Hindu Art Flashcards
What was the first remaining free standing Temple in India?
SANCHI
What do you call a Hindu temples entrance hall ?
MANDAPA
Exchange of gaze in Hindi
DARSHANA- The icon doesn’t just represent the deity, it becomes that deity. The auspicious sight of a deity or holy person. Aka viewing the inner sanctum (garbhagriha). The act of being seen by the Gods has great benefit to the devotees and is enlightening.
What are the two main styles of Hindu Temples
Proof of Sanctity of Water bodies
A dip into the river can absolve you of all sin. Puskar Temple in Rajasthan, dedicated to Brahma, has tanks of water within it.
Why do Hindu Temples have so many repeating spires?
Three main Hindu Gods most temples are dedicated to
Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti
Who is Vishnu?
What are Vishnu’s defining features?
His hands hold four of his most essential symbols in many depictions:the conch, the chakra or discus, the club, and the lotus flower
What is the internal temple 🛕 iconographical geography?
All 4 walls have carved banners of Vishnu
Begging with him sleeping and dreaming of creation, a lotus sprouting from his navel
The final panel dedicated to salvation, Vishnu saving an elephant
SO BEGIN WITH CREATION ENDS WITH SALVATION
Who is the Lord Shiva?
Shiva holds one of the most prominent roles in Hinduism as the god of destruction. He is one of the three most important gods, alongside Brahma (the creator) and Vishnu (the preserver). The sect of Shaivism holds that Shiva is the Supreme Being which all other gods are aspects of
What is circumbulation ?
What is the sanctum sanctorum?
GARBHAGRIHA- The “womb chamber” and central most important part of a temple, the closer you are the closer you are to the Gods.
Doorways as a threshold
Like water, they are purifying progressional spaces where one is transported from the profane to the sacred. Surrounded by imagery of the river Goddess Ganga. To purify you before entering the temple.
Door guardians ?
DVARAPALAS
Who is the Great Godess?
Shakti- The Female principle, associated with creative energy. There are several symbols associated with Shakti in Hinduism, including:Trishula - a three-pronged spear or trident that is often associated with Shiva, the male counterpart of Shakti. The Trishula also symbolizes Shakti’s power to destroy evil and negative forces
Temple cities: Give an example of a large important temple in Hindu culture?
THE MEENAKSHI TEMPLE- By the 16th to 17th centuries temples are their most ornate. The Meenakshi Temple complex is literally a city –one of the largest of its kind in India and undoubtedly one of the oldest too. The temple grew with the contribution of each dynasty and victorious monarchs, into an enormous complex, a cultural hub of the city. Many entrances (mandapas). Dedicated to Shiva and his wife Meenakshi.
