Indian

Art
Form
(18LEM110L)
Assignment – II
By: Paridhi Agarwal (RA2111019010048)
Ankur Saha (RA2111019010049)
Daksh Raturi (RA2111019010054)
Aditya Jain (RA2111019010064)
Aarohi Mathur (RA2111019010071)

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 MODULE 2
Session 1- SLO 1
Indus Valley civilization paintings on pottery
In Indus Valley Civilization, pottery was an important industry and the significance of the
pottery can be noted from the fact that Harapan pictographically scripts were mainly found on
potteries. Indus Valley Civilization Pottery, remained plain most of the times and it further
enabled us to understand the gradual evolution of various design motifs as employed in
different shapes, and styles. Indus Valley Civilization consists chiefly of wheel made wares
(although potters' wheels, being made of wood, have not survived) both plain and painted while
the plain pottery (usually of red clay with or without a fine red slip) is more common than the
painted ware (of red and black colours).
The painted decorations consist of horizontal lines of varied thickness, scales, chequers, leaf
patterns, lattice work, palm and pipal trees. Additionally, Birds, fishes and animals are also
shown. Among the notable shapes found in the Harappan pottery are pedestal, dishes, goblets,
cylindrical vessels perforated all over and various kinds of bowls. The uniformity in the forms
and paintings on the pottery is difficult to explain and normally the explanation of this
uniformity is the fact that the local potters made the pottery. However, it is still unclear how
such a large area exhibited a uniform pottery tradition. Although the Indus pottery is mostly
represented by the plain bases but few ring bases discovered were on handmade pottery, which
was supposed to be baked at home. Pottery made on potter's wheel and burnt in kilns, has
shown marks of stamp which might indicate that a few varieties of vessels were traded also.
(Source: https://neostencil.com/upsc-art-culture-indus-valley-civilization-pottery)

Image 6 (Source: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images)

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 Assignment
Write brief notes on the following artworks from Indus Valley civilization. Paste relevant
images along with your writing. (10 marks)
1. Stone Statues: Bearded Man (Priest Man, Priest-King), Indus Valley Priest, Male Torso
2. Bronze Casting: Human as well as animal figures - buffalo with its uplifted head, goat,
dog and bird, bull, Dancing Girl
3. Terracotta: bearded males, terracotta mask of a horned deity, Toy carts with wheels,
whistles, rattles, bird and animals, gamesmen, and discs, figures of Mother Goddess.
4. Seals: beautiful figures of animals such as unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant,
bison, goat, buffalo, etc., Pashupati Mahadeva
5. Pottery: Painted Earthen Jar
6. Beads, Ornaments and Cosmetics

Stone Statues: The Indus Valley Civilization produced some remarkable stone statues,
including the iconic Bearded Man (also known as Priest-King or Priest Man) which was found
in Mohenjo-Daro. The statue depicts a male figure with a bearded face wearing a headdress
and a robe. Other stone statues include the Indus Valley Priest and a Male Torso.

Bronze Casting: The Indus Valley Civilization also created bronze figures, including human
and animal figures such as a buffalo with its uplifted head, goat, dog, bird, and bull. One of
the most famous bronze figures is the Dancing Girl, found in Mohenjo-Daro, which depicts a
young girl in a dancing pose with her arms and legs slightly bent.

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Terracotta: Terracotta figures were also produced by the Indus Valley Civilization. Some of
the notable terracotta artifacts include bearded male figurines, a terracotta mask of a horned
deity, toy carts with wheels, whistles, rattles, bird and animal figurines, gamesmen, and discs.
Another prominent terracotta artifact is the figure of the Mother Goddess, which is believed to
be associated with fertility and childbirth.

Seals: The Indus Valley Civilization is famous for its seals, which were made from stone,
terracotta, and faience. The seals feature beautiful figures of animals such as the unicorn bull,
rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, and buffalo, among others. The Pashupati Mahadeva
seal, found in Mohenjo-Daro, is particularly significant as it depicts a three-faced deity sitting
in a yogic posture surrounded by animals.

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Pottery: Pottery was also an important craft of the Indus Valley Civilization. Painted earthen
jars and vessels have been found at various sites, featuring intricate designs and patterns.

Beads, Ornaments, and Cosmetics: The Indus Valley Civilization was known for its
craftsmanship in creating various ornaments and cosmetics. Beads made of gold, silver, and
precious stones have been found, as well as ornaments such as bangles, necklaces, and
earrings. Cosmetic items such as kohl sticks and perfume jars have also been discovered. These
artifacts reveal the civilization's interest in personal adornment and hygiene.

