Indian Heritage & Culture

Answer : The ancient cities are considered as the chief source of our heritage and culture and thus, most of the ancient cities such as lothal, Mohenjodaro, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Nalanda and etc are of great historical significance.

Thus taking into account the significance of these cities, their preservation and protection becomes the urgent need of the hour for the government as well as for the society. However, most of the times, it is found that being ancient in nature, these cities are often inhabited or encroached by the local population who have occupied the area for the past several decades because of various means of livelihood being available to them. And, their densely populated cluster in turn leads to a major threat for the sustainability as well as the ecological balance of these ancient cities.

Therefore, protection of heritage and culture of these ancient towns most of the times leads to a dilemmatic situation for the government as well as the decision makers because the protective measures being undertaken often leads to forceful removal of the people occupying the area which finally results is discontent and disagreement between them and the government.

The way out: Suggestive measures

• Educating local population with regards to the significance of the ancient site/ heritage.
• Providing them with alternative source of livelihood and rehabilitation.
• In fact, it would be best to involve the local population in the protection and conservation of these heritage sites, which would provide them adequate means of livelihood also.
• If, displacing them remains the only way out, then adequate and fair amount of compen-sation package must be provided to them.

Answer : The glove puppet, also known as hand puppets is a small figure having head and arms with a long skirt as part of its costume. The puppeteer wears the puppet like a glove and manipulates it. One puppeteer can manipulate two puppets at a time. Glove puppet shows are prevalent in the states of Kerala (Pava-kathakali), Orissa (Sakhi Kundheinacha) and West Bengal (Bener Putul nach).

• The rod puppets, often larger than glove puppets are supported and manipulated by rods of various types and sizes. In rod puppets the action of the rods are concealed in many ways. The action rods are usually connected to the hands of the puppet and manipulated by the puppeteer to show action. Rod puppet shows are prevalent in the states of Assam (Putula nach), Orissa (Kathi- Kundhei-nach) and West Bengal (Danger Putul nach).
• Further, Shadow puppets that are flat puppets andare operated against the rear of a tightly stretched white cloth screen with a light behind it so that the audience looks at the shadow of the puppet on the screen and string puppet are also popular.
• String puppets are made of wood, or wire, or cloth stuffed with cotton, rags or saw dust. The puppet is suspended from a hand held control strings that are attached to different parts of the puppet's body. The puppet is manipulated by operating the control as well as by loosening or pulling the relevant string(s).

Answer : The secular character of Indian culture is a result of the intermingling of people belonging to diverse cultural groups over a long period of time. However, there have been instances of occasional conflicts here and there, but by and large, people have lived together peacefully for centuries. Indian civilization is distinguished from other civilizations of the world in respect of its continuity and heterogeneity, its accommodating ethos and its composite character.

• Since the middle of the second millennium BC, Indian civilization has played host to several streams of migrant groups and communities from different parts of the world. The advent of the Aryans, the Tibeto-Burman speaking Mongoloid groups, the Kushans, the Sakas, the Greeks, the Huns, the Arabs, the Persians, the Turks and the Mongols at different points of time testifies to the pervasiveness of the migration process during the successive periods of Indian history. The migrant groups and communities brought their respective traditions and behaviour patterns from their native lands. In the course of time they lost contact with their places of origin and underwent an extensive process of indigenization. The process of adaptation and interaction among the various groups brought about, on the one hand, India’s characteristic diversity and, on the other, a composite cultural tradition. This fact is borne out by historical sources and contemporary surveys as well as researches in folklore.

Indian Culture with secular character though intermingling of people

• The Harappan civilization had extensive trade and cultural contacts with Mesop-otamia, Persia, Afghanistan and the Medit-erranean world. The process of acculturation which was set into motion as far back as the third millennium BC continued unabated during the successive periods of Indian history and led to the intermingling of a variety of cultural traits and features.
• Pluralism has been one of the quintessential features of Hinduism both at the metap-hysical as well as socio-cultural level. At the metaphysical level, truth was considered pluralistic.
• The process of acculturation and integration has been extensively at work at the regional level. Though each group or community has a distinctive identity and ethos of its own, it does not exist in a social vacuum. Rather, it forms part of an extended and dynamic network. Often, interaction, exchange and integration characterize inter-community relations. The sharing of space, regional ethos and cultural traits cuts across religions and sectarian differences and binds the local people together
• The protracted interaction between Hindus and Muslims gave rise to what may be termed the Indo-Islamic tradition. There are two interrelated dimensions of the Indo-Islamic tradition. On the one hand, it manifested itself in syncretistic traditions of music, art, literature and architecture. On the other, it found expression in folklore, dress patterns, food habits, names and surnames.

The interface of development and cultural identity in the Indian context has two interrelated dimensions: the pan-Indian, civilizational, on the one hand, and regional-cultural, on the other. At both the macro and micro levels, the development process needs to be informed and guided by the pluralistic and composite ethos of Indian society.

Answer : Integral Humanism- The individual occupies a pivotal position in our system, According to the principle of 'Yat pinde tad brahmande' (what is in microcosm is also in macrocosm), individual is the representative and chief instrument of society.

