invaders. 

Temples built in the areas which were not easily accessible survived like like Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, and Bhubaneswar and Konark in Orissa, where they could escape the destruction done by the invaders. 

Normally the temples were built near a source of water, as water is an essential commodity for the worshippers for ablutions. The symbolic meaning runs through the architecture of the temple itself with its three parts, namely, the base, the walls and the spire, corresponding to Earth, the intervening space and Heaven.

The Stupa

They are mound-shaped , they enshrine the relics either of the Buddha or of a great figure of the Buddhist church. From  beginning they were  an elaborate structure with beautiful sculpture  adorning the encircling balustrades and the gateways. The finest example of the sculpture is the Stupa at Sanchi, dating from the 3rd century before Christ. The Stupas have episodes from the life of the Buddha are shown together with the various deities of the folk religion, which the Buddhist religion had absorbed.

Rock-Cut Architecture

Rock-cut architecture took  turn with the Buddhist reign and  remarkable Buddhist monuments were produced in areas such as Bihar in the east and Maharashtra in the west. Natural grottos and caves in the hillside were excavated by the Buddhist monks and turned into glorious prayer halls and monasteries. Though these were rock cut architecture the style closely resembled that of the earlier brick and wood buildings.

Monks carved windows and balconies and gates in the shape of huge arch shaped openings. Under these monks the rock cut architecture reached heights which has no parallel in the world. One of the superb examples is the temple at Mammallapuram.

Maurayan Sculpture

Lion Capital in the Sarnath Museum which is the state seal of India is an example of Mauryan stone sculpture. Mauryan stone sculpture has a style of monumentally majestic power, which has the finish of an exquisitely finished polish that has not lost its shine even today. 

As the Buddhism took whole country under its influence, its impact was seen on the architectural sculptures such as the great Stupas of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda. Here, the sculptor's has practised the art on marble in bas-relief which possesses great animation and nervous energy. The scenes depict the social life of the times and often relate the elevating tales of life of the Buddha.

Cave Architecture- Buddhist and Hindu

In 3rd century BC cave architecture flourished and in the western coast where the quality of the rock made them suitable for excavation. The caves were basically used by the Buddhist monks as temples to worship  Buddha and also to live in. The great cave at Karla is one the examples of cave architecture. This cave is big in size and the interior is lighted up by the great window giving a feel of benevolence and peace. The human couples which are sculpted are full of grace, elegance and free rhythm. 

In the later period cave architecture was developed by the Hindus. Whose outstanding examples are the great cave temples at Badami, Elephanta and Ellora. The other examples are at the Elephanta Caves near Bombay . The Mahesmurti of Elephanta Caves represent Shiva in his three aspects of Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, is no doubt one of the finest single piece Indian sculptures. The great Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock temples of Ellora are all splendid examples though the most outstanding work is the Kailasa Temple of 8th century. This was made out of a rock which has the appearance of a small man-made mountain, duplicating the heavenly mountain-abode of Lord Shiva.

The Golden Age of Indian Art - The Gupta Period

In the Gupta period from 320-495 AD temple sculpture reached perfection therefore this period is known as the Golden Age of Indian Art.  Though temple architecture had yet to be developed.  The figures carved during this period were full of grace, vitality and spiritual feelings.  Hindu iconography reached its form in this period which it possesses even to this day can be seen in the Dasavatara temple at Deogarh. 

Temple Architecture (Medieval)

The temple architecture developed after Gupta period.  The pyramidal spire which became a characteristic of North Indian temple was developed in this period. There was a wave of temple architecture throughout the country in the 10th and 11th centuries . The examples of which are the great temples of  Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh (10th - 11th centuries) and Bhubaneswar in Orissa (8th-11th centuries). The marble Jain temples at Dilwara (11th- 13th centuries) represent a late phase of this style.

