HOA 3 (AMACE)

Indus Region

Home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations.

Indus Valley Civilization

Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE) mainly in the northwestern regions of South Asia, extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India

India

Located in the Northern Hemisphere; World's 7th largest country & world's 2nd largest population

Northern Region (India Geography)

Mountain zone of the Himalayas.

Southerly range of Himalayas (India Geography)

the great northern plain

Indo-Gangetic plain

Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra; India's three great rivers

Western Region

Divides India from Pakistan; the Kashmir and Punjab plains.

Soapstone

metamorphic rock of talc schist of Halebid

Shisham

Indian Rosewood; hardwood found in the river valleys of the North.

Rhats

rock-cut temples in Mamallapuram and Ellora

Religion

Basis of Social Structure

1. Vedism and Brahmanism

2. Hinduism

3. Jainism

4. Buddhism

5. Sikhism

6. Islam

Vedism and Brahmanism

Polytheistic religion (1500 B.C.E.) by Aryan tribes who gradually conquered the earlier Indus civilization

Veda

knowledge, scripture

Vedism

worship of trees, stones & water; lacked the concepts of karma and reincarnation

Soma

Drink of Strength, liberation of liquor made of vegetable matter

Brahmanism

it developed an increasingly pronounced theism and a heroic tradition that reflected the military character of India, towards the beginning of the Christian era.

Theory of Bhakti

"trusting worship"

Asceticism

Yoga

Spiritual Knowledge

Jñana

Mahabharata

a great Indian mystical epic poem, 'Song of the Blessed'

Hinduism

• sublime Vedic philosophies

• dogmatic Brahmanical rituals

• Yogic mysticism

• Tantrik occultism

• fertility cults

• monastic orders

• pagan customs

• the belief in one God who manifests as innumerable divine beings.

Brahma

chief god, father of the Brahman Trinity, has 4 heads (3 of which representing their trinity) & recreates the universe in a never-ending cycle

Saktas (Hindu Deities)

worship a Mother Goddess, God incarnate in female form

Saivites (Hindu Deities)

worship the god Siva

Vaishnavites (Hindu Deities)

worship the god Vishnu

Durga

Beautiful woman with a gentle face, rides a lion with 10 arms holding weapons with which she vanquishes the demons who threaten the dharma.

Kali

fierce form; portrayed dripping with blood, necklace of skulls symbolizing her aspect as the destroyer of evil which means transformation

Siva or Shiva

Creator, preserver, destroyer, personal Lord, friend, primal Soul. Sometimes depicted as dancing above the body of the demon he killed

Tantric belief

incorporates an ideal of balance of male and female qualities within a person

God of yogis

ymbolizes asceticism, shown in austere meditation on Mount Kailas, clad only in a tiger skin, with a snake around his neck

Vishnu

merciful deity; the Supreme as a person, have appeared in many earthly incarnations

Three important pillars of the Indian Life

1. Caste System

2. Family

3. Village

Caste System

originated from the Aryans, in order to maintain the purity of their blood and to maintain white supremacy

Dalits

Outcasts/Untouchables, without a varna; deal with dead animals or human bodies

Brahmins

Priests

Kshatriyas

Kings, Rulers, Warriors

Vaisyas

Merchants, Skilled Workers

Sudras

Farm Workers, Servants

Mahavira

"Great hero" founder of Jainism

Jainism

Established in the 6th c. BCE which is based on asceticism and ahimsa, theory and practice of non-violence

Agamas

Sacred text (Jainism)

Digambara

"sky clad", monks carry asceticism to the point of rejecting even clothing

Shvetambara

"White clad"; a member of the Jain sect in which monks and nuns wear white clothing

Karma

invisible material substance that interferes with liberation and can only be dissolved through asceticism.

Siddhartha Gautama

Founder of Buddhism, Buddha (enlightened one); Sakya Prince

Buddhism

A religion based on the teachings of the Buddha.

