"The man who knows nothing of music, literature, or art is no better than a beast," ancient Hindu wisdom warned, "only without a beast's tail or teeth." Indian wisdom has always deemed art to be the key to the salvation of ultimate release from reincarnation sought by all Hindus. Hindu art in it's purest form is Yoga, a disciplined style of worship and self restraint.

The following video is a demonstration of the art of yoga.

Bendy


Hinduism is the predominant religion in India, a country that is home to more than 1 billion people, a sixth of the world's population. As such, the culture is full of different aspects of life that are effected by art. Museums from around the world house both obscure and well-known Hindu artworks that date back from before common era, all the way up to present day. There are 64 traditional arts that stem from Hindu culture, and as religion and culture are inseparable, recurring symbols such as the Hindu gods, their reincarnations, the lotus flower, and extra limbs make appearances in many sculptures, paintings, music lyrics, and dance choreography.

vishnu.jpgshiva.jpgparvati.jpgnataraja.jpglovers.jpg
The following link is an article from The Metropolitan Museum of Art on museum research in Hindu artworks of past and present. Enjoy the slideshow of well known collections at the top of the linked page. If you scroll over each image during the slideshow, a description of each piece as well as it's date of origin will appear.

Hinduism and Hindu Art by The Metropolitan Museum of Art