Indian Art and Architecture and its relation to Indian Music:

Every culture of the world develops from the beliefs,phase are found in the capital, Ahmadabad. The
practices and customs, traditions and values of itsMughal phase of the Indo-Islamic style, from the 16th
people. Through their lifestyle they develop systemsto the 18th century, developed to a high degree the
of moral codes and norms, which they enrich withuse of such luxurious materials as marble. The
their activities and customs, of, which the arts, music,culminating example of the style is the Taj Mahal in
architecture, literature etc. have been a very majorlyAgra. This domed mausoleum of white marble inlaid
integral component. To understand a kind of peoplewith gemstones was built (1632-1648) by the Mughal
the most important thing to study is their literature,emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife.
and art. In case of India, the cultures that haveIt stands on a platform set off by four slender
developed are not one but many. The subcontinentminarets and is reflected in a shallow pool.
has been a rich base for the cultivation of an evenBuilding in India since the 18th century has either
richer set of cultures, which have been influenced bycarried on the indigenous historical forms or has been
different settlers of over thousands of years. Themodelled after European models introduced by the
multitude of languages spoken and the mix ofBritish. Numerous examples of Western styles of the
religions present have further enriched the land and18th, 19th, and 20th centuries may be seen in public
its people. This paper in particular focuses on thebuildings, factories, hotels, and houses. The most
visual arts and architecture in relation to theiroutstanding example of modern architecture in India
influence on Indian music.is the city of Chandîgarh, the joint capital of
Indian art is highly symbolic. The much-developedHaryana and Punjab; the city was designed by the
ritual-religious symbolism presupposes the existenceSwiss-born French architect Le Corbusier in
of a spiritual reality that, being in constant touch withcollaboration with Indian architects. The broad layout
phenomenal reality, may make its presence andof the city was completed in the early 1960s. Notable
influence felt and can also be approached through thearchitectural features include the vaulted structure,
symbols that belong to both spheres. The art andtopped by a huge, concrete dome, and the use of
architecture produced on the Indian subcontinentconcrete grille and bright pastel colours in the Palace
dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. Therefore fromof Justice; the arrangement of concrete cubes
that alone it can be determined as to how culturallytopped by a concrete dome that is the Governor's
influenced it must have been. To Western eyes,Palace; and the use of projections, recesses, stair
Indian art can appear strikingly ornate, exaggeratedlytowers, and other contrasting elements to break the
sensuous, and voluptuous. A strong sense of designmonotony of the long façades of the
is also characteristic of Indian art and can besecretariat building, which are 244 m (800 ft) long.
observed in its modern as well as in its traditionalModern Indian architecture has incorporated Western
forms.styles, adapting them to local traditions and needs-as
Indian art is religious inasmuch as it is largelyin the design of the railway station at Alwar,
dedicated to the service of one of several greatRajasthan State.
religions. It may be didactic or edificatory as is theThe next most important aspect of Indian culture is
relief sculpture of the two centuries before and afterIndian Music. It is an element that forms an integral
Christ; or, by representing the divinity in symbolicpart of their religion in addition to the culture. Dance in
form (whether architectural or figural), its purposefact is an expression of that music and that too has
may be to induce contemplation and thereby put thereligious importance in Hinduism. However one other
worshipper in communication with the divine. Not allimportant issue to consider is that the art and the
Indian art, however, is purely religious, and some of itarchitecture of the land were greatly influenced by
is only nominally so. There were periods whenreligious beliefs and customs, as has been seen
humanistic currents flowed strongly under the guiseespecially by the Buddhist and Islamic religions. The
of edificatory or contemplative imagery, the artsame is true for the music. That too was greatly
inspired by and delighting in the life of this world.influenced by religion. In fact the first forms of music
Although Indian art is religious, there is no such thingwere religious hymns and ballads called bhajans. They
as a sectarian Hindu or Buddhist art, for style is awere songs sets to musical instruments such as the
function of time and place and not of religion. Thus itsitar and table and they were stories about religion
is not strictly correct to speak of Hindu or Buddhistand mythology.
art, but, rather, of Indian art that happens to renderJust as there is no such language as Indian, but
Hindu or Buddhist themes. For example, an image ofinstead many hundreds of languages, with over a
Vishnu and an image of Buddha of the same perioddozen considered major, so there is no single entity
are stylistically the same, religion having little to doas Indian music. The range of musical styles and
with the mode of artistic expression. Nor should thistraditions in the subcontinent of South Asia, which
be surprising in view of the fact that the artistscomprises modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal,
belonged to nondenominational guilds, ready to lendand Sri Lanka, is in proportion to the vastness of the
their services to any patron, whether Hindu, Buddhist,geographical area and the density of population. This
or Jaina.is most obviously the case with folk and tribal music.
