Tuesday 9 September 2014

Rich Art Craft of Indian Culture

Arts, crafts and handicrafts – India is the name that comes to your mind. With thousands years of history and more beyond that, multiple ethnicities, religions and cultures – India has a variety of crafts unparalleled by any other country or culture. Each state and every region in India has a rich tradition of handicrafts and art works that narrate the legacy of Indian culture. Crafts in India presents a unique online heritage tour of the major crafts centers of India.

A collection of three museums comprise the Sanskriti: the Museum of Everyday Art, the Museum of Indian Terracotta, and the Museum of Indian Culture Textiles. There are also childrens’ workshops, guided tours, craft demonstrations, lectures, and seminars on site. A special library containing over 2000 books on art, culture, museums, Indian Culture textile traditions, and terracottas round out the educational mix.    

The earliest specimens of Indian Culture painting are the ones on the walls of the Ajanta Caves dating back to 2nd century BC. The typical ‘figures in profile’ art of India came to be when the Jain manuscripts were being illustrated. The Mughals had a huge impact on Indian Culture art. The miniature, which had been only on palm leaves in the northeast, came into prominence. The influence of Persian art brought placid garden scenes, illustrations from myths, legends and history into Indian art and craft. Later schools include the Bengal School of Tagore and the Company School of European influence. More recently the opulent paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, the paintings of M.F. Hussain, Jamini Roy and Ganesh Pyne among others rule the art scene.

Word craft, handicrafts, architecture and sculpture all contribute to this rich and varied domain. Indian Culture literature, both in English and in the vernacular, is ever more popular around the world. Handicrafts are as varied as the country itself. The Mughal and colonial structures and the temple architecture across the length and breadth of the country are testaments to the lands exciting past. Sculptures adorn temple walls, stupas, street junctions and ancient caves. The oldest schools are the Gandhara and the Mathura.

India is a land of many religions with its deep historical roots. It is the home to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, and has also given adequate space to migratory religions like Islam and Christianity. Indian religion is not reachable without understanding its religious beliefs and practices, which have a large impact on the society and its people.

Enjoy the mouth-watering delicacies of Indian food. Rich and diverse Indian cuisine is simply tempting and irresistible. The North Indian, South Indian Culture and East and West Indian Cuisine have their own flavor and specialties. Traditionally, meals are eaten while sitting on the floor with the fingers of the right hand.

The legacy of dance in India is tremendous. On temple walls, on an urban stage, in impromptu bursts by a mellow evening fire, men and women twinkle their toes in expression of joy. The classical dances of India are numerous. Characterised by stylised movements and elaborate costumes, these dances communicate age-old tales of love, longing and rage. Kathakali of Kerala, Bharatnatyam of Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri and Odissi from Orissa are the prominent dance forms in this country that sways to an altogether novel beat.

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