Articles

According to Oxford Dictionary, an apt synonym for Odyssey – a long and eventful journey, would be a crusade. Looking at India’s journey in the World of Art, Architecture and all things cultural can be rightfully called a crusade. When one takes a careful glance at the history of art and its evolution, instead of a careless nonchalant look over the shoulder, one may find out that the evolution of Art has been quite different in India from the remaining Nations. And over the centuries and millennia withstanding barbaric attacks to colonization, India was and continues to remain one of the nations to withhold its identity. It is not reasonably possible to discuss the cultural journey of independent post-colonial India without diving back into its ancient history. 

India’s cultural journey has seen many phases. The first and initial phase was that of Ancient India- when science, arts, development, and wealth were at their zenith. India had some of the best universities to boast of, attracting students from all over Southern and South-Eastern Asia. This resulted in the promulgation of knowledge and culture, including two of the major world religions – Jainism and Buddhism, to different parts of the world. Aside from the ground-breaking education system, the immense wealth attracted the attention of kings/queens and emperors/empresses willing to loot, capture, or colonize a nation. 

In its next phase, India’s culture saw massive shifts. The influx of people from different cultures and regions resulted in these people leaving their cultural mark on India. From a glass-half-full perspective, this resulted in a beautiful amalgamation of different cultures in India. But looking from the perspective of indigenous artists it wasn’t precisely a two-step mutual process. Neither was it the result of commoners from different parts of the world. No, it was the result of the ruthless conquerors who came to India. Then came colonisation and along with it a sense of identity loss. During this time cultural outlets such as songs, novels, and even sports such as cricket and football became a route for the freedom fight. A fight to win back the identity of the nation as a whole. The third and current phase of India’s cultural odyssey is that of a post-colonization nation finding its identity and reviving it. A nation as a whole working towards rebuilding itself. 

When we speak of Indian art, a variety of art forms are being collectively addressed – from textile arts to Bidriware. Archibald Carlyle, an English archaeologist known for his works in India, was the one to discover the earliest known rock carvings in India, which are, as of yet, suspected to be on this Earth for a deca-millennium. Early Indian Art – mainly depicts day-to-day human lives and essential personalities – like priests during the Indus Valley Civilization and Emperors during the Gupta and Maurya Empires. The coexisting Southern kingdoms on the other hand had their art mostly in temples and sculptures. Bengal had also become a force to reckon with in the world of painting. 

Even with Islamic conquests in India, the influence of Turks and Persians was not quite seen in fine arts. Emperor Humayun during his reign brought with him accomplished painters to India, beginning a new era of fine arts in India. At the same time under the Deccan Sultanates, art flourished in Vedic techniques – metal casting, stone carving, and paintings. When India was turned into a British Colony, many art patrons became less wealthy. The consequent founding of Art schools by the English led to Western Art being popularized in India. In major cities, before the independence of India, small paintings of the Company style named after its patrons the East India Company became common. Simultaneously, Indian painting became a form of Swadeshi under the Bengal School of Art led by Abanindranath Tagore. Present-day Indian art is a reflection of art from all over the world. 

Literature has had a great impact on India since the Vedic Age irrespective of language barriers. In Ancient India, literature shaped the lives of the gentlefolk, be it the Vedas in the Vedic Age, Ved Vyasa’s Mahabharat, Valmiki’s Ramayana, or the works of the great Sanskrit poet and playwright, Kalidasa. It also played a role in propagating religious ideas and ideologies, showing people an ideal lifestyle, society, and a morally fulfilling life. The Sangam literature similarly has religious texts and poems and deals with human emotions and relations. Every region of India can boast of having made its contribution to Indian literature.

With the arrival of Turks, Persians, and later the Mughal rulers, Urdu and Hindi literature became a part of the vast sea of Indian literature. During the British Colonial Era, literature became a medium for the fight for freedom. From patriotic novels and stories to articles in newspapers against the British Raj, India had proved that pen if needed could be stronger than swords. In present-day independent India, literature still has a profound impact on the lives of people. Currently, there are stories, poems, and dramas from almost all walks of life, covering several genres and subgenres. 

In India several different styles of architecture can be found, each having its significance in the history and culture of our motherland. Although there are stone structures from the Neolithic Age, the earliest surviving architecture in India is the Indian rock-cut architecture which was used to build several Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples. Notably, the styles used to make Hindu temples were the Dravidian style in Southern India and the Nagara style in Northern India. Most of the free-standing architecture today is attributed to the Gupta period, especially the beginnings of Hindu temple architecture. According to Milo Beach, an American art historian, it was under the Guptas, that India joined other civilizations in making temples that were architectural marvels. 

In the 7th century AD, under the influence of Turks, Persians, and then later under the Delhi Sultanate began the Indo-Islamic architecture in the Indian subcontinent. The Indian Trabeate style was quickly replaced by the Arcuate style. Other significant yet regional architectural styles were Rajput, Sikh, Dzong, and Bengal architecture. With colonization, India saw the rise of European colonial architecture which included the Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture, Romanesque-Italianate, and Neoclassical architecture.

 In Independent India, with the first flush of freedom came the revivalism of architectural styles. Since 1950, Indian architecture has taken the modernism route in the shadow of famous international architects Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. Yet Indian architecture is not a simple mimicry of international modernism. The usage of deep overhangs, courtyards, shading devices, pergolas, and jaali screens by the Indian architects not only creates an aesthetic climate response but also adds a flavour to modernism creating our very own Indian architecture. This mix of modernism and traditional insights in Indian architecture is known as Critical Revivalism. 

In 1896, the Lumiere brothers were the first to introduce motion pictures to India. Little did they know that this very country would become the producer of the most significant number of films, with a staggering number of 3000 films, in a year. Albeit the story-telling prowess was always our own. On careful inspection and introspection, it is clear that the narrative of most Indian movies was heavily influenced by the Indian epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana. The usage of techniques such as a back story about an incident or a morally grey character and a subplot can be sourced back to these epics and contemporary literary works. 

India’s contribution to the world, in general, is immense. The first university- Takshashila University, usage of zero in mathematical operations, the board games such as “Chess” and “Snakes and Ladders”, all took birth in this very nation. Something as trivial yet crucial as a button was founded in India. To conclude I would like to quote Mark Twain, the American author, and humourist, “India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”