The religious nature of Indian art accounts to someGiven that India is predominantly rural, it could be
extent for its essentially symbolic and abstractclaimed that such categories of music are those of
nature. It scrupulously avoids illusionistic effects,the majority. On the other hand, the rapid
evoked by imitation of the physical and ephemeraldevelopment of communications and wider access to
world of the senses; instead, objects are made inthe mass media have helped to create what is
imitation of ideal, divine prototypes, whose source isalmost, despite the language differences, a pan-Indian
the inner world of the mind. This attitude maypopular music, recorded and disseminated
account for the relative absence of portraiture andelectronically. This emanates from the Indian film
for the fact that, even when it is attempted, theindustry, the largest in the world, of which the
emphasis is on the ideal person behind the humanproducts tend to adhere to formulaic devices,
lineaments rather than on the physical likeness.including many songs and dances.
To be properly understood, the art of India must beWhat is usually understood by the term Indian music
placed in the ideological, aesthetic, and religiousrefers to the classical tradition, based on the melodic
framework of Indian civilization. This framework wassystem of raga and the rhythmic system of tala. This
formed as early as the 1st century BC and hasmusic is traced back thousands of years to the vedic
shown a remarkable continuity through the ages. Thechants of the early Hindu settlers, though it has
Hindu-Buddhist-Jain view of the world is largelyreached its present form in the last four or five
concerned with the resolution of the central paradoxhundred years. Its development over almost the last
of all existence, which is that change and perfection,two thousand years has been documented in a series
time and eternity, immanence and transcendence,of theoretical treatises, mostly written in Sanskrit,
operate dichotomously and integrally as parts of awhich enhance its status, whether they elucidate or
single process. In such a situation creation cannot beobscure its actual practices. The word commonly
separated from the creator, and time can befound in Sanskrit for music is sangit, which denotes
comprehended only as eternity. This conceptual view,the primacy of vocal music, with instrumental music
when expressed in art, divides the universe oflargely derived from it, and dance as a further integral
aesthetic experience into three distinct, althoughelement. Although it is not expected that musicians
interrelated, elements-the senses, the emotions, andwill be dancers, it is still vital that dancers be
the spirit. These elements dictate the norms formusicians. Muslim invasions and the establishment of
architecture as an instrument of enclosing andthe Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century and the
transforming space and for sculpture in its volume,Mughal Empire in the 16th century in the northern
plasticity, modeling, composition, and aesthetic values.part of the subcontinent greatly contributed to a
Instead of depicting the dichotomy between thebifurcation of classical music by the 16th century into
flesh and the spirit, Indian art, through a deliberatea northern tradition of Hindustani music, and a
sensuousness and voluptuousness, uses one with thesouthern tradition of Carnatic music, and a gradual
other through a complex symbolism that, forshift in both from religious application to a courtly
example, attempts to transform the fleshiness of aentertainment. Both retain their basis in raga and tala
feminine form into a perennial mystery of sex andand share many other general features, though they
creativity, wherein the momentary spouse standsare sufficiently different in detail to necessitate
revealed as the eternal mother.separate training. Since independence from British rule
The Indian artist deftly uses certain primeval motifs,in 1947 and the demise of the princely courts, Indian
such as the feminine figure, the tree, water, the lion,music has moved to the concert hall, the recording
and the elephant. In a given composition, although thestudio, and the world stage.
result is sometimes conceptually unsettling, theHindustani Music is the classical tradition of the
qualities of sensuous vitality, earthiness, muscularnorthern part of the Indian subcontinent, including
energy, and rhythmic movement remain unmistakable.Pakistan, Bangladesh and, to some extent,
The form of the Hindu temple; the contours of theAfghanistan. It also corresponds to the area of
bodies of the Hindu gods and goddesses; and theIndo-Aryan languages and the greatest
light, shade, composition, and volume in Indian paintingconcentrations of Muslims within a predominantly
are all used to glorify the mystery that resolves theHindu region. Many of its characteristics are traced
conflict between life and death, time and eternity.back to the court poet and musician, Amir Khusrou,
The arts of India expressed in architecture, sculpture,at the end of the 13th century. From his accounts,
painting, jewelers, pottery, metalwork, and textiles,and from treatises by other authors, it is clear that
were spread throughout the Far East with thethe Indian music of that time was already highly
diffusion of Buddhism and Hinduism and exercised asophisticated, and he is said to have introduced
strong influence on the arts of China, Japan,several Arabic and Persian elements. This process
Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, andcontinued under subsequent rulers, especially the
Java. These two religions with their various offshootsMughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century,
were dominant in India until Islam became powerfulwhose court boasted the legendary singer, Tansen,
from the 13th to the 18th century. With Islam, whichand the later Mughals and regional rulers in the 18th
forbids the representation of the human figure inand 19th centuries.
religious contexts, geometrical patterns became theUnder their patronage music became a matter of
most common form of decoration in art andprestige, and there was intense rivalry between
architecture created under India's Muslim rulers,courts and between the musicians themselves.
especially the Mughals.Repertoires were often jealously guarded, and much
The earliest surviving Indian architecture consists ofof the teaching was kept strictly within the family.
