Unit 5

Cultural Heritage and performing

Arts
India has seen a variety of architectural styles
emerge over the course of its history. Some
examples include temple architecture, Mughal
architecture, Dravidian architecture, Sikh
architecture, and cave architecture. Many early
Indian buildings were made of wood, which was
often decayed, burned, or brick that has been
removed for reuse. Over millennia, it has
progressed from small rock-cut cave shrines to
huge temples that have extended across the
Indian subcontinent and beyond, forming a style
that is now seen in contemporary Hindu temples
across the world.
 Indian Architecture
• From ancient South Indian temples to the finest
Mughal ruins, Indian architecture is as old as
civilization itself. The earliest traces of
recognizable building activity in India can be
traced back to the settlements of the Indus Valley.
India is home to a myriad of temples, Baroque,
and modernistic structures that tell the stories of
their era. UNESCO lists 830 World Heritage Sites,
26 of which are on Indian soil.
Ancient Indian temples are classified into
three broad categories, i.e. Nagara or the
Northern style, Vesara or Mixed style,
and Dravid or the Southern style. Apart
from the broad classification, regional
areas also display their regional styles in
temple architecture which are equally
unique.
The Mauryan period is considered as the
beginning of the classical period of Indian
architecture. Nagara and Dravidian
architectural styles developed in the early
medieval period with the rise of Hindu
revivalism and predominant role of Hindu
temple architecture in the Indian
Subcontinent.
In the first century CE, buildings were constructed to house a holy
symbol of a certain deity, which could then be adorned with sculptural
figures of them to remember their mythological adventures and
provide a place for worshippers to leave offerings and perform rituals.
As a god’s home, the temple was considered a holy place where
heaven and earth met, supplying them with a magnificent palace.
.
Temple architecture has a long history in India It has developed in all
regions of the country. Despite the fact that the style’s roots are the
same, there is a significant distinction and variation in architectural
styles in temple architecture. This variation is primarily due to India’s
geographical, climatic, racial, ethnic and historical diversity. There are
three broad styles of Indian temple architecture: Nagara (northern
style), Vesara (mixed style), and Dravida (southern style). Each of these
types has its own distinct cultural influences and lineages. Hindu
temple architecture represents a fusion of arts, dharmic ideas,
convictions, traditions, and the Hindu way of life.
Architects and Engineers from Ancient India has derived principles of
construction and architecture based on experience, observation of natural
phenomena and considering social and cultural aspect of India. These
principles are aimed at developing built environment which is compatible for
the inhabitants and extracting maximum benefits from nature. Various myths
are prevailing regarding some principles which leads to superstitious behavior
among people. These principles can be well explained using the modern
scientific logic and knowledge. Scientific study of these principles should be
done and they should be applied in contemporary practice. This study attempts
to explore basic principles of Indian architecture and engineering based on
Vastu Shastra (the ancient Indian building science) texts, such as Mayamattam,
Samarangana Sutradhar, etc. An attempt is made to give scientific reason of
some principles that can be adopted in modern practice of designing and
construction easily for comfort and happiness of inhabitant.
Ancient Indian Sculpture is an integral part of
Indian art and culture. Ancient Indian sculptures
were relatively simple and date back to the days of
the Indus Valley Civilization of the 2nd and 3rd
millennium BC. The rich intricate sculptures of this
civilization mainly emphasized on the works of
stone, terra cotta and bronze. Starting from Indus
Valley Civilization to the various rulers who ruled
India, different sculptures portray different history
of their own.
Tracing the history of sculptures from ancient
times, one can find that sculptures can act as a
good basis for recreating and understanding our
past. For example, sculptures from the Harrapan
ages and Mesopotamian ages that have been
recovered through excavations shed immense
light on our ancient ancestors and their peculiar
ways of living.
• Pottery is the most sensual of all arts. In India, we have had a great
tradition of pottery making. In fact, being an agricultural country, pots for
storage of water and grains were in demand. The real beginning of Indian
pottery began with the Indus Valley Civilization and the art of shaping and
baking clay articles as pottery, earthenware and porcelain has continued
through the ages. While pottery and earthenware are definitely utilitarian
and often decorative, porcelain and studio pottery belong to the sphere of
art.

• There is proof of pottery making, both handmade and wheel-made, from

all over India. In the Harapan civilization potter's place was quite an
important one in society. The craft was well advanced. Rectangular oven
for firing the product were in use. Seals and grain and water containers
were made that were put to use effectively. The potter occupies a unique
position in the craft traditions of India. India is home to more than a million
potters. The potters are wonderful masters of their trade.
Puppetry

• A doll or a figure controlled by a person so that it appears to

be moving on its own is called a puppet.

• Puppetry as an art form is believed to be more than 3000

years old. The earliest puppets probably originated in Egypt.
Puppets made of ivory and clay were discovered in tombs.
Even ancient Greek Scholars like Aristotle and Plato had
mentioned Puppets as early as 422 B.C.
• Some scholars believe that the puppetry art tradition is more than
thousands of years old. One finds its reference in many folk tales,
ballads, and sometimes even in folk songs. This article will talk about
the various puppet forms in India.

