Introduction
Religion plays a central role in the lives of human beings and countless artworks have been founded on the theme of religion. Most artworks from ancient and even modern-day South Asia are founded on the theme of religion. These artworks range from sculptures and paintings of religious figures to buildings that have been used since ancient days as temples. Religious buildings and gods are two aspects that are central to the founding of any religion and hence the selection of artworks depicting these two aspects of religion. The artworks presented in this exhibition are famous iconic representations of gods, temples and religious characters of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and other religion dominant in South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Religions in South Asia were founded and have always been based on the worship of gods. These gods include Buddha who is depicted as the Seated Buddha in the first artwork. Buddha was a sage on whose the Buddhism religion is based and hence the importance of this sculpture in relation to artworks in the theme of religion. The Shiva Nataraja is another sculpture representing a god. This bronze sculpture represents the dancing form of Lord Shiva. It is a summary of the central aspects of Hinduism.
Temples and other places of worship represent a crucial aspect of religions in not only South Asia but also those in other parts of the world. The Dambula Cave is the largest and the most impressive cave temple. Founded as a hiding place of King Valagambahu, this temple gives face to some tribulations that the founders of ancient religions faced. The Lotus Temple built in 1996 is a modern-day temple open to people from all religions and therefore urges for the peaceful coexistence of religions in the world. The Great Stupa is represented as a painting of a dome that was used as a worshipping place by Buddhists in the 1st century. Like the Lotus Temple the Tal Mahal is a mausoleum whose construction was inspired and is currently used by Muslims, Hindus among other religions. The Lal Quila which is also called the Red Fort was used a residence for Mughal emperors. These buildings served and still serve as religious centers and are iconic representations of Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions dominant in South Asia.
Various paintings have also depicted temples and gods of religions dominant in South Asia. The painting of Shakuntala- a character in Mahabharata shows that women were to take care and maintain their homes during the early days of ancient religions. The Bharat Mata is a color painting depicting the national personations of India as a mother goddess. She is shown as the mother of the Hinduism religion and is a unifying symbol of all Hindus.
Conclusion
The importance of religion in the world cannot be overemphasized. Hinduism, Buddhism among other religions dominant in South Asia are heavily founded on temples and gods. These two aspects have been extensively represented through paintings and sculptures. Some of the paintings of gods include that of Shakuntala and Bharat Mata which shows appreciation of women as wives and mothers in the world. The sculptures of Seated Buddha and Shiva Nataraja represent gods central to Hinduism. The Dambula Cave Temple represents an important and unique temple while the modern temples-Lotus and the Taj Mahal represent unification and the urge for peace among people of various religions as they are open for people from diverse religions.
Bibliography
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Mittler, Gene A., and Rosalind Ragans. Exploring Art. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Wagner, Richard. Religion and Art. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1994.