Buddha

Enlightened One

Theravada

"the Lesser Vehicle"; faithful to ancient rules Maha

Mahayana

"the Great Vehicle"; worship of bodhisattvas or creatures of charity

Emperor Ashoka

3rd most powerful Mauryan Emperor, who created the first pan-indian empire

Buddhist Monasteries

places of international pilgrimage and dissemination of learning

Islam

Medieval Christianity as Mahomet, "God is One", youngest of the 3 monotheistic world; Founded by Muhammad/ Mohammed in the 7th century, also known to Medieval Christianity as Mahomet

Sikhism

Panentheistic religion founded during the 15th c. in the Punjab region by Guru Nanak; the all pervading spirit, emphasis on the principle of equality of all humans

Mehgarh, Pakistan

first urban civilization of South Asia in 6500-6000 BCE; Precursor to the Indus Valley Civilization

Harappa, Punjab

ELEVATED CITADEL; ancient city contains the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city, which was part of the Cemetery H culture and the Indus Valley Civilization

Harappans

Developed writing, counting, and building drainage systems that ran into brick-lined sewers and dug canals to irrigate the farms

Mohenjo-Daro

Largest city of the Indus Valley civilization, planned layout based on a street grid of rectilinear buildings; 300 hectares

Lothal

a bead factory, world's earliest known system of flush toilets connected to a common sewerage pipe; City walls functioned as a barrier against floods

Vedic Period

Aryans, first invaders came from the northwest settling at Punjab; Indo-Aryan and Dravidian cultures emerged during early centuries

Indo-Aryans

advanced skills in arts and sciences, livestock-raising, metal handicrafts, carpentry, boatbuilding, and military science

Hindu temples

scared structure and abode of their GOD; CRADLE of Knowledge, Art and Architecture

Mandir

Temple; enlightenment

Artha

prosperity, wealth

Kama

pleasure, sex

Dharma

virtues, ethical life

Moksha

release, self-knowledge

Macrocosm

the universe

Microcosm

the inner space

Shilpa Shastras

Science of Silpa - Arts and Crafts

• icons, stone murals, painting etc.

Vastu Shastra

the science of architecture

• building houses, temples, village, etc

Sthapatis

temple architects commissioned to design and construct the temple

Mandala

Visualized in the basic plan of a Hindu temple; circle circumscribes the square, expression of sacred geometry meeting ground of heaven and earth

Vastu

building

Purusha

universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition

Vastu-Purusha-Mandala Geometrical design

Center is called the station of Brahma; Surrounding Brahma are the places of twelve other entities known as the sons of Aditi

Grama Vinyasa

temple is usually in the center of village

Direction of a Hindu temple

always face east, place of origin of the sun

Cave Temples

Chandrabhaga, Chalukya and Ellora, Ajanta and Elephanta

Mountain Temples

Masrur

Step Well temple

Mata Bhavani, Ankol Mata and Huccimallugudi

Forest temples

Kasaun and Kusama

River bank and Sea shore temples

Somnath

Indian Construction materials

Varies from timber to mud, plaster, brick and stone (granite and sandstone)

Main Shrine (Temple Complex)

central sanctum enshrines the main deity; other deities in secondary sanctums or shrines

Spacious Halls of temple (Temple Complex)

place for the recitation and listening of folktales

Vimana

Sanctuary as a whole

Garbhagriha

the womb chamber, innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple, where the primary idol or deity is housed along with Purusa

Shikhara

a pyramidal tower built over the sanctuary of a Hindu temple, represents Meru; over inner chamber and the most prominent and visible part

Pradakashina Patha

ambulatory passageway for circumambulation; consists of enclosed corridor around the outside of garbhagriha; devotees walk around the deity in clockwise direction

Dravidian (Hindu Temple Style)

southern style, found between Krishna River and Cape Comorin, like miniature towns

Gopuram

watch tower/sculptured gateway, only found in southern India (Dravidian Style)

Nagara (Hindu Temple Style)

northern style, found between Vindhyas and Himalayas, beehive shaped tower; Use of a square, star or cruciform plan

Vesara (Hindu Temple Style)

mixed style, found between the Krishna and Vindhyas; adopted the square for the sanctum, circular or stellar plan was retained for the vimana

Brihadishwara temple (Thanjavur, India)

world's 1st completed granite temple, built by the Chola King Rajarajara I, 66m high making it one of the tallest temples in the world

Amalaka (Parts of a Hindu Temple)

cupola; Cushion type or flattened fluted melon shaped massive stone member crowning the top of shikhara

Mandapa (Parts of a Hindu Temple)

known also as Nata-mandira- temple hall of dancing, Pillared Outdoor Hall in front of the garbhagriha

Antarala (Parts of a Hindu Temple)

intermediate chamber, unites the main sanctuary and the pillared hall of the temple

Ardhamandapa (Parts of a Hindu Temple)

Front porch or the main entrance of the temple leading to the mandapa

Gopurams (Parts of a Hindu Temple)

typical gateways, gate pyramids, monumental and ornate stone watch tower; only found in Southern India (Dravidian Style)

Toranas (Parts of a Hindu Temple)

typical gateway of the temple mostly found in north Indian temple