analytical study of ragamala paintings

Abstract

newline Another significant feature of the ancient Indian art was its vision of life and its world view. That inward vision and a sense of peace and tranquility are its hallmarks. The old paintings serve as a valuable record of the thoughts and aspirations of our ancients. These ancient arts present the world as a great harmony that blends seamlessly into the whole of creation. It recognizes the oneness that exists in all of us, in the animals, the flowers, the trees, the leaves and even in the breeze which moves the leaves. All that is seen as a manifestation of that one. Indian art is often classified as religious art, though not all Indian art is purely religious, and some of it is only nominally. So the impression was perhaps grafted by the contemplative imagery presented by the ancient Indian art. But, the art, in general, was inspired by life, by reflecting upon human concerns and aspirations; and celebrating and delighting in the life of this world. Even the religious art is not sectarian. It is at once Hindu, Buddhist and Jain, for its style was a function of time and region and not of religion. Thus, it is not strictly correct to speak of Hindu or Buddhist art, but, rather, of Indian art that happened to render Hindu or Buddhist themes. For example, an image of Vishnu and an image of Buddha of the same period are stylistically the same, religion having little to do with the mode of artistic expression.3 The Indian art that rendered religious themes shared a common pool of symbols and avoided imitation of the physical and ephemeral world of the senses. For instance ,in all the Hindu , Jaina and Buddhist themes , alike, the Chakra - the revolving wheel of time symbolizes the cyclical rhythms of all existence; the Padma - or the lotus embodies creation - that springs from the bosom of the earth; the Ananta (represented as a snake) symbolizes water - the most important life-giving force from which all life emerges, evolves and then resolves; the Swastika - represents the four-fold aspects of creation ,