Posted: May 1st, 2022

Hinduism and Buddhism in South Asian Art

Hinduism and Buddhism in South Asian Art
South Asian art depicts Hinduism and Buddhism in various forms.
Both Hindu and Buddhist influences can be seen throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and they are particularly strong in the Indian subcontinent. Although some of these beliefs are still practiced in some modern countries in these regions, the effect of these beliefs during the ancient time was significant. When you look at the old art and architecture of this region, it is clear that these religions served as models and sources of inspiration for artists. History World published a report in 2013 stating that

The Hindu gods are shown in some of the most well-known Hindu artwork. Many works of art take descriptions of the gods and their traits and transform them into physical representations. These deities are mentioned in sacred scriptures (known as vedas). When you look at numerous paintings and sculptures, you will see that deities are usually shown with several arms and/or heads in order to demonstrate their omnipresence and omnipotence, as well as the various parts of their personality. (Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013)

Mandala designs, which are similar to representations of Hindu gods, were revered and disseminated by many Southeast Asian monarchs, who regarded them as sacred. As the name implies, the design is actually a series of concentric squares that were considered to assist in channeling universe’s energy for use on a personal, professional and imperial level. It was through this assimilation of Buddhist ideas into an artistic form that the manifestation of Buddhist (as well as Hindu) values in ancient Southeast Asian countries could be physically depicted. Brown, Daigoro, and Rolf (Brown, Daigoro, and Rolf, 1999)

In addition, the architecture of practically every Buddhist or Hindu-influenced structure was created in a symmetrical fashion. Besides being consistent with the mandala concept discussed above, this also had a practical benefit in that heavy rainfall from the region would be more easily channeled. Brown, Daigoro, and Rolf (Brown, Daigoro, and Rolf, 1999)

The evolution of art and architecture in the Indian subcontinent, as well as in the Southeast Asian region, was significantly influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism, as previously stated. The subject matter and intellectual motivation for much of this art would be substantially different if these influences had not had a role in it.

References
BUDDHIST AND HINDU ARCHITECTURE” is the title of this article. HistoryWorld – Timelines and historical events. This page was last modified on October 17, 2013.
Brown, Robert L., Daigoro Chihara, and Rolf W. Giebel published a paper titled “Hindu-Buddhist Architecture in Southeast Asia,” according to the author. The Journal of Asian Studies, volume 58.1, number 262, 1999. Print.
In “Hinduism and Hindu Art: A Thematic Essay,” “Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History,” and “The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” you will find the following information. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located in New York City. This page was last modified on October 17, 2013.

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