THIRD QUARTER

Arts of South Asia

INDIA
- Seventh largest country by land
area;
- Second most populous country
(with over 1.2 billion); and
- Most populous democracy in the
world.
 - Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Sikhism
- Islam
- Christianity
- Jainism
During the Vedic period (c. 1700 –
500 BCE),the foundations of Hindu
philosophy, mythology, theology
and literature were laid, and many
beliefs and practices which still
exist today, such
as dhárma, kárma, yóga,
and mokṣa, were established.
 INDIAN
LITERATURE
The earliest literary writings in
India, composed between 1700
BCE and 1200 CE, were in the
Sanskrit language.
Prominent works of this Sanskrit
literature include epics such as
the Mahābhārata and
the Ramayana, and Kamasutra,
the famous book about sexual
intercourse also originated in
India.
 ART and
ARCHITECTURE
VASTU SHASTRA
- "science of construction" or
"architecture”
- explores how the laws of nature affect
human dwellings;
- it employs precise geometry and
directional alignments to reflect
perceived cosmic constructs.
 TAJ MAHAL
- built in Agra between 1631 and 1648
by orders of Emperor Shah Jahan in
memory of his wife;
- UNESCO World Heritage List as "the
jewel of Muslim art in India and one of
the universally admired masterpieces
of the world's heritage".
TRADITIONAL INDIAN
CLOTHING
 SARI or SAREE
- traditional Indian
women clothing.
- formal occasions.
- a strip of unstitched
cloth draped over the
body in various ways.
Saris are usually known with
different names in different places.
1. Kavanis – white saris with golden
borders in Kerala;
2. Mundu – a simple white sari worn as
a daily wear;
3. Pudavai – saris in Tamil Nadu; and
4. Seere – saris in Karnataka.
 DHOTI
- traditional Indian men strip
cloth.
- wrapped around the waist
and fixed with belt
 PATTU PAVADAI
-usually worn by teenage
and small girls;
- a cone-shaped skirt,
usually of silk, that hangs
down from the waist to the
toes with golden border at
the bottom.
 DASTAR
- also known as a pagri.
- worn to protect the long
uncut hair
 GANDHI CAP
- a white colored cap made
of khadi was popularized
by Mahatma Gandhi during
the Indian independence
movement.
- symbolic tradition for
politicians and social activists.
INDIAN CUSTOMS
There are three national
holidays: Republic Day (26
January), Independence
Day (15 August), and Gandhi
Jayanti (2 October) which occur
on the same day every year.
 Indians value their family
system a lot. Typically, an
Indian's family encompasses
what would be called the
extended family.
It is routine for Indians to live as
part of the paternal family unit
throughout their lives - i.e. sons
live together with their parents
all their lives, and daughters live
with their parents till they get
married.
 "We live in a wonderful world that is
full of beauty, charm and adventure.
There is no end to the adventures we
can have if only we seek them with our
eyes open.“
— Jawaharlal Nehru