The document discusses Hindu cosmology, iconography, and key terms related to Hindu art and religion. It provides details on the Hindu pantheon including the three main godheads - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. It describes their attributes, vehicles, and qualities. Additionally, it discusses important Hindu goddesses and their consorts as well as demons. The document also summarizes important temples and artworks including the Kailasa Temple at Ellora and Shiva as Nataraja. Key terms related to Hindu religious concepts, deities, and artistic traditions are also defined.

1. Hinduism and Hindu Art
Hindu cosmology
Hindu pantheon
Hindu iconography
Deva and Devi (gods and goddesses)
Ashura (demons/anti gods)
Brahman
Three godheads:
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1. Brahma, 2. Vshnu, 3. Shiva
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Their vahanas (mounts/vehicles)
Their attributes
Their gunas (qualities)
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2. Brahman
Unmanifest
Brahma
Vishnu
Narayana
Shiva
Rudra
Indra (king of gods, there will be new Indra at every eon)
330 million gods—agni, varun, vahyu, etc…..
Guided by Brihaspati (spiritual counselor)
Demonic realm populated by demons (anti gods)
King of demons (Bali, it changes according to time)
Guided by Sukracharya (spiritual conselor)

3. Terms to remember
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
Vedas
Deva/Devi
Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati
Shakti (goddess)-Durga, Kali
River goddesses: Ganga (River Ganges)
Yamuna (River Yamuna/Jamna)
Makara (crocodile)
Kurma (tortoise)

4. Terms to remember
Bhakti
Lingam
Sattvic, ragasic, tamasic
Shiva as Nataraja
Durga killing the buffalo demon Mahisha
(not bull as mentioned by Sherman Lee)
Mahishamardini
Kartikkeya (god of war)
Varaha avatar
Ardhanariswara
Ravana

5. Terms to remember
Mahamallapuram/Mahabalipuram
Rath (Ratha)
Narrative
Naturalism
Prana
Naga
Shiva as Mahesvara (errousniously called tri-murti)
Mandala
South Indian temple architecture combines
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Vestigial model shrine and shikhara
Mandapa (large hall)

6. More terms
Rajput
Mughal
Elephanta
Portuguese occupation of the island
Target practice
Shiva as Mahesha (Great God)—3 aspects
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Aghora (left)—wrathful
Tatpurusha (center)—calm, beneficent
Uma Devi (right)—blissful

7. Brahma
the creator
Past
Vishnu
The maintainer, reserver, sustainer
Present
Shiva
The destroyer
Future

8. Parvati
Saraswati
Brahma
Lakshmi
Vishnu
Shiva

9. Hindu pantheon
1000 names of gods and goddesses
Deva (male) Devi (female seen in the form of
Shakti=energy, the driving power/force behind a god as
in electric energy behind an engine.
Devi is god’s Shakti (energy, power) w/o which a god
has no vitality, innate nature/quality to act as god.
Shakti is what gives a god power to act.
Goddess (Devi) seen in the form of Shakti (energy) also
is creativity behind a poet, a writer, an artist, etc.
Shiva w/o his shakti is like Shava (corpse).

10. Udayagiri/Udaigiri caves in Central India commissioned by the Gupta kings between the 4 th and 5th centuries

11. •Udayagiri caves near Vidisha were carved when the city was a provincial capital of the Gupta
Empire (4th- 6th century CE).
•The site consists of a U-shaped plateau immediately next to the River Bes.
•It is best known for a series of rock-cut sanctuaries and images excavated into hillside in the early
years of the fifth century CE.
•The most famous sculpture is the monumental figure of Viṣṇu in his incarnation as the boar-headed
Varaha.
•The site has important inscriptions of the Gupta dynasty belonging to the reigns of Chandragupta I (c.
375-415) and Kumaragupta I (c. 415-55).

13. Varaha rescuing Mother Earth, Udaigiri cave, 5th century

14. Varaha Avatara of Vishnu in Udaigiri cave, Vidisa, Madhya Pradesh (central India)

18. Varaha Avatar
Varaha

19. Chandragupta I

20. Sheshashayi Vishnu reclining on the serpent-bed of Shesha from Vishnu temple in Deogarh
ca. 6th century CE

21. Carved Panel relief on the doorway of
Dashavata Temple depicting Lakshmi
flanked by Gada and Chakra
ayudhapurushas (personified Vishnu's
weapons) tending to Vishnu's feet.
Vishnu as Narayana, sleeping
On the coils of Anata Naga,
Relief, red sandstone, 10th century

22. Sleeping Vishnu from Vishnu temple in Deogarh

23. Krishna killing a demon

24. Goddess Ambika
Shahabad District, Bihar, India
6th-7th century

25. Hindu Temple
Sanctum of a temple
Garbha griha (womb chamber)
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Dark and small
No windows
Having only one opening like the womb of a woman
Pradkshina (circumambulation)
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Clockwise
Eastern orientation
Why?