• Material wealth is a means to man's happiness, and not an end in itself. But a system which is based on the assumption of a mass-man and fails to take into account the living man having an individuality characteristically his own is not adequate. Inadequate also is a system which looks just at one attribute of man and fails to take a comprehensive view of him as an organic being comprised of Shareer, Mana, Buddhi and Atma having a number of urges requiring to be fulfilled by the Purusharthas. Our ideal is the integral man, who has the potential to share simultaneously innumerous individual and corporate entities. Integral Humanism is the corner-stone upon which our entire system needs to be built.
• There have been a number of schools that have propounded humanism. But their thinking has been rooted in Western philosophies and so it is essentially materialistic. These thinkers have not been able to offer any philosophical explanation for the ethical nature or behaviour of man. If you deny spiritualism, then human relations and behaviour and the relationship between man and the Universe cannot be explained. Integral Humanism-the Only Way:Integral Humanism must necessarily make a balanced appraisal of both Indian as well as Western ideologies. On the basis of this evaluation it seeks to show a way which would make man progress further from his present position of thought, experience and achievement.
• The Western world has achieved great material progress but in the field of spiritual attainment it has not been able to make much headway. India on the other hand lags far behind in material advancement and so its spiritualism has become a hollow-sounding word. "Nayam atma balheenena labhyah (The soul cannot be realised by the weak)" - Meaning there can be no spiritual salvation without material prosperity. It is necessary, therefore, that we strive for strength, and material happiness, so that we may be able to build up national health and contribute to the progress of the world, instead of being a burden on it.
• Integral Humanism is the name we have given to the sum total of various features of Indian culture abiding, dynamic, synthesising and sublime. This is the ideal which determines our direction. But our idealism does not mean any doctrinair obtuseness (ambiguous abstract doctrine). An ideal has to be translated into practice. Our programme, therefore, has to be grounded in realism. Indeed realism is the forte of our programme, the measure of our achievements and the touchstone of our ideal.

Answer : Folk culture of India is a composite art form with a fusion of elements from music, dance, pantomime, versification, epic, and ballad recitation, graphic and plastic arts, religion and festival peasantry.The folk culture having roots in native culture is embedded in local identity and social values. It has been used extensively in India to propagate critical social, political and cultural issues in the form of theatrical messages to create awareness among the people.

• Indian folk culture is marked by uniqueness as every region in India has its own style and pattern of art. The folk art of India is pretty ethnic and simple, and yet colourful and vibrant enough to speak volumes about the country's rich heritage. In India this art varies from region to region and is performed in the local understandable language. These are performed by people to express their exhilaration on every possible event or occasion, such as the arrival of seasons, the birth of a child, weddings, festivals, etc. The government, as well as other organizations, has therefore made all efforts to promote such art forms, which have become an intrinsic part of India's cultural identity.

Adverse Impacts of Modern Entertainments

1. Enhanced consumer experience: Modern entertainment means such as popular cinema has marked unprecedented growth in recent times and thus facilitated enormous business opportunity followed by huge investment and aided by technological development such as 3D and 4D. All this led to cut throat competition which opened the doors for continuous developments to retain consumers by providing them life time experiences. In addition to this entertainment mediums today have internationalist outlook that adopts best practices from across the world that are readily acceptable world over, thus it automatically distances these medium from the folk cultures.So there emerges a negative correlation between number of consumers towards popular cinema and folk culture.
2. Remained monotonous over the time: The folk culture could not develop with the changing times and lacks newness. It repeated the same things again and again which made it monotonous and hence could not met the challenges thrown at them from modern entertainment mediums such as internet, games, cinema etc.,
3. Social biasedness in popular cinema: Popular cinema continues to exhibit caste and gender biasedness, this fact is also supported by a study that outlines that moist of the lead character in the cinemaare giveupper caste identities. Not only have these continuously patriarchical acts along with co-modification of women promoting inequalities all impacted folk cultures adversely.
4. Imposition of majoritaniasm view: By overlooking or neglecting vernacular languages, attires and dances of local communities. This is seriously impacting the folk culture.

Answer : Ladakh is rich in various forms of dances and these dances have been passed from one generation to another. Ladakhi culture though influenced by western Tibetan traditions is also influenced by Islam and Brokpa community. Ladhakhi Dances are very colorful and majestic.

Religious mask dances are an important part of Ladakh's cultural life. Hemis monastery, a leading centre of the Drukpa tradition of Buddhism, holds an annual masked dance festival, as do all major Ladakhi monasteries. The dances typically narrate a story of the fight between good and evil, ending with the eventual victory of the former.

Different dance forms are: Jabro dance, Drugpa- rches, Yak dance, Surahi dance, etc. Some are discussed below:

1. Jabro Dance: Jabro is a community dance of the nomadic people of Tibetan origin living in the high hills of the Changtheng area of Ladakh. Performed by men & women at all festive occasions, this dance is an integral part of the Losar celebrations, which is the Tibetan New Year Festival. The melodious Jabro songs are sung to the musical accompaniment of 'Damian' - a guitar like stringed instrument and the flute.
2. Dances of the Lamas: The best dances in Ladakh are performed by the Lamas and monks in the monasteries. These performances have celestial and spiritual aura around them and involve many Tantrik practices. The dances are performed with great festivity and elaborate decor, particularly at Losar - the New Year festival. The theme of these dances is invariably the struggle between the good and the evil, characterized by the masked Lamas.
3. Yak Dance: The theme of this unique and amazing dance is that two men donning the skins of the Yak dance with gentle and rhythmic movements. The Yak sits, jumps, turns over and runs in a circle but all the actions are perfectly synchronized. A milkmaid comes and she is ignored by the Yak, and then comes the milkman striking the lash. He controls the Yak and takes it away.
4. Bagstonrches: The Ladakhi ma-rriage dance Bagstonrches continues for weeks during the marriage ceremonies. The bride and bridegroom also join in this dance event. The wedding dances are usually performed in tune with the songs.
5. The Koshan Dance: The Koshan dance is a popular dance form which is performed in Leh. A peculiarity about this dance is that it is performed while riding horses and the leader of the horsemen is called "Landak".