brick buildings. While early wooden structures haveThis helps to explain the rise of gharanas, traditions
generally not survived, later stone buildings, built in aassociated with different families, usually of Muslim
similar style, are known. The oldest traces ofcourt musicians and named after the city in which
architecture in India are the vestiges of buildings ofthey were employed. Although gharanas are still
burnt brick found at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa (nowtalked about as a means of indicating a musical
in Pakistan), dating from about 2500-1750 BC. Thepedigree, they have been dying out since the demise
subsequent Vedic period, which precedes theof the courts and the advent of recordings and rapid
beginning of historical styles, is represented by burialcommunication, and also because of the greater
mounds at Lauriya Nandangarh, in Bihâr State,mobility and independence of the musicians.
and rock-cut tombs in Malabar, Kerala State.When the great theorist, Bhatkhande, collected music
The establishment of historical styles began aboutfrom court musicians in the early years of the 20th
250 BC in the time of the Indian king Ashoka, whocentury, he found not only a huge range of
gave imperial patronage to Buddhism. Accordingly, thecompositions but also of performing styles. As part
monuments of this time were built for Buddhistof his effort to classify Hindustani music and reconcile
purposes. A characteristic Buddhist construction wastheory with practice, he grouped the thousands of
the tope, or stupa, a hemispherical or bell-shapedmelodic types, ragas, under ten scales, or thats. Only
masonry monument, typically surrounded by a railing,a fraction of the ragas in existence are in common
and with four entrances marked by gateways, anduse. The priority in Hindustani music is the maximum
designed as a shrine or reliquary. Buddhism waneddevelopment of the minimum material, so a musician
after the 5th century as Hinduism and Jainismneeds to know a few ragas in depth, rather than a
became dominant. The Jain and Hindu styleslarge number superficially.
overlapped and produced the elaborate alloverHowever the most important relation of Indian music
patterns carved in bands that became theto art is through the raga. Raga is the melodic basis
distinguishing feature of Indian architecture. The Jainsof Indian classical music. Each raga has infinite
often built on a gigantic scale, a marked feature ofpossibilities of variation, and a skilful performer can
their architecture being pointed domes constructedextend improvised and composed material from a
of level courses of corbelled stones.few minutes to well over an hour. The origin of the
The Hindu style is closely related to the Jain style. Itword, from a Sanskrit root meaning color, suggests
is divided into three general categories: northern,that a raga is more than a musical idea. Its correct
from AD 600 to the present; central, from 1000 torendition must instill a certain mood in its listeners,
1300; and southern, or Dravidian, from 1350 to 1750.creating aesthetic delight (rasa), and ragas have been
In all three periods the style is marked by greatassociated with paintings and poetic aphorisms in the
ornateness and the use of pyramidal roofs. Spire-likethousand or so years of their existence. Therefore
domes terminate in delicate finials. Other featuresthe visual arts through the paintings and their
include the elaborate, grand-scale gopuras, or gates,rendition into architecture have influenced music
and the choultries, or ceremonial halls. The next stylethrough the development of the ragas. There are
that remained dominant was that of the Islamic era.many and they in turn form the basis for all kinds of
Islamic architecture in India dates from the 13thmusical interpretations.
century to the present. Brought to India by the firstIn the North Indian tradition of Hindustani music, ragas
Muslim conquerors, Islamic architecture soon lost itsare also assigned to particular times of the day or
original purity and borrowed such elements fromnight, and, in many cases, also to seasons of the
Indian architecture as courtyards surrounded byyear. Each raga must be distinguishable from all
colonnades, balconies supported by brackets, andothers, whether in the Hindustani or the southern
above all, decoration. Islam, on the other hand,tradition of Carnatic music.
introduced to India the dome, the true arch,The development of the raga will normally continue
geometric motifs, mosaics, and minarets. Despitewith one or more compositions, set in particular talas,
fundamental conceptual differences, Indian andor time cycles. In vocal music, which is always
Islamic architecture achieved a harmonious fusion,pre-eminent in Indian music, the main Hindustani song
especially in certain regional styles.forms are the khyal and dhrupad, and there are
Indo-Islamic style is usually divided into three phases:several shorter forms, usually of a lighter nature, such
the Pashtun, the Provincial, and the Mughal. Examplesas thumri, and tarana.Khyal, as its name suggests, has
of the earlier Pashtun style in stone are atstrong Muslim influences, while dhrupad, a term from
Ahmadabad in Gujarat State, and in brick atSanskrit, is older and regarded as essentially Hindu,
Gaur-Pandua in West Bengal State. These structuresalthough it developed to its present form in the
are closely allied to Hindu models, but are simpler andMughal courts.
lack sculptures of human figures. The dome, the arch,Conclusively it can be said that the development of
and the minaret are constant features of the style.music descended for art, in the sense that the basis
The Provincial style reflected the continued rebellionof Indian music the ragas, were musical expressions
of the provinces against the imperial style of Delhi.of the existing art, and architectural depictions of the
The best example of this phase is in Gujarat, whereperiods and styles that they were developed in. In
for almost two centuries until 1572, when Emperoraddition it can also be determined that Indian music is
Akbar finally conquered the region, the dynasties thatthe soul of the Indian culture whose body is the art
succeeded one another erected many monuments inof the subcontinent.
varying styles. The most notable structures in this