Indian Art and

culture
 Indian art syllabus
Indian Art Forms Indian Paintings
Classical Dance Forms
Folk Dance Forms
Classical Music
Puppetry
Pottery
Drama/Theatre
Martial Arts
Literature Ancient Indian Literature
Classical Sanskrit Literature
Literature in Pali and Prakrit
Early Dravidian Literature
Medieval Literature
Women Poets of Bhakti
Trends in Medieval Literature
Modern Indian Literature
Architecture Harappan Architecture
Temple Architecture
Cave Architecture
Indo-Islamic Architecture
Medieval Architecture
Modern Architecture
Contribution of Buddhism & Jainism to the Development of Indian
Architecture
Rock Cut Architecture
Colonial Architecture & the Modern Period
 UPSC MAINS- ART AND CULTURE
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 Tips for art and culture syllabus
• Do not read it from just prelims perspective
• Focus on significance of the art rather than on the
factual data
• Keep your source list minimum
• Revise as much as possible
• Focus on important topics based on an analysis of UPSC
previous year questions
 Source List
• Class XI and Class XII: Living traditions
and an introduction to art
• Standard books: Nitin Singhania (only
selectively), Indian heritage, art and
culture by Madhukar Kumar Bhagat (only
selectively)
• NIOS- Art and culture
• CCRT
• Newspapers and PIB
Understanding the term art and culture
Culture and Civilization
While better ways of living socially and
politically and better utilization of nature
around us may be termed as civilization. This
is not enough to be cultured. Only when the
deeper levels of a person’s intellect and
consciousness are brought into expression
can we call him/her ‘cultured’.
Culture and heritage
• The culture we inherit from our
predecessors is called our cultural
heritage. This heritage exists at various
levels
• The culture we inherit from our
predecessors is called our cultural
heritage. This heritage exists at various
levels
• Besides the architectural creations,
monuments, material artifacts, the
intellectual achievements, philosophy,
treasures of knowledge, scientific
inventions and discoveries are also the
part of heritage
 Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is learned and acquired
• Culture is shared by a group of people
• Culture is cumulative
• Culture changes
• Culture is dynamic
• Culture gives us a range of permissible behaviour patterns
• Culture is diverse
• Culture is ideational
Characteristics of Indian culture
• Continuity and change
• Variety and unity
• Secular outlook
• Universalization
• Materialistic and
spiritualistic
 When did art began in India?
• Difficult to pin-point exactly
• Reasons: perishable nature of
material used, weather events
etc.
• The example of Stonehenge,
England
• Such examples are there in India
as well in the form of Megalithic
burials.
• Megalithic burials: Dated 1100
BCE- 300 BCE.
More on megalithic structures
• Megaliths: Usually made from large-
stones
• In south India. Ex: Hallur (1000 BC),
Tadakanahalli, Paiyampalli (TN), ),
Naikund (Maharashtra), Takalghat
(Maharashtra), Hire Benakal (Karnataka),
Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh,
Adichanallur, Tamil Nadu, Thrissur,
Kerala, Jaunapani, Maharashtra, Maski,
Karnataka, Piklihal, Karnataka,
Brahmagiri, Karnataka etc.
• Megalithic coincided with the end of the
neolithic-chalcolithic age.
• Places in North India: Seraikala in Bihar, Deodhoora in Uttarakhand,
Khera (UP), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Chanda and Bhandra (MP), Deosa
(Rajasthan), Leh in the Himalayas, Karachi in Pakistan and Burzahom
in Jammu and Kashmir
• Iron has been found in megalithic structures in South India
• Types: Rock-cut caves, Hood stones and cap stones, Menhir, doleman,
cairn circles, cist
Pre-historic paintings
• Paintings and drawings one of
the oldest forms of arts
• Reason: aesthetic, utility
• Start: Upper paleolithic ages
• Subjects: human figures, human
activities, geometric designs and
animal symbols.
• First discovery: 1867-68,
Archibold Carlleyle
• Colors used: white, black and
red ochre.
• Earliest in black, then red and
finally white
• Animals: bulls, elephants,
sambhars, gazelles, sheep,
goats, horses, stylized humans,
tridents, but rarely, vegetal
motifs
Discovered in 1958 by VS Wakankar
Located in the Vindhya hills
Themes: hunting, dancing, music,
horse and elephant riders, animal
fighting, honey collection,
decoration of bodies
UPPER PALEOLITHIC AGE
• Linear representations, in
green and dark red, of
huge animal figures, such
as bisons, elephants,
tigers, rhinos and boars
besides stick-like human
figures
• Green paintings are of
dancers and the red ones
of hunters.
Mesolithic period
• Largest number of paintings belong to this
period
• Themes are multiple but the paintings are
smaller in size.
• Hunting scenes predominate. Group
hunting scenes
• The hunters are shown wearing simple
clothes and ornaments.
• Used many colors but their favorite
remained white and red
• Red (Haematite), Green (Chalcedony) and
White (limestone)
• The artists here made their paintings on the
walls and ceilings of the rock shelters
• Simplistic, naturalistic and stylistic
 Chalcolithic age
1. Use of green and yellow
2. Paintings of bow and arrows
3. Narsinghgarh in Madhya Pradesh
4. Jogimara cave painting, Chhattisgarh
5. Odisha: Gudahandi rock shelter and Yogimatha rock
shelter
6. Bhimbetka cave paintings: MP
7. Lakhudiyar cave paintings: Uttarakhand
8. Kupgallu: Telangana
9. Piklihal and Tekkalkotta: Karnataka
Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the
cultural life of the times but also a tine aesthetic sense
comparable to modem painting. Critically evaluate this
comment. (15M)