Answer : Maru-Gurjara temple architecture originated somewhere in 6th century in and around areas of Rajasthan. Maru-Gurjara architecture shows the deep understanding of structures and refined skills of Rajasthani craftmen of bygone era. Maru-Gurjara archit-ecture has two prominent styles: Maha-Maru and Maru-Gurjara.

• Maha-Maru style developed primarily in Marudesa, Sapadalaksa, Surasena and parts of Uparamala whereas Maru-Gurjara originated in Medapata, Gurjaradesa-Arbuda, Gurjaradesa-Anarta and some areas of Gujarat.
• The Maha-Maru style features are: high and moulded terrace (jagait), multi-turreted spire (Latina sikhara), elaborately sculptured door-frames and idols, and intricately worked ghata-pallava motif on pillars and an elongated pediment (udgama).
• Maru-Gurjara features are: moulded basement (pitha), a pyramidal roof rising in receding tiers (phamsakara) and markedly less sculptural ornamentation in its earlier phase than observed in the Maha-Maru style.

Answer : Traditional theatre forms incor-porate not only the common man’s interests but there is also a classical element in them. This classical facet, however, takes on regional, local and folk coloring. It is possible, that those associated with the classical world of Sanskrit drama, went to the neighbouring regions after its decline and intermingled with the local theatre forms. This kind of synthesis, give-and-take must have taken place on various levels such as written, verbal, classical, contemporary, national and local.

• In the traditional theatre ancient customs, age-old traditions and classical improvisation are ideally mingled to offer a rather contemporary tingle to Indian drama. Songs happen to be an important element in Indian Society hence gradually it became the most dominant theme of Indian traditional theatre form. Bit by bit monologue, dialogue, song, timber, music and dance all became integral part of various type of traditional Indian theatre form. With the classical art form it is very harmonious blend of sorrow, joy, love and all the realism of life that later made traditional Indian theatre a typical art form to stand apart amidst crowd.

Some forms of Traditional Theatre in India are:

1. Bhand Pather: The traditional theatre form of Kashmir is a unique combination of dance, music and acting. Satire, wit and parody are preferred for inducing laughter. Since the actors of Bhand Pather are mainly from the farming community, the impact of their way of living, ideals and sensitivity is discernible.
2. Swang: Originally the theatre form Swang, was mainly music-based, gradually, prose too, played its role in the dialogues. The softness of emotions, accomplishment of rasa along with the development of character can be seen in this theatre form. The two important styles of Swang are from Rohtak and Haathras. In the style belonging to Rohtak, the language used is Haryanvi (Bangru) and in Haathras, it is Brajbhasha.
3. Nautanki: It is usually associated with Uttar Pradesh. The most popular centres of this traditional theatre form are Kanpur, Lucknow and Haathras.
4. Raasleela: It is based exclusively on Lord Krishna legends; it is believed that Nand Das wrote the initial plays based on the life of Krishna. In this theatre form the dialogues in prose combined beautifully with songs and scenes from Krishna's pranks.
5. Bhavai: It is the traditional theatre form of Gujarat. The centers of this form are Kutch and Kathiawar. In Bhavai, there is a rare synthesis of devotional and romantic sentiments.
6. Maach: It is the traditional theatre form of Madhya Pradesh. In this theatre form songs are given prominence in between the dialogues. The term for dialogue in this form is bol and rhyme in narration is termed vanag. The tunes of this theatre form are known as rangat.
7. Tamaasha: It is a traditional folk theatre form of Maharashtra. It has evolved from the folk forms such as Gondhal, Jagran and Kirtan. Unlike other theatre forms, in Tamaasha the female actress is the chief exponent of dance movements in the play. She is known as Murki. Classical music, footwork at lightning-speed, and vivid gestures make it possible to portray all the emotions through dance.
8. Dashavatar: The performers personify the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu-the god of preservation and creativity. The ten incarnations are Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narsimha (lion-man), Vaman (dwarf), Parashuram, Rama, Krishna (or Balram), Buddha and Kalki. Apart from stylized make-up, the Dashavatar performers wear masks of wood and papier mache.
9. Krishnattam: It is folk theatre of Kerala, came into existence in the middle of 17th century A.D. under the patronage of King Manavada of Calicut. Krishnattam is a cycle of eight plays performed for eight consecutive days. The episodes are based on the theme of Lord Krishna - his birth, childhood pranks and various deeds depicting victory of good over evil.
10. Mudiyettu: This traditional folk theatre form of Kerala is celebrated in the month of Vrischikam (November-December). It is usually performed only in the Kali temples of Kerala, as an oblation to the Goddess. It depicts the triumph of goddess Bhadrakali over the asura Darika.
11. Theyyam: It is a traditional and extremely popular folk theatre form of Kerala. It is called God's dance. Theyyam is performed by various castes to appease and worship these spirits.
12. Koodiyaattam: It is based on Sanskrit theatre traditions. The characters of this theatre form are: Chakyaar or actor, Naambiyaar, the instrumentalists and Naangyaar, those taking on women's roles. The Sutradhar or narrator and the Vidushak or jesters are the protagonists. It is the Vidushak alone who delivers the dialogues. Emphasis on hand gestures and eye movements makes this dance and theatre form unique.
13. Yakshagaana: Traditional theatre form of Karnataka. It is based on mythological stories and Puranas. The most popular episodes are from the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
14. Therukoothu: It is the most popular form of folk drama of Tamil Nadu, literally means "street play". It is mostly performed at the time of annual temple festivals of Mariamman (Rain goddess) to achieve rich harvest.

