sacred spaces divine images midterm

henotheism

worship of one god without denying the existence of others

darshan

seeing and being seen by the deity

avatar

incarnation of a deity

proto-hindu

culture and religous systems that evolved into Hinduism

yaksha

male fertility spirit

yakshi

female fertility spirit

mithuna

couple in loving embrace

“golden age” of indian art. soft, smooth bodies, meditative eyes

gupta sculptural style 4-6th century CE

hierarchy of scale

important figures depicted larger

puranas

collection of Hindu scriptures, focus on central deities

plinth

heavy base supporting a structure

garba griha

“womb chamber” innermost sanctuary of a Hindu temple, site of the most important image

dvarapala- “door guard” guardian statue

gana

group serving a deity (shiva), ruled by ganesh

mandapa- pillared hall in Hindu temple

shikhara- gently curving tower

disc-like element above a shikhara temple

apotropaic

warding off evil

deva

“god” in sanskrit

vahana

animal vehicle or mount for a deity

brahma’s vahana, hamsa. swan goose/ can separate milk from water

shiva’s vahana, nandi. sacred white bull

vishnu’s vahana, garuda. half man half bird

avatar of vishnu, krishna. fun, playful, multiplied himself to dance with milkmaids

avatar of vishnu, vamana (dwarf)

nonanthropomorphic depiction of shiva (pillar/ stone column, set inside a yoni), SHIVALINGA (1-2 century bce)

how indus/ aryan culture impacted hinduism

proto-hindu archaeological find in indus valley (proto-shiva yogic/ phallic seals, fertility statues). they introduced the vedas and sanskrit language

buddhist/ hidu deity parallels

overlapping deities like brahman/ indra. in Hinduism, buddha is an avatar of vishnu.

cave temples to quarries

in 5-8th centuries ce, subtractive cave sculpture to additive masonry construction. freestanding structural stone temples emerged during gupta period with monolithic rock cutting transported stone blocks/ bricks

Terracotta figurine 7000 bce

Steatite seal with image of a yogin 2000 bce

Column of Heliodorus 2nd century bce

Yakshi plaque 2nd century bce

Lakshmi relief from a Buddhist stupa 2nd century bce

Chaitya Hall, Karli, 1st century ce/ bce. votive stupa

Kushan coin depicting an early form of Shiva, 2nd century bce

“Canonical” Buddha 1st century bce

Varaha (boar avatar of Vishnu) relief, Cave 5, Udayagiri, 5th century ce

Vishnu (Dashavatara) Temple, 6th century ce (gupta period)

Cave Temple of Shiva, Elephanta Island, 6th century ce

Narasimha relief, Cave 3, Badami, 6th century ce

Mamallapuram, Arjuna’s Penance, 7th century ce

lakshmi

vishnu’s wife, goddess of good luck and fortune. in buddhism as well

shivalinga

phallic collumn depiction of shiva

ganesh

elephant son of shiva and parvati

shakti

female aspect of a god

narasimha

lion head

mahadeva

the great god

brahma

the creator

shiva

the destroye

vishnu

the preserver