Foundations of Indian Art: Unlike some other cultures, Arts in India are a unified whole and their different disciplines cannot be seen in isolation. A common philosophical foundation runs through every form of Indian art making every discipline a part of the bigger whole and yet complete in itself. In this lecture, we will discuss the foundational principles of Indian art.
Indian Aesthetics: In this lecture, we will explore how India has a unique theory of what is good, what is beautiful and what is true. The theory of what is beautiful constitutes the discipline of Indian aesthetics. Aesthetics in India is more than the theory of 'how it looks'. It goes deeper into the human psyche and explores the reasons of why something appears beautiful to the human eye.
Indian Theory of Emotion: In this lecture, we will discuss and understand the role of emotional intelligence from an Indic perspective. The Indian Education System always emphasized the importance of proper cultivation of emotions for the proper integration of various aspects of personality. We will explore the concept of Rasa (essence) and Bhava (feelings) as a fundamental aspect of Indian theory of emotion.
Indian Drama: While in the West, Drama is a sub-genre of Literature, in India, Drama is the primary art form, from which every other art form including literature emerged. India holds the unique distinction of having the first systematic text on the art of Drama and Aesthetics. The Rasa Theory is the most fundamental and complete philosophy which cuts across all disciplines of Arts. In this lecture, we will cover these topics.
Indian Painting: Painting in India has always been a tradition too closely wedded with sculpture. The same aesthetic and iconographic principles which work for sculpture work for painting, with obvious adjustments for the reduced dimension. Only in the medieval era did it become somewhat independent of sculpture. In this lecture, we will discuss the form of Indian Painting as well as its historical development.
Architecture as the Sacred Geometry: This will explore the principles and practices of classical Indian architecture, in India and beyond, and its attempt to embed the cosmos in sacred as well as secular structure. No other civilization has achieved the heights in sculpture and architecture that India has achieved and yet, surprisingly, this seemingly concrete art form has evolved to convey the subtlest principles of Indian philosophy. In this lecture, we will go deep into Architecture as Sacred Geometry.
Temple as a Living Tradition: Temple in India is not just a physical structure. Along with being a repository of almost all forms of Indian Arts including architecture, sculpture, painting, music, dance and theatre, it is also a living tradition, a living entity. It also functioned as a legal authority and a hub of economic activity of the town. Also managing agriculture and food practices of the people and places connected to it, the Hindu temple is a complete social institution along with being a spiritual institution. In this lecture, we will highlight these aspects.
Indian Music: In this lecture, we will discuss the basic features of Indian Classical Music. Ancient Indians were deeply impressed by the spiritual power of music, and it is out of this inspiration that Indian classical music was born. India is said to be the birthplace of many world famous music, dance and art forms. The Indian classical music is one of the ancient musical traditions in the world and is the base for many other music genres. The two important genres of Indian classical music are Carnatic music and Hindustani music. We will discuss the time theory of Raga to understand the intimate connection between time and music and how it has evolved in India.