Answer : Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha. The Pattachitra is a painting done on canvas, and is manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction.

Salient features are:

1. The base material canvas is prepared by hand with used cotton cloth, tamarind seeds gum and chalk powder.
2. The indigenous colors are used in pattachitra which are prepared by the artisans themselves.
3. The style of painting mostly has a lyrical sensitiveness.
4. All figures are drawn to side aces and some extent in proportion to one other and to the back ground.
5. The chin is elongated and there is no protuberance of the further eye in to space. The pupils inheres of faces are also not small as in the case of western India.
6. There are only limited primary colors are used in pattachitra painting and the linear conception and its workmanship is with fine brushes which are made of smooth hair of rats and squirrels.

Some of the popular themes represented through this art form are: Thia Badhia - depiction of the temple of Jagannath; Krishna Lila - enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displaying his powers as a child; Dasabatara Patti - the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu; Panch-amukhi - depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity.

With the passage of time, the art of Pattachitra has gone through a commendable transition, and the chitrakars have painted on tussar silk and palm leaves, and even created wall hangings and showpieces. However, this kind of innovativeness has never proved to be a hindrance in their customary depiction of figures and the use of colours, which has remained intact throughout generations. This constancy is the key factor that has maintained the effervescence of Pattachitra, backed with the fact that the setting up of some special centres for the art form in Odisha speaks volumes for its popularity.

Answer : In the uttara Adhunika (post-modern) era the effort of the literature is to be natural, to be Indian, to be near to the common man, to be socially conscious. It is now established that simple texts may present complex extra-textual structures. Even cultural references simply stated in poetry can have different semantic values.

In the contemporary Indian novels by Jayamohan (Tamil), Debes Ray (Bengali) and Shivprasad Singh (Hindi), dealing with various neglected regions, and the spoken dialect of that area, a composite picture of a total India, pulsating with new experience and struggling to hold on to the old values, and in the process sometimes discarding them, is also easily discernible. In this period of Uttara Adhunikta (post-modernism), these novels dramatise the shift of the dominant from problems of knowing to problems of modes of being. It gives a glimpse of the actual India of the villages, and also makes it amply clear that this country belongs to the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. These regional novelists have forcefully demolished the myths created by the western Indologists that Indianness is just fatalism, or that Indianness is to be identified with harmony and order, and Indian vision cannot perceive its own reality.

The central tension experienced by the vast majority of contemporary Indian novelists is that of transition from the rural and traditional to an urban and post-modern situation, expressed either through a romantic nostalgia for the village left behind, or through fear and hatred of the cruel impersonal city, with all its sex, horror, murder and cruelty. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (Assamese), Sunil Gangopadhyay (Bengali), Pannalal Patel (Gujarati), Mannu Bhandari (Hindi), Nayantara Sahgal (English), V. Bedekar (Marathi), Samaresh Basu (Bengali) and others, with their rural-urban sensitivity, have portrayed the Indian experience in its totality. Some fiction writers, with the help of symbols, images and other poetic means, magnify a particular moment in life. Nirmal Verma (Hindi), Moni Manikyam (Telugu) and many others have made their presence felt in this area.

Emancipatory women’s writing has emerged strongly in all Indian languages, seeking to subvert the man-dominated social order, forging revisionary myths and counter-metaphors by women writers like Kamala Das (Malayalam, English), Krishna Sobti (Hindi), Ashapurna Devi (Bengali), Rajam Krishnan (Tamil) and others.

The present-day crisis in India is the conflict between expediency and universality, and as a result, a large number of writers are in the process of identifying a pattern of problem-solving within the traditional system, vigorous enough to generate and sustain an indigenous process of modernization, which does not need readymade external solutions, and is in accord with indigenous needs and attitudes. The new corps of writers is concerned with truth as they see it in life around them. Even for the Indian English writers, English is no more a colonial language. Amitabh Ghosh, Shashi Tharoor, Vikram Seth, Upamanyu Chatterjee, Arundhati Roy and others are using it without showing a lack of commitment to Indianness. Those writers who are aware of their inheritance, complexity and uniqueness, express in their work without any conscious efforts, both traditional and actual.

One may conclude that no single Indian literature is complete in itself, and hence no study of it, within a single language context, can do justice to it, or even to its writers, who grow in a common cultural ambience. What is noteworthy is that Indian literature is written in many languages, but there is a vital, living relationship among them, because of polyglot fluidity, inter-language translations, shared themes, forms, concerns, direction and movements. All these keep the ideals of Indian literature dynamically alive even today and near to the masses.

