South Asian Art and Architecture

• South Asia is the most densely populated geographical region globally.
• The earliest South Asian culture originated from the Indus Valley Civilizations (3300-1300 BCE).
• During the Gupta period (300-543 CE), temple and monastery construction increased.

Notable Structures

• Nalanda is a large Buddhist monastery and a learning hub.
• Ajanta Caves are rock-cut cave monuments housing some of India's earliest art masterpieces.
• Traditional South Asian arts share similarities across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to close and interwoven histories.

Traditional Costume

• South Asian countries share similarities in visual arts, architecture, costume, and attire, often involving fabrics wrapped or draped.
• Sari is a common dress for women in the Indian subcontinent, involving cloth draped over an undercloth.
• Choli is often worn with a blouse.
• Dhoti is a wrapped garment for men, tucked to resemble loose-fitting pants.
• Lungi is a sarong-type fabric worn as a skirt.
• Pajamas are traditional stitched loose pants.
• Salwar is a set pairing of pants
• Kamiz is a long tunic.

Jewelry and Accessories

• A maang tikka is a head ornament with a pendant that falls on the forehead.
• Koda indicates arms decorated with a bangle.
• Kondora emphasizes the hips with a decorative chain.
• Mehndi is a temporary tattoo or body ornament made using the henna plant.
• Turban is a headdress worn by men, symbolizing honor and respect.

Architecture (500 BCE-1200 CE)

• Architectural feats mainly involved religious monuments.
• Rock-cut Architecture includes structures carved from mountains or cliffs.
• Ellora Caves is an example of rock-cut architecture built from 600-1000 CE.
• Stupa is a burial mound for Buddha's remains, used for meditation.

Types of Stupas

• Relic stupa houses the relics of Buddha or other Buddhist figures.
• Object stupa houses items related to Buddha or Buddhism.
• Commemorative stupa honors important life events of Buddha.
• Symbolic stupa serves to represent aspects of Buddhism.
• Votive stupa commemorates visits or seeks spiritual favors and is similar to wealthy patrons sponsoring a church.
• Great Stupa of Sanchi is the oldest stupa, holding Buddha's remains and was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka around the third century BCE.
• Virupaksha Temple is a Bangalore, India, Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mughal Architecture began in the sixteenth century when Muslims from Central Asia invaded South Asia.
• Taj Mahal exemplifies Mughal architecture.

Paintings

• Painting is called citrabhasa, which means the semblance of sculpture.
• Tanjore Painting originated in southern India and gained popularity during the ninth century.
• Mughal Painting developed during the Mughal Empire.

Sculpture

• Most Indian sculptures are decorations in temples.
• Pillars of Ashoka are columns with animal capitals across the Indian subcontinent.
• Gommateshwara Statue is a Jain sculpture of Bahubali.
• Islamic Sculptural Motifs mark a change in sculptural tradition during Islamic rule in South Asia.
• Parchinkari is an inlay technique using polished stones to create images.

Decorative Arts and Crafts

• Craftwork in the Indian subcontinent includes pottery, carvings, basketry, puppets, and textiles with a love of color.

Mandala

• Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism share doctrines, such as reincarnation and enlightenment, using similar symbols in art.
• Yantra is a mandala diagram used for worship, prayer, and meditation in Hinduism.
• Mandala patterns appear in stupas, paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts in Buddhism.
• Tibetan sand mandalas are created using colored sand.
• Truck Art is modern paintings in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
• Kolam is a decorative tradition rather than a craft.

Explore South Asian art, architecture, and costume. Discover notable structures like Nalanda and Ajanta Caves. Learn about traditional clothing like sari, dhoti and lungi.