00000nam a22000008i 4500 20260913094907.0 260919s2018 ii 00 0 eng d 9789388162692 N8195.I4D37 2019 704.948945 23 K. Prakash Dash Hindu Religion Art and Architecture / K. Prakash Dash. New Delhi 2018. 240 pages Hinduism is a religion that had no single founder, no single spokesman, no single prophet. Its origins are mixed and complex. One strand can be traced back to the sacred Sanskrit literature of the Aryans, the Vedas, which consist of hymns in praise of deities who were often personifications of the natural elements. Another strand drew on the beliefs prevalent among groups of indigenous peoples, especially the faith in the power of the mother goddess and in the efficacy of fertility symbols. Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Dating back to the Iron Age , it is often called the oldest living religion in the world. Hinduism has no single founder and is a conglomeration of diverse traditions and philosophies rather than a rigid set of beliefs. Most Hindus believe in a single supreme God who appears in many different manifestations as devas (celestial beings or deities), and they may worship specific devas as individual facets of the same God. Hinduism is a conglomeration of diverse traditions and philosophies rather than a rigid set of beliefs. Most Hindus believe in a single supreme God who appears in many different manifestations as devas (celestial beings or deities), and they may worship specific devas as individual facets of the same God. Hindu sculpture, as seen in other forms of Hindu art, reflects this plurality of beliefs. Because religion and culture are inseparable with Hinduism, recurring symbols such as the gods and their reincarnations, the lotus flower, extra limbs, and even the traditional arts make their appearances in many sculptures of Hindu origin. This book is a great erudition Hindu Religions Art and Architecture is not merely a book on the history of art and architecture it is also a comprehensive study of the cultural history of India. Hindu art--India. Hindu architecture--India. ARCHITECTURE / Regional bisacsh