Answer : Over the years Vijayanagara (what is now popularly called as Hampi) developed a unique style of architecture, later came to be known aas Vijayanagara Architecture. It borrowed boldly from various schools of architecture prevailed at the time and blended them superbly to make its own style of architecture. For example the ornate temples look more of the Tamil country style. Making their palaces in using the Islamic style architecture was no taboo to the otherwise Hindu kingdom. Some of the beautiful monuments in Hampi are made out of a brilliant mix of the Hindu and Islamic style of architecture, popularly called as the Indo- Sarasanic architecture.

By and large Hampi's architecture falls in three categories: Civil, Military and Religious.

Each of them applied different codes. But there is a common factor among the whole of Hampi's architecture that projects out as the Vijayanagara School of architecture. While the earlier Vijayanagara style was bold, coarse and plane the later ones were ornate, sophisticated and ambitious in scale.

Some of the salient features of the Vijayanagara style of architecture are as follows. They include the religious, military and secular strands:

• Building a temple complex was a novel idea floated during this period. The complex constituted concentric series of rectangular enclousure walls with towers in the middle of each wall. Occasionally the main temple at the centre is surrounded by a number of smaller temples. This idea was used as a substitute for a single huge temple.
• Another notable feature of this period was the construction of a number of 'Mantapa’s in the premises of a temple. 'Kalyana mandapa' is the most conspicuous among them. Mandapams were added to already existing temples also. These are vast halls with flat roofs supported by intricately carved pillars. The top of the mantapas contain devakoshas made of brick and mortar. Such mandapams are found in the temples of Tirupati, (Tirumala Raya Mandapam, Pratimaa mandapa and Rangamandapa) Chennai, (Jalakanteshwara Temple) Vellore (Kalyanamandapam) and Madurai.
• The temples of a male God are usually accompanied by another 'devi shrine' meant to keep a replica of the consort of the Lord.
• The decorative aspects of the Vijayanagara architecture are quite distinct. Decorative friezes are found horizantally on the plinth mouldings, caves and the pillars in the interior of a temple. They appear vertically on composite pillars. These friezes are also found on the walls and doorways.
• The pillars constitute a unique aspect of this style. The architects constructed round pillars, double pillars, lamp pillars and composite pillars. Chitra Khanda pillar is a shaft composed of a series of miniature shrines one over the other. The renowned musical pillars are constructed by having a central shaft surrounded by a cluster of miniature shafts.
• The brackets in the temples are as decorative as the pillars. Usually, they are terminated as an inverted lotus bud.
• The civil structures of Vijayanagara are also well known. The streets, walls, ditches, guesthouses, bazaars, bathing ghats, irrigation devices, canals and aqua ducts are noted for their strength and durability.
• For an empire which was constantly under the threat of invasions fortification was of utmost importance. The forts at Anegondi, Ikkeri, Penugonda, Chitradurga, Bhatkala and Chandragiri provide suitable examples for the military architecture of this period.

Answer : Amaravati School of art and sculpture evolved during the Satavahna period and lasted from 2nd century BC from the 3rd century AD. Amaravati is situated on the banks of the Krishna River. Unique features are mahachaityas, the lotus and the purnakumbha motifs. White marble was used in this art and the themes were Buddha's life and Jatakas tales. In this school the kings, princes, palaces, etc, got the prominence. This school was also influenced by the Greeks manifested through the curly hairs of the Buddha's.

• Mathura School of Art: It was entirely indigenous and spotted red stone marble was used in this school. The main theme of this school was Buddha and Bodhisattva and the Buddha is depicted in this school as human. This school also carries images of Jaina religious figures and well as Hindu gods and goddesses. Images of Vaishnava and Shaiva faiths are also found at Mathura but Buddhist images are found in large numbers. The images of Vishnu and Shiva are represented by their weapons. Images of the Buddha, Yakshas, Yakshinis, Shaivite and Vaishnavite deities and portrait statues are profusely sculpted. The traditional centre, Mathura, remained the main art production site whereas Sarnath and Kosambi also emerged as important centres of art production. Mathura art developed during post Maurya period (mainly during Shunga period) and reached its peak during the Gupta period (AD 325 to 600).
• Gandhara School of Art: The Gandhara School was developed in the Northwestern Pakistan and Eastern Afghanistan between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE. The style, of Greco-Roman origin, seems to have flourished largely during the Kushan dynasty and was contemporaneous with an important but dissimilar school of Kushan art at Mathura (Uttar Pradesh, India). The Gandhara School incorporated many motifs and techniques from Classical Roman art, including vine scrolls, cherubs bearing garlands, tritons, and centaurs. The basic iconography, however, remained Indian.

Difference between Gandhara School and Mathura School of Art

Answer : Gandhara School of Art is associated with the name of Gandhara in the north-west. This art form is flourished during the period of the Kushanas, particularly Kanishka. Gandhara art form is deeply influenced by the Greco-Roman art. The Gandhara school of Art in its sculptor incorporated many motifs and techniques from Classical Roman art, including vine scrolls, cherubs bearing garlands, tritons, and centaurs. The stones used in Gandhara art are grey in colour.

• On the other hand, Mathura School of Art was flourished in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh from 2nd Century BC to 12th Century AD. Artists of this school used red sandstones for their sculptors.

The difference between both the School of Art are:

Gandhara School of Art -

• Theme is mainly Buddhist, depicting various stories from the life of Buddha.
• Also, more stress is given to the bodily features and external beauty.
• Sculptures were made initially on stone and later on Stucco, both grey in color.
• Gandhara School was heavily influenced by Greek methodologies, the figures were more spiritual and sculpted mainly in grey, and great detail was paid to exact depiction of body parts.