26. Plan of a Hindu temple architecture
Designed after the shape of a tall mountain so that
it can be seen from far away
A temple is an abode of god(s)
Stands on a sacred ground
Must have presence of water
Why?
A temple is built on the bank of a river, a sea, an
ocean, or a lake. If there is no source of water,
water is brought to the temple precinct.

27. Temple
It may be dedicated to one god, but a devotee
would find other gods as well since many
Hindu gods are the manifestation of one God,
i.e. Brahman.
A devotee announces his arrival by ringing the
bell hung in front of the temple door.
Why ring a bell?

29. Elevation of
the Khandesvara temple in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, Central India

30. Kailashnath, a famous temple on the west coast of
India, is one of the 34 monasteries and temples, known
collectively as the Ellora Caves.
The Kailasa (cave 16) is a remarkable example of
Dravidian architecture on account of its striking
proportion; elaborate workmanship architectural
content and sculptural ornamentation of rock-cut
architecture.
It is designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of
Lord Shiva.

31. It is a megalith carved out of one single rock. It was
built in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta king
Krishna I.
The Kailash Temple is notable for its vertical
excavation—carvers started at the top of the original
rock, and excavated downward.
The traditional methods were rigidly followed by the
master architect which could not have been achieved
by excavating from the front.

32. It is estimated that about 400,000 tons of rocks was
scooped out over hundreds of years to carve this
monolithic structure.
From the chisel marks on walls of this temple,
archeologists have concluded that three types of
chisels were used to carve the temple.

33. Within the courtyard are two structures.
As is traditional in Shiva temples, an image of the
sacred bull Nandi fronts the central temple housing
the lingam.

34. In Cave 16, the Nandi Mandap and main Shiva
temple are each 23 feet high, and built on two storeys.
The lower stories of the Nandi Mandap are both solid
structures, decorated with elaborate illustrative
carvings.
The base of the temple has been carved to suggest
that elephants are holding the structure aloft.

35. A cat-walk (bridge) connects the Nandi
Mandap to the porch of the temple.
The temple itself is tall.
The pyramidic structure is reminiscent of a
South Indian temple.

36. The shrine – complete with pillars, windows, inner
and outer rooms, gathering halls, and an enormous
lingam at its heart – carved from stone, is carved
with niches, pilasters, windows as well as images
of deities, mithunas and other figures.
Most of the deities at the left of the entrance are
Shaivaite (followers of Shiva) while on the right
hand side the deities are Vaishnavaites (followers
of Vishnu).

37. Kailasha (rock cut) temple in Ellora, Maharastra—8th century

38. Kailasha (rock cut) temple in Ellora, Maharastra—8th century

42. The view of the Kailash Temple from the top. The photo is taken at the cave temples clusters of Ellora, Maharastra

48. God Shiva with Parvatii attended by his bodyguards (retinue) in Kailash temple, ca. 8 th century

49. Shiva and Parvati seated on Mt. Kailasha with their attendants, Ellora
Ravana below doing a penance to Shiva. He is a devotee of Shiva.

50. Nataraja
Ravana

51. Goddess Durga in Lalitasasa (the posture of ease)
Kailash temple, ca. 8th century CE

52. Shiva Linga

57. The shrine has







Pillars
Windows
Inner and outer rooms
Gathering halls
An enormous lingam at its heart
Has niches, windows as well as images of deities,
mithunas and other figures.
Most of the deities at the left of the entrance are
Shaivaite while on the right hand side the deities
are Vaishnavaites.

58. There are two Dhwajasthambha (pillars with the
flagstaff) in the courtyard.
The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift
Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his
full might is a landmark in Indian art.

59. 6 miles from the Gateway of India,
Mainland Bombay (Mumbai)

61. Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911.

65. Arabian Sea

70. Elephanta caves

75. 3 mental/emotional states
1. Karuna
2. Shanta
3. Aghora
Elephanta consists of two
groups of caves—the first is a
large group of five Hindu
caves, the second, a smaller
group of two Buddhist caves.
The Hindu caves contain rock
cut stone sculptures,
representing the Shaiva Hindu
sect, dedicated to the god
Shiva.

81. Ardhanarisvara

82. Dancing Shiva
Ardhanarisvara, androgynous form of Shiva

83. Marriage of Shiva and Parvati

86. Sun temple at Konarak
Orissa, 13th century

89. Bhutanatha temple complex at Badami, 7th century, with the open hall (11th century) extending to the lake

90. Jagmohan temple at Konarak Sun Temple (Pidha Deula)

95. Seen as a chariot
Sun temple, 13th century

99. It was constructed from oxidized and
weathered sandstone by King Narasimhadeva
I (1238-1250 CE) of the Eastern Ganga
Dynasty.
Legend has it that the temple was constructed
by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna.