• Almost all types of puppets are found in India. Puppetry throughout the
ages has held an important place in traditional entertainment. Like
traditional theatre, themes for puppet theatre are mostly based on epics
and legends. Puppets from different parts of the country have their own
identity. Regional styles of painting and sculpture are reflected in them.
• There are 4 major different types of puppets used in India. The types of
puppets and the respective states where it is used are given below:

• Glove Puppets – 3 different types

• PavaKoothu – Kerala
• Sakhi Kundhei Nata – Orissa
• Beni Putul – Bengal

• Rod Puppets – 3 different types

• Putul Nach – West Bengal
• Kathi Kandhe – Orissa
• Yampuri – Bihar
• Shadow Puppets – 6 different types
• Tholu Bommalata – Andhra Pradesh
• Togalu Gombeyata – Karnataka
• Tolpavakoothu – Kerala
• Chamadyache Bahulya – Maharashtra
• Ravanachhaya – Orissa
• Thol Bommalattam – Tamil Nadu

• String Puppets – 6 different types

• Putal Nach – Assam
• Gombeyatta – Karnataka
• Kalasutri Bahulya – Maharashtra
• Gopalila Kundhei – Orissa
• Kathputli – Rajasthan
• Bommalattam – Tamil Nadu
• There are nine classical dance forms in India, which include
Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam,
sattriya, and chhau. All these dance forms originated in different parts
of the country.

• Bharatnatyam is the oldest dance form in India.

• In Hindu mythology, dance is believed to have been conceived

by Brahma. Brahma inspired the sage Bharata Muni to write the Natya
Shastra, a treatise on performing arts, from which a codified practice
of dance and drama emerge.
 Indian Ancient Music
• The Nātya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the
performing arts, embracing Indian theatre, early
Indian classical dance and Indian classical music. It was written
between 200 BC and 200 AD, during the
classical period of Indian history. This text, which contains 6000
shlokas, is attributed to a muni whose name was Bharata Muni.

• The Nātya Shastra is based upon a much older text called

the Nātya Veda, which contained 36,000 shlokas. No copies of
the Nātya Veda have survived. Some scholars believe that it may
have been written by various authors over a period of time.
• The great poet-saints who chose to communicate in
the vernacular tongues brought forth a great
upheaval in north India and the Bhakti or devotional
movements they led gained many adherents. The
lyrics of Surdas, Tulsidas, and most particularly
Kabir and Mirabai continue to be immensely
popular. By the sixteenth century, the division
between North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian
(Carnatic) music was also being more sharply
delineated. Classical music, both Hindustani and
Carnatic, may be either instrumental or vocal.
• Hindustani Gharanas
• There is a rich tradition of Gharanas in
classical Hindustani music. The music
Gharanas are also called styles. These
schools or Gharanas have their basis in the
traditional mode of musical training and
education. Every Gharana has its own
distinct features.
• Theatre of India is one of the most ancient forms of theatre and it features a
detailed textual, sculptural, and dramatic effects which emerged in mid
first millennium BC. Like in the areas of music and dance, the Indian theatre is
also defined by the dramatic performance based on the concept of Nritya,
which is a Sanskrit word for drama but encompasses dramatic narrative,
virtuosic dance, and music. Historically, Indian theatre has exerted influence
beyond its borders, reaching ancient China and other countries in the Far East.
• With the Islamic conquests that began in the 10th and 11th centuries, theatre
was discouraged or forbidden entirely. Later, in an attempt to re-assert
indigenous values and ideas, village theatre was encouraged across the
subcontinent, developing in a large number of regional languages from the
15th to the 19th centuries. Modern Indian theatre developed during the
period of colonial rule under the British Empire, from the mid-19th century until
the mid-20th.
• From the last half of the 19th century, theatres in India experienced a boost in
numbers and practice. After Indian independence in 1947, theatres spread
throughout India as one of the means of entertainment. As a diverse, multi-
cultural nation, the theatre of India cannot be reduced to a single,
 Ancient Indian Martial Arts
• Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A
variety of terms are used for the English phrases “Indian martial arts”, deriving from
ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. archery,
armed combat), by Classical times they were used generically for all fighting
systems.
• Among the most common terms today, śastra-vidyā, is a compound of the
words śastra (weapon) and vidyā (knowledge). Dhanurveda derives from the words
for bow (dhanushya) and knowledge (veda), the “science of archery” in Puranic
literature, later applied to martial arts in general. The Vishnu Purana text describes
dhanuveda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of “applied knowledge” or
upaveda, along with shastrashastra or military science. A later term, yuddha kalā,
comes from the words yuddha meaning fight or combat and kalā meaning art or
skill. The related term śastra kalā (lit. weapon art) usually refers specifically to
armed disciplines. Another term, yuddha-vidyā or “combat knowledge”, refers to
the skills used on the battlefield, encompassing not only actual fighting but also
battle formations and strategy. Martial arts are usually learnt and practiced in the
traditional akharas
• Fairs and Festivals:
• Modhera Dance Festival of Gujarat.

• Pongal of South India.

• Konark Dance Festival of Odisha

• Jaisalmer Desert Festival

• Goa Carnival.

• Nehru Trophy Boat Race of Kerala.

• Pushkar Mela

• Bikaner Camel Festival

 Indian cultural contribution to the world
• India gave the first University to the world: Takshila University to the world.
• India gave the world the numeral Zero.
• The game of Chess originated in India.
• India was the one to invent and use buttons.
• Shampoo originated from hindi world “Champo” and dates to 1762.
• India gave the cure for the Leprosy.
• Sanke and ladder was inspired by one of the Indian game called
“Mokshapat”.
• Ayurveda was originated from India.
• Bhaskar Acharya rightly calculated the time taken by earth to orbit the sun.
• Buddhism and Jainism Originated in India.
• Indians were the first to discover the Fibonacci patterns of the numbers.
• Cataract surgery was first performed in India.
• Crescograph is an Indian Invention.
• Indians discovered the Cashmere wool.
• USB was developed and defined by Ajay V. Bhatt, who is an Indian-
American Computer Architect.
• Indians invented the cards game called Suits.
• India taught the world to cultivate jute.
• Indians described the Trigonometric functions.
• Pentium chip was invented by an Indian.
• India gave candid sugar to the world.