The temples were lavishly decorated with sculptures not an individual piece but as elaborate decoration all over the walls, interlinked  with each other. Deities can be seen in various poses which were erotic. Like couples in different amorous poses and attitudes. Mythical animals, in various combinations of elephant, lion and bird, are popular motifs. Also, there are long friezes depicting scenes of hunt and court as well as processions of soldiers. This eroticism  in medieval Indian sculpture has no one explanation though it is essential to say that the bliss of ultimate spiritual union in Hindu is thought as comparable to physical union.

Temple Architecture of The South

Perfection of temple architecture took place from the 7th century. From this century the whole country was taken under the fever constructing temples especially in South India . Though the largest  masterpiece of Indian temple in North India is probably the Konark temple. And the largest temple surviving in the South India is the Brihadeesvara Temple at Thanjavur, constructed by the Chola king , Rajaraja I, towards the end of the 10th century.

Halebid, Belur and Somnathpur in Karnataka are medieval temples which have rich carvings on them, made possible by the quality of the soft stone which hardens on exposure

Muslim Architecture

Muslim architecture which can be traced to the first Turkish invasions and gradually acquires a distinct national character that distinguishes it from the architecture of Islam. Many fine early monuments are to be found in Delhi, the most famous being the Jama Masjid , built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, near the famous Qutub Minar in early 13th Century.  The most splendid phase of Muslim architecture in India , however , was the one initiated by the Mughals under Emperor Akbar. The Agra Fort and the deserted capital city of Fatehpur Sikri and Sikandra near Agra are all fine examples of Muslim architecture. And of course the Taj Mahal one of the seven wonders of the world is beyond any comparison.

MUSIC OF INDIA

Indian music as all the other arts of India is as old as history of India .  Even in the courts of the Emperors, music has always been very much alive in their courts. Tansen of the nine Ratnas in the court of King Akbar is definitely one of the most outstanding examples of the history of Indian music.  It is said when he sang he could bring rainfall with his ragas.  

The two main form of Indian music are the southern Carnatic and the northern Hindustani traditions. The basic difficulty is that harmony, so important to western music, has no place in Indian music.

Indian Music has two concepts raga and rasa.

Ragas

Raga literally means that which tinges the mind with a particular feeling, passion or emotion. Raga is the melody . The structure of each raga and the melodic movement within its framework are governed by definite and extensive rules laid down in ancient treatise  on music written much before the Christian era. Indian music recognizes twenty-two  notes and microtones in the octave. The technique of a raga, put in the simplest form, consists in the use of certain fixed notes and microtones to the deliberate exclusion of others. Within this fixed framework, however, there is unlimited scope for improvisation. Each artiste can have his own individual interpretation and vision of a particular raga. No two renderings of the same raga by the same singer or player may be exactly the same . Although Indian classical music has one of the longest continuous histories of any musical form, the music has never, until quite recently, been recorded in any written notation. There is no written composition in the Western sense of the term.

Indian ragas, which form the main body of classical music in the country, deal with Nine Rasas : S hringar, Devotion, Humour, Pathos, Heroism, Fury, Terror, Disgust, Wonderment and  Peace . Theoretically speaking, if every permissible permutation and combination of notes was exploited, it would yield 38,000 ragas. As it is , only about 200 are prevalent. Many ragas are common to the two main systems of music in Indian, the Hindustani and the Carnatic Prevalent in the North and the South , respectively.

The basic framework of Indian music is melodic. The voice never isolates individual notes from the melodic line, but glides over the intervals that separate them. Tala which is the constant accompanying rhythm, and is characterized by the number of beats. Explicitly and prominently beaten out on a percussion instrument, is a feature of Indian music which every Indian takes for granted but which strikes others as extraordinary . Talas range from slow, medium and fast tempos  used in accordance with the mood of the musical passage. There is a very large number of rhythmic patterns, most of them of great intricacy, within which the performer moves with perfect ease.

Some of the famous exponents of Indian music with universal recognition are:-

Sitar - Pandit Ravi Shankar

Flute - Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia

Shenai - Ustad Bismillah Khan

Sarod - Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Tabla - Ustad Zakir Hussain