Mathura School of Art

• Theme may vary from Buddhist to Brahmanical to sometimes secular.
• More stress is given to the inner beauty and facial emotions rather than bodily gesture.
• These were not influenced by Greeco-Roman techniques to that extent as Gandhar School of Art was.
• Several Brahmanical Deities were first crystallized by this school.
• For the Mathura school, the material was red sandstone, and they were depicted as more human and less spiritual. It was wholly influenced by Indian sculptures.

Answer : Indian made great strides in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy during the Gupta Empire.

• Rapid advance in science, maths and technology -
  • Advanced metallurgy - e.g. the iron pillar at Mehrauli, which has not gathered rust even after many centuries.
  • Scientists of this period include Varahamihira and Aryabhata.
  • Advance in Astronomy - The concept of zero, the Earth moves round the Sun, the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight, and eclipses in terms of shadows cast by and falling on Earth.
  • The first text book of surgery, SushrutaSamhita complied.
  • Modern numerals (also known as Arabic numeral) and decimal system
• Architecture, sculptures and paintings
• This period also saw the peak of cave art and sculpture, with magnificent frescos on the walls and ceilings that depict graceful human figures with fine jewellery.
  • Idols of the Buddha and Jain Teerthankars were fashioned at Sarnath and Mathura.
  • Brick Architecture - The temples of Bhitargaon in Kanpur, Bhitari in Ghazipur, Deogarh in Jhansi, and the Nalanda University.
  • The caves at Ajanta, Elephanta, and Ellora, respectively Buddhist, Hindu, and mixed including Jain, have Gupta influence.
• Age of great scholars and scientists - The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhatta, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma, and Vatsyayana who made great advancements in many academic fields.
• Trade and commerce - The Gupta Empire was rich; Kings issued large number of gold coins.
• Political administration - Highly organised system of local and regional administration, highly accomplished kings had vast empire, brought majority of India under one political administration.
• Culture and literature -Chess was invented - known as Chaturang; Earliest Puranas and Smritis were compiled; development of Sanskrit Grammar - Amarkosh by Amar Singh is a good example; Kalidas (Meghdoot, Abhigyan shakuntalam), Harishen, Vatsyayan (Kamasutra), Ashwghosh (Buddhacharit).

Answer : The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300-1300 BCE; mature period 2600-1900 BCE) extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia it was one of three early civilizations of the Old World, and of the three the most widespread. It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the Ghaggar-Hakra River, which once coursed through northwest India and eastern Pakistan.

• At its peak, the Indus Civilization may have had a population of over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley developed new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin). The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings
• The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization, after Harappa, the first of its sites to be excavated in the 1920s, in what was then the Punjab province of British India, and now in Pakistan. The discovery of Harappa, and soon afterwards, Mohenjo-Daro, was the culmination of work beginning in 1861 with the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India in the British Raj. Among the settlements were the major urban centres of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Dholavira, Ganeriwala in Cholistan and Rakhigarhi.
• The geography of the Indus Valley put the civilizations that arose there in a highly similar situation to those in Egypt and Peru, with rich agricultural lands being surrounded by highlands, desert, and ocean. Recently, Indus sites have been discovered in Pakistan's northwestern Frontier Province as well.
• There is evidence of dry river beds overlapping with the Hakra channel in Pakistan and the seasonal Ghaggar River in India. Many Indus Valley (or Harappan) sites have been discovered along the Ghaggar-Hakra beds. Among them are: Ropar, Rakhigarhi, Sothi, Kalibangan, and Ganwariwala.
• According to some archaeologists, more than 500 Harappan sites have been discovered along the dried up river beds of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and its tributaries, in contrast to only about 100 along the Indus and its tributaries; consequently, in their opinion, the appellation Indus Ghaggar-Hakra civilization or Indus-Saraswati civilization is justified.

Answer : Since the beginning of our civilization, music, dance and drama have been an integral aspect of our culture. Initially, these art forms were used as medium of propagation for religion and social reforms in which music and dance were incorporated to gain popularity. From the Vedic era to the medieval period, the performing arts remained an important source of educating the masses.

• Later during British Era they acted as the medium of Indian nationalism and led to the beginning of Indian renaissance period. After independence the theme changed to portraying social issues, various stages of human lives, their emotions and cultural linkage and cultural harmony. Now reflect the socio-religious customs and practices of rural people as well as modern city culture.

Answer : The folk dances of Uttarakhand owes its inspiration to the fascinating mythical dancing damsels who dwell on snow-clad peaks and are variously described as Ancheris, Kecharis or Paries. For them the Gods can be influenced by dances not to fail man. Some of the folk dances of Uttarakhand are as follow:

• The Barada Nati folk dance is a popular dance of Dehradun district. The folk dance is performed on the eve of some religious festivals or on the occasion of some social functions.
• The Bhotiya Dance is performed by the Bhotias tribe and is connected with death ceremonies.
• Chhapeli dance is performed by couples with the female carrying a mirror in her left hand and a coloured handkerchief in the other. The male plays a Hudukka on his left shoulder accompanied by others playing the Hurka, Manjira and Flute.
• Chancheri is a group dance of Kumaon where men and women dance in a semi-circular formation with gradually increasing pace.
• Langvir Nritya is an acrobatic dance and is performed by the men folk only.
• Jhora - Folk Dance of Kumaon – is performed at the coming of spring, mostly at fairs, but also to celebrate weddings.
• The Pandav Nritya, which is related to the story of the Mahabharata, has been very popular, particularly in the Garhwal region.