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Overall, the art and artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization reflect the creativity, skill, and
sophistication of this ancient civilization.

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 Session 1 & 2- All SLOs
Cave paintings from different parts of India

India is known for its diversified art and culture. As per research and records, the oldest existing
proofs of art in India can be traced back to the Stone Age. This tells us that the aesthetic value
of art is such that it found a way to flourish even at the time when man was not civilized. Dating
back to 30,000 years ago, paintings have for long been associated with Indian civilization. Cave
paintings in India have been discovered in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar
Pradesh among many other places. India’s rich history of paintings has called for recognition
from all over the globe. (Source: https://yehaindia.com/cave-paintings-in-india)

Activity

Read and collect information for the following Cave paintings from different parts of India.
Gather relevant images. Paste the images with the description. (20 marks)
Here are some of the most famous cave paintings found in India:
1. Bhimbetka Cave Paintings - Location: Near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh
2. Sittanavasal Paintings - Location: Puddukotai district of Tamil Nadu.
3. Ajanta - Location: 100 Kms from Aurangabad in Maharashtra
4. Ellora - Location: 18 miles to Aurangabad in Maharashtra
5. Lenyadri Cave Paintings - Location: Junnar in Pune district in Maharashtra
6. Badami Caves - Location: Badami, a small town in Bagalkot District in Northern
Karnataka
7. Adamgarh Hills - Location: Hoshangabad town in Madhya Pradesh
8. Jogimara Cave Paintings - Location: Chattisgarh
9. Saspol Caves - Location: Saspol village in Leh district
10. Elephanta Caves - Location: Ellora Island in Maharashtra

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1. Bhimbetka Cave Paintings - Location:
Near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
These cave paintings show themes such as animals, early evidence of dance and hunting
from the Stone Age as well as of warriors on horseback from a later time.

2. Sittanavasal Paintings - Location:

Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu.
Sittanavasal Caves paintings are a spectacle for the eye. They are known as one of the best
cave paintings of early medieval India. These paintings represent the Jain thoughts and
ideologies on rock-cut architecture.

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3. Ajanta - Location:
100 Kms from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
The paintings in the Ajanta caves predominantly narrate the Jataka tales. These are
Buddhist legends describing the previous births of the Buddha. These fables embed ancient
morals and cultural lore’s that are also found in the fables and legends of Hindu and Jain
texts.

4. Ellora - Location:
18 miles to Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the Ajanta and Ellora caves depict
incidents from the life of the Lord Buddha.

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5. Lenyadri Cave Paintings - Location:
Junnar in Pune district in Maharashtra.
The caves were made as Buddhist monastery, among which one was later transformed in
a Hindu temple of Lord Ganesh. Almost 280 rock cut steps, set in ten flights, have to be
crossed in order to reach the caves. These steps were made during the 19th century. The
Lenyadri caves were created by Buddhists according to the hinayana traditions. Amongst
all the 40 caves, 30 of the caves contain 2 shrines, Chaitya Griha and another smaller shrine
or chaitya.

6. Badami Caves - Location:

Badami, a small town in Bagalkot District in Northern Karnataka.
Badami cave paintings draw heavily from Ajanta paintings and depict human figures with
large eye sockets, half-closed eyes, and protruding lips.

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7. Adamgarh Hills - Location:
Hoshangabad town in Madhya Pradesh.
Adamgarh Hills are famous for the prehistoric rock shelters and rock paintings found in
the hills. Stone age artifacts, lower paleolithic and Mesolithic implements have been
excavated here. Neolithic paintings were found during the research and excavation done
during the 19th century. There are now 11 visible shelters out of 18 shelters found during
the excavation.

8. Jogimara Cave Paintings - Location:

Jogimara Cave is situated at Amarnath near the origin of Narmada, in Surguja in
Chhattisgarh.
The paintings of these caves have been dated from 300BC to as back as 1000BC. The roof
of the cave has some seven paintings which include the human figures, fish and elephants.
There are two layers of paintings in it. The Original paintings are of expert artists but the
upper layer has been done by incompetent artists. In true sense, the Jogimara Caves seem
to be the first human endeavours as expert paintings.

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9. Saspol Caves - Location:
Saspol village in Leh district.
Created over the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, these Buddhist paintings are one of the
few surviving specimens of their kind, their bold and vibrant painted schemes showcasing
the transformation from an earlier prevailing Kashmir-influenced style to a new Central
Tibet-influenced style, for which they are known.

10. Elephanta Caves - Location:

Ellora Island in Maharashtra.
The Elephanta Caves are a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the
Hindu god Shiva. The 'City of Caves', on an island in the Sea of Oman close to Bombay,
contains a collection of rock art linked to the cult of Shiva. Here, Indian art has found one
of its most perfect expressions, particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave.

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 Session 3- SLO 1 & 2
Thanjavur, Madhubani paintings
Tanjore paintings or Thanjavur paintings have been popular from 16th century during the
Marathas invasion to Southern India. If you have visited the temples in South India, most of
them will have pictures of gods and goddess which are Tanjore paintings. It’s believed Tanjore
paintings started from Thanjavur a small town in Tamil Nadu and hence the name. Thanjavur
district is quite popular for its toys and crafts. The famous Thanjavur thalai aati bommai was
created here. These are simple standing wooden toys, but these are special head shaking toys.
(Source: https://webneel.com/tanjore-paintings-thanjavur)

Image 7 (Source: https://webneel.com/tanjore-paintings-thanjavur)

Madhubani Paintings revolve around a historical tale. It goes back to the era of Ramayana when
King Janak, Sita’s father asks few painters to create Madhubani paintings for his daughter’s
wedding. The colors used are often extracted from natural sources. Madhubani has inherited
every bit of nature. Right from parrots, pigeons, quails, colorful and melodious nightingales,
the place has it all. In addition, thatched roofs of mud houses foiled with squash vines, tall palm
trees, bodi and peepal trees in sprinkled sunlight are breathtaking. There are other religious
themes that revolve around Madhubani paintings. Some of them include Hindu deities like

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Krishna, Shiva, Saraswati, Rama, sun, moon etc. Most of the Madhubani paintings signify
simplicity with intricate brushwork. Geometric patterns are quite evident in these paintings.
The artists fill up the empty spaces with motifs after completing a painting. A double line is
usually drawn as the border. In fact, the artists used turmeric, charcoal fire, milk & lime juice,
indigo and flowers for Madhubani paintings. However, most of the modern Madhubani painters
use brush and acrylic paints.

Assignment
Identify a small, simple, yet beautiful Madhubani painting from web resources. Emulate the
painting using sketch colours, duly acknowledging the source. Alternately, create your own
Madhubani painting. Paste the image in the space given below. (10 marks)

(Source: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/302163456241242755/ )

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1
 Session 4- SLO 1 & 2
Kalamkari paintings
Kalamkari Paintings are the famous hand painting style and the pictures in Kalamkari style
passionate the art lovers. The pictures drawn on cotton or silk fabric with tamarind pen or
natural dyes. The word ‘Kalamkari’ is a Persian word, here Kalam means pen and Kari mean
craftsmanship. The painting style and the process of painting the pictures very difficult. To
bring the full form of the painting the artist follows 23 tedious steps of dyeing, bleaching, block
printing, starching and more processes should follow. The pictures on the clothes mostly
adopted from the themes of Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana and also the flowers,
peacocks and other divine characters also painted on cloth in Kalamkari process.
(Source: https://indiathedestiny.com/india-art-culture/art/kalamkari-paintings/)

Image 8 (Source: https://indiathedestiny.com/india-art-culture/art/kalamkari-paintings/)

Quiz
The following quiz borrowed from a web source (http://godivinity.org/quiz-time-indian-art-
kalamkari/), would add to your general knowledge about Kalamkari art. Discuss the questions
with your peers and look for answers.
1. What fabric is Kalamkari art done on?
A. Polyester
B. Cotton
C. Canvas

2. Another name for Kalamkari art is “Pattachitra”, which means _______________.

A. Beautiful painting
B. Colorful Art
C. Cloth picture

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3. Where were Kalamkari art pieces traditionally displayed?
A. Markets
B. Temples
C. Homes

4. Storytellers often used Kalamkari art in performances of ______.

A. Religious stories
B. Popular myths
C. Folk tales

5. What are the sources for the colors that are generally used in Kalamkari art?
A. Plant
B. Oil paint
C. Ink

6. When creating patterns, certain areas of cloth need to be masked to protect it from the
ink. What material is used?
A. Painter’s tape
B. Glue
C. Wax

7. There are ______ distinctive styles of Kalamkari art.

A. Two
B. Five
C. Seven

8. Kalamkari art was used in ancient times as ____________.

A. Chariot banners, wall hangings in temples, and scrolls.
B. Wall hangings in homes
C. Sarees

9. Name the different styles of Kalamkari paintings.

A. Katchni, Barni, Tantrik, Godna and Kohbar
B. Srikalahasthi and Machilipatnam
C. Pattachitra, Warli, Bharni, Katchni and Tantrik

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10. What does “Kalamkari” mean?
A. Kalam (pen) + Kari (work)
B. Kalam (time) + Kari (work)
C. Kalam (color) + Kari (painting)

11. Where was Kalamkari most popular in the Middle Ages?

A. Chennai
B. Hyderabad
C. Jaipur

12. An animal’s milk is used in fixing the dyes to the fabric. Which animal’s milk is used
in fixing the dyes to the fabric?
A. Cow
B. Goat
C. Buffalo

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 Session 5- SLO 1 & 2
Pattachitra paintings
The paintings on the caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri and Sitabhinji murals of the Sixth
century A.D., the earliest indigenous paintings from Orissa are the Pattachitra done by the
Chitrakars (the painters are called Chitrakars). They do not belong to any particular place but
the district of Puri has the highest concentration of Chitrakars. The word Patta is a Sanskrit
word meaning canvas and Chitra meaning picture. This art form is defined by its rich use of
colour, its creative motifs and designs, and its portrayal of pure and simple themes. Hindu
mythological themes revolve around this art form and mostly deal with stories from
Mahabharata, Ramayana and legends concerning Radha and Krishna, Lord Jagannath and other
popular legends. But the most popular is the depiction of Sri.Jagannath, Balabhadra and
Subhadra, the Divine triad or Sri. Jagannath Patti. The chitrakars do not strive for realism but
a definite expressive of feeling and emotion is strongly visualized in their work with neat
patterns and designs that calls for a closer observation for appreciation. Though it can be
mistaken for an art form with colour symbolism due to its rich use of colours, it is not so. In
fact, it seems to be its visual effect and appeal that touches the human emotions directly, which
rules the painting. Borders are an integral part of the painting and this is drawn first on the
painting on all the four sides of the patta consisting of two or three lines according to the size
of the painting. The outlines of the figures are drawn first with very thin lines in white. The
body colours are then added followed by colouring the attires. The figures are then adored with
ornaments and coloured. Outlines of other motifs are then thickened with a thick brush with
black colour. Then small and fine decorative motifs are painted in white. It is interesting to
note that the chitrakar begins his painting with the colour white and ends with it too. The
eyeballs are the last to be inserted on the painting. Sometimes a painting is done only in black
and white. With perfect mastery over fine line drawing, the Chitrakars make the paintings come
alive with their skill and workmanship. (Source: https://www.nriol.com/indian-
paintings/pattachitra-paintings.asp)

Image 9 (Source: https://www.nriol.com/indian-paintings/pattachitra-paintings.asp)

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 Assignment
Watch “Easy Pattachitra painting tutorial/ RADHA KRISHNA pattachitra painting for
beginners” on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VUCceI29Lc
Attempt a painting taking ideas from it. (10 marks)

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 Session 6- SLO 1 & 2
Mughal paintings
Quiz
Discuss the following questions from the web source (https://www.currentgk.com/)
1. Which statement is true about the Mughal paintings?
(A) Battle Scene
(B) Animal birds and natural scene
(C) Courtier depicting
(D) All of the above

2. The foundation of the Mughal painting was laid by

(A) Akbar
(B) Humayun
(C) Jahangir
(D) Shah Jahan

3. Who did illustrate “Dastan-e-Amir Hamza”?

(A) Abdus Samad
(B) Mansur
(C) Mir Sayyid Ali
(D) Abul Hasan

4. During whose reign did the “Mughal Painting” flourish?

(A) Aurangzeb
(B) Akbar
(C) Jahangir
(D) Shah Jahan

5. Jahangir mainly patronized which of the following arts?

(A) Painting
(B) Architecture
(C) Sculpture
(D) Music

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6. ‘Kishan Garh’ School is famous for
(A) Temple Art
(B) Painting
(C) MartialArts
(D) Sculpture

7. Which one of the following musical instruments was mastered by Aurangzeb?

(A) Sitar
(B) Pakhawaj
(C) Veena
(D) None of the above

8. The Raga which is sung early in the morning is

(A) Todi
(B) Darbari
(C) Bhopali
(D) Bhimpalasi

9. Where is Tansen’s tomb located?

(A) Agra
(B) Gwalior
(C) Jhansi
(D) Jaipur

10. The original name of Tansen was

(A) Makarchand Pandey
(B) Ramtanu Pandey
(C) Lala Kalawant
(D) Baz Bahadur

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11. Which Mughal ruler of the following had learnt Hindu Music from Lala Kalavant?
(A) Humayun
(B) Jahangir
(C) Akbar
(D) Shahjahan

12. Who among the following wrote historical records in the Mughal period?
(A) Gulbadan Begum
(B) Nur Jahan Begum
(C) JahanaraBegum
(D) Zebunnisa Begum