100. It is said that Samba was afflicted by leprosy,
brought about by his father’s curse on him.
After 12 years of penance, he was cured by
Surya, the Sun God, in whose honor he built
the magnificent Konark Sun temple.

103. Temples at Khajuraho
Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval temples
of Hindu and Jain religions.
There is a perfect fusion of architecture and sculpture
at this temple complex, famous for their erotic images.

104. The temples of Khajuraho are a UNESCO world
Heritage Site.
At the Temple of Kandariya, there is a profusion of
decorated sculptures considered as one of the greatest
masterpieces of Indian art.
Built by Chandela dynasty, the temples exhibit
stunningly explicit sexual sculptures which were
created by the artists’ imagination of lovemaking
positions prevalent at the time, or based on the rules
outlined in the Kamasutra.

105. Kandarya or Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khujuraho, 11th century

106. Deep space
No form/formless
The region of atmosphere
Physical world/the world of forms
Brahman
Gods/Devas
Human beings/animals

107. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200
years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was
moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho
continued to flourish for some time.

108. Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho. Two of the four secondary shrines can be seen.

110. Shiva w/Parvati, Khajuraho, 11th century

111. Lakshman temple

115. Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas in South India. The name
Mamallapuram is believed to have been given after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who took on the epithet
Maha-malla (great wrestler), as the favorite sport of the Pallavas was wrestling.

119. Mamallapuram/Mahabalipuram, ca. 7th century

125. Thanks to the tourist for leaving the water bottle
From Mamallapuram

126. River goddess Ganga
Celestial couple

127. Lost-wax casting (also called by its French name, cire
perdue) is the process by which a metal (such as silver, gold,
brass or bronze) sculpture is cast from an artist's sculpture.
Intricate works can be achieved by this method, primarily
depending on the carver's skills. In industrial uses, the modern
process is called investment casting.

128. Krishna as a vanquisher of Kaliya, the snake

129. Nataraja

130. Shiva as Nataraja, bronze, Chola period, ca. 12th century
Krishna as Kalidamana

131. Parvati, 11th century
Chola bronzes combine dignity, gentleness and the
sensuousness of flesh in a beautiful manner.
Mother and child

133. Siva, The bronze was made in fine detail and with great
devotion. The achievement of art is in the response it awakens
within one. There is a warmth and humanity in this image of
Siva that one can immediately relate to. The quality of
tangible flesh is evident in the rear view of this masterpiece.
11th century
Saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar, bronze, 12th century

134. Shiva and Parvati, 12th century

135. Shiva as ascetic, Chola period, 10th-11 th century

136. Krishna and the Gopis from the Gitagovinda MS, Rajput (Mewar), watercolor on paper, 1550

138. Kukubha Ragini, c. 1680
Rajasthan, north-west India

139. Lalita Ragini (from a Ragamala), painted by
Sahibdin. Mewar School, Udaipur 1628. (15 x
21.5 cm) Khajanchi Collection, Bikaner

140. Krishna as Govardhan, Garhwal School, 18th century. It was most likely painted by
Mola Ram who carved a niche for himself in the history of Uttaranchal for his contribution to miniature painting.
He laid the foundation for the 'Garhwal School of Painting'. Mola Ram, born in 1743 near Srinagar, was also a
poet, philosopher and a statesman. Mola Ram worked during the rules of Maharaja Pradeep Shah, Maharaja Lalit
Shah, Jaikrit Singh and Maharaja Pradyuman Shah from 1777 to 1804.

141. Mewar Gitagovinda MS.
Krishna as Govardhana from Garhwal

142. Mughal art
Architecture
Painting
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
Album (miniature)
Illustrated (illuminated) manuscript
No sculpture

143. Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan.The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and
craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur
Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.

144. Fatehpur Sikri

145. Akbar-Nama
Ca. 1600
Tuti nama, ca. 1560

146. Akbar
Ruled from
1556-1605

147. Painting of flower by
Ustad Mansur, died after 1621
Arghan Div Brings the Chest of Armor to
Hamza, showing the cloth backing, painted
during Akbar’s time

148. A rare life-size portrait of the Mughal Emperor
Jahangir holding a globe, by Abu'l Hasan, Nadir alZaman (dated 1617 AD
Ruled 1605-1627

149. A manuscript depicting the Mughal Emperor Jahangir
and the Safavid Shah Abbas I of Persia (now Iran). It
represents the qualities of Mughal-Safavid Relations .
Allegorical

150. JG

151. Dying Inayat Khan, school of Jahangir
Early 17th century
Painting by Ustad Mansur
Employed by emperor Akbar in his
Royal atelier, ca. 1600

152. Emperor Shah Jahan on horse and on globe, ruled from 1628 until 1658