Answer : Towards the end of the 19th century, Indian painting, as an extension of the Indian miniature painting, declined and degenerated into feeble imitations, resulting in the creation of a lacuna which was not filled until the early years of the twentieth century. It was followed by the newly ushered in Western concept of naturalism. The foremost exponent of which was Raja Ravi Verma. This was without parallel in the entire annals of Indian Art notwithstanding some occasional references in Indian literature of the idea of ‘like-ness’.

• An attempt to stem this cultural morass was made by Rabindranath Tagore under whose inspired leadership came into being a new school of painting which was distinctly nostalgic and romantic to start with. It held its way for well over three decades as the Bengal School of Painting, also called the Renaissance School or the Revivalist School - it was both.
• The Bengal School had a great flowering at Shantiniketan where Rabindranath Tagore set up the Kala Bhavan. Talented artists like Nandalal Bose, Binod Bihari Mukherjee and Ramkinkar Baij rendered training to aspiring artists. Nandalal often derived inspiration from Indian folk art and also from Japanese painting while Binod Bihari Mukerjee was deeply interested in oriental traditions. Jamini Roy, another great painter of this period, drew inspiration from Orissa’s pata painting and Kalighat painting of Bengal.
• Hence, Bengal School of Painting can be considered to be a milestone in the modern Indian Painting.

Answer : The South Indian temple consists essentially of a square-chambered sanctuary topped by a superstructure, tower, or spire and an attached pillared porch or hall, enclosed by a peristyle of cells within a rectangular court. The external walls of the temple are segmented by pilasters and carry niches housing sculpture. The tower is topped by a dome-shaped cupola. Examples are: Brihadeeswarar Temple, Konark Sun Temple, etc.

• Western India symbolizes Nagra style along with Buddhist and Jain architecture. It is characterized by a beehive-shaped and multil-ayered called Shikhara. The most important of which are the Ghatesvara temple at Badoli and Dilwara Temple.

1. Susini Folk Dance: A folk dance of Rajasthan performed during the harvest especially by women.
2. Home Charges: In British India, apart from existing imports band exports, there was also a particular amount of money which colonial India contributed towards administration, maintenance of the army, war expenses, pensions to retired officers and other expenses accrued by Britain towards maintenance of her colony. These were known as "Home charges" and were paid for almost entirely by India.The Home charges was made of three components - Interest payable on Indian debt, Interest on the railways and Civil and military charges
3. Calcutta Female juvenile Society: In 1819, the Calcutta Female Juvenile Society under the patronage of the Baptist Mission was established to promote female education.
4. Faruqi Style of Architecture: Corresponds to Faruqi Dynasty of 14th Century in Madhya Pradesh. Examples of this style include Asirgarh Fort, Lal Quila & Jama Masjid of Burhanpur.
5. Harela: Harela is peculiarly a Kumaoni festival to mark the advent of the rainy season. The celebration falls on the first day of Shravan.
6. e-Abhilekh: The National Archives of India (NAI) launched quarterly news bulletin, e-Abhilekh, to promote and project activities and development made in India and abroad in the archival field.
7. Painting tradition in medieval India: In medieval India manuscript painting were worked upon palm leaves or patra-lekhana. Figures, myths and stories were depicted in a very petite size. Later during Mughal period these miniatures paintings portrayed court scenes or individuals which were a blend of Persian and Indian styles.
8. Shikhar and Vimana: Shikhar refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India. It is made over the sanctum sanctorum where the presiding deity is enshrined. The Vimana is a tall pyramidal tower consisting of several progressively smaller storeys. This stands on a square base.

Answer : The roots of India's literary tradition go back to the rich tribal or 'adivasi' (the first inhabitants) literature of India. However, of the numerous languages in India only a limited number of languages are recognised and promoted by the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India and the national bodies like the Sahitya Akademi and the National Book Trust. There are more than eighty other languages for each of which there are more than 10,000 speakers.

• The Oral Traditions of India: Until the practice of printing and publishing literary works became well established during the nineteenth century (and for some languages in the early years of the twentieth century), literature in India existed mostly in oral traditions. Even when the literary works were written and handed down the generations in manuscript form, the general dissemination of literary work depended on its oral circulation. This oral casing included works from scriptures to folksongs and drama. Even after the medium of printing became well established in India, some of the oral traditions have survived. They include plays, songs, stories and aphorisms.
• The Plan of Action: Considering that communities speaking the non-scheduled and non-recognised languages are spread all over the Indian sub-continent, it will not be possible for any single individual to undertake the entire work of collection of literature in these languages belonging to four different language families.
• It will be necessary to involve a large number of compilers in the project and to carry out the work over an extended period of time for its successful completion. Therefore, a body like the Sahitya Akademi will have to undertake the work as an integrated national project.
• In 1996, the Akademi launched the Language Development Board to meet this need. As per the recommendations of this Board, a project office has been established in Vadodara. Many national seminars and workshops have already been organised under this project.

Answer : India's beauty, history and cultural ancestry can be found in its artefacts and antiquities. They are windows to our past. However, the issue of illegal smuggling of these antiquities has almost entirely been ignored. In the last few years, with prominent cases of restitution of India's stolen treasures by foreign governments, public interest has grown. But how could its invaluable antiquities leave India in the first place?

• The answer rests with an archaic piece of legislation: the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972. The act that sought to regulate the business of dealing in antiquities, and accordingly their preservation, is alleged to have failed in its purpose. The act also introduced various avenues for the government to raid and prosecutes private collectors on flimsy grounds, like "inadequate maintenance of the object". Stringent curbs were placed on the movement and trade of antiquities, even within India. Such provisions deterred most people from registering their antiquities.
• Numerous attempts to amend the act have failed since 1985. Assurances were given nine times by the Central government, but nothing further was done. In 2011, a formal committee under R.N. Mishra was set up, which included representatives from museums, collectors, archaeological departments and the private sector. An effort was made to make the system transparent and user-friendly, especially the registration, with a view to ensuring free mobility of antiquities within the country.
• India needs to first work on modernising the core regime. People should be encouraged to register their antiquities and trust the government not to harass them. Under the act, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has only registered about 3, 00,000 artefacts out of a possible 30 billion. An e-registration process would encourage more participation and help create transparency among stakeholders.
• Another point of contention concerns the act's enforcement. The ASI's focus and resources have been channelled towards the maintenance, restoration and preservation of ancient monuments and archaeological sites. The ASI's lack of expertise in this area has been found to be a major systemic flaw. A larger, dedicated body of experts is needed.

Answer : Cultural diplomacy a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding." The purpose of cultural diplomacy is for the people of a foreign nation to develop an understanding of the nation's ideals and institutions in an effort to build broad support for economic and political goals. In essence "cultural diplomacy reveals the soul of a nation" which in turn create influence. Though often overlooked, cultural diplomacy can and does play an important role in achieving national security aims.

• The Asokan edicts constitute one of the first extant forms of decipherable writing on the Indian subcontinent and are typically divided into four groups based on their content as well as on the materials on which they are inscribed. As material objects of empire, the Asokan edicts have tremendous significance in Mauryan studies. Not only are they used by historians to infer details of political life and administrative organization, but most, if not all, models of the Mauryan polity define its territory by geographical distribution of the edicts.
• However, it is unlikely that Mauryan territorial control would have extended to these distant regions, despite Asoka’s assertions. In the text of the edicts, there are no territorial claims associated with dhamma vijaya. Instead, it is depicted as a code of general good behavior, admonishing people to respect elders and teachers, speak the truth and uphold general principles of dharma.
• An examination of Buddhist and other early Indian concepts of kingship and sovereignty help to clarify some of the intentions and underlying notions that may have influenced the composition and placement of the Asokan edicts in various parts the Indian subcontinent. It is quite evident that the “moral and cultural conquests” of Asoka did not directly translate to political conquest or control.

Answer : Preservation and conservation of manuscripts is very important because manu-scripts are the mighty source of earlier information regarding social, religious, historical, cultural, medical etc. The National Mission for Manus-cripts (NMM) is the first consolidated national effort for reclaiming India’s inheritance of knowledge contained in the vast treasure of manuscripts. Manuscripts, which contain centuries of accrued knowledge in such areas as philosophy, sciences, literature, arts and the pluralistic faith systems of India are more than just historical records. They represent the collective wisdom and experience of generations of thinkers. The Mission was established in 2003 with the objective of creating a national resource base for manuscripts, scattered across the country. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is the nodal Agency for its implementation.

• The organisation works in the field of restoration and conservation Indian manuscripts, and their digitization, to promote access and scholarship through research and publication. It has also established a national network of institutions and manuscript repositories, including Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs), Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs), Manuscript Partner Centres (MPCs) and Manuscript Conservation Partner Centres (MCPCs), spread across the nation. It has also established Kritisampada, the National Database of Manuscripts, a digital archive at its website.
• The Mission also got a Rigveda manuscripts preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, where it runs a 'Manuscripts Resource and Conservation Centre', included in UNESCO’S, Memory of the World Registar in 2007. In October 2010, the Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library (Central Library), BHU in association with the Mission, held a national workshop on manuscript conservation at the library.
• The Mission runs a network of 32 conservation units across the India, known as Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs), divi-ded according to geographical zones.
• A substantial number of Indian manuscripts have been taken outside the country. It will be part of the Mission's efforts to get copies of these manuscripts, for which budgetary provision has been made. The Mission will also extend financial help to institutions, universities and other sources that have considerable number of manuscripts to improve their storage facility. Some of the States where major wealth of manuscripts are available are Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa.

The Mission Document states that the objectives of the Mission are:

1. To enhance the access to the manuscripts, improve awareness about cultural inheritance and encourage the use of manuscripts for educational and research purpose and lifelong learning;
2. To facilitate conservation and preservation of manuscripts through training, awareness and financial support;
3. To document and catalogue Indian manus-cripts, wherever they may be, maintain accu-rate and up-to-date information about them and the conditions under which they may be consulted;
4. To promote ready access to these manuscripts through publication, both in book form as well as machine readable form;
5. To boost scholarship and research in the study of Indian languages and manuscriptology;
6. To build up a National Manuscripts Library at IGNCA.

India possesses an estimate of five million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the world. These cover a variety of themes, textures and aesthetics, scripts, languages, calligraphies, illuminations and illustrations.

Together, they constitute the ‘memory' of India's history, heritage and thought. These manuscripts lie scattered across the country and beyond