What are the two types of cultic images?
Man-made or svayaṃvyakta (self-manifested)
Cultic images are defined by their method of creation and activation.
What ritual activates cultic images?
Pratiṣṭhā ritual (“opening of the eyes”)
This ritual is essential for the activation of cultic images.
What are ornamental/narrative images used for?
Represent events/gods, sometimes worshipped, part of broader visual storytelling, tied to literary narratives
These images serve both aesthetic and narrative purposes.
What is the primary function of decorative images?
Aesthetic, minimal narrative or cultic function
Decorative images prioritize aesthetic appeal over narrative or cultic significance.
What are the relationships of images tied to?
Texts, donors, architecture, ritual scenes
an image can never be understood on it’s own
Understanding these relationships enhances the comprehension of the images’ significance.
What does idealisation in Indian images entail?
Stylised features, perfect proportions (e.g., Viṣṇu, Lakṣmī)
- young, graceful, full faces, almond eyes, flshy lips
- ofte in opposit
Idealisation reflects the cultural ideals of beauty and divinity.
What is fantastic anatomy in the context of Indian images?
Extra limbs/heads, divine symbols (e.g., Avalokiteśvara, Cāmuṇḍā, Harihara)
This concept highlights the divine nature of the figures depicted.
Which global references are made regarding fantastic anatomy?
Artemis of Ephesus, Three-headed Trinity
These references show parallels in the depiction of divine figures across cultures.
How is fantastic anatomy signifying the divine?
**
it shows the same absolute pronciple in different incarnations****
- Avalokitesvara with 11 faces and 1000 arms
- Harihara as combo of Siva and Visnu= Unity of different aspeczs of the same ultimate divine principle
–Ganesa: antromoporphic depiction
What is androgyny in Indian imagery?
Fusion of male and female aspects (e.g., Śiva Ardhanārīśvara)
Linked to youthfulness
This concept reflects the fluidity of gender in divine representations. Disliked in Europe as too feminine = inferior
Which Bodhisattvas show gender fluidity?
Tārā, Avalokiteśvara,
Guanyin: feminised chinese form of avalokitsvara
difficult to distinguish male and female images
Gender fluidity in deities can indicate broader cultural interpretations of divinity.
What is the background for androgynity?
Transcending gender as the union of masculine and feminine = the absolute beginning of the universe
= the transcendental conception of the divine
Śiva Ardhanārīśvara: Siva Androgyne 11th century
What methods are used to identify goddesses?
Anatomy, attributes, entourage,
without impossible to identify
Identification often requires contextual understanding.
Which deities can signify Viṣṇu?
Lakṣmī & Bhū
Lakshi and Bhu hold Lotuses, Visnu Disc and Conce
What is the significance of female terracotta figures from the Protohistoric period?
Indus seals: small narrative scenes,like mātrkā flanked by Gnesa and Siva from 10th cent.??
They date back to ca. 3000–1900 BCE and feature female motifs from the Indus Civilisatiob
- mother goddesses
- fertility cults
These artifacts provide insight into early representations of the feminine divine.
What texts are associated with the Vedic Period?
Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda
1100-500 BCE
Aryans from brought Sansrkit and male hierarchical Indo-Aryan society and culture
Languaga and poetry bring the gods into reality by performance = Absence
These texts form the foundation of Vedic literature and spirituality.
What is the societal structure during the Vedic period?
kula > grama > raja > brahman
This hierarchy illustrates the organization of society in Vedic times.
Name key male deities from the Vedic period.
Agni (fire), Varuṇa (water), Soma (moon), Vāyu (breath)
and many more
These deities played significant roles in Vedic rituals and beliefs.
Name key female deities from the Vedic period.
Uṣas (the Dawn), Sarasvatī (a river), Pṛthvī (the Earth), Vāc (the Speech), Nirṛti (the Misfortune), Rātri (the Night)
fewer goddesses: less improtant, always with male counterparts = essenti
These female deities reflect the spiritual diversity of the Vedic pantheon.
What are key texts from early Hinduism?
Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Bhagavadgītā
worship around temples with antropomorphic representations
great gods were male: Brahma, Visnu, Siva
around CE
These texts are central to the understanding of Hindu philosophy and mythology.
What concepts are associated with early Hinduism?
Bhakti (devotion)
Darśana (showing, seeing)
These concepts emphasize devotion and the experience of the divine.
Waht are the marks of early female represantion of the female body in India?
- elaborate headdress
- under parasol
- terracottas mass produced began to spread feamale imagery around CE
What representations are found in early Hinduism?
Terracotta goddesses, coins, Yakṣī figures
These artifacts illustrate the material culture and religious practices of the time.
When did the rise of the goddess (Devī) occur?
1st–2nd Century onward: Durgā
6-7th: concept of Devī the Great Goddess , within Hindu theology
several arms holding weapons: warrior power
from 7th cent: goddesses become important
This period marks a significant increase in the worship of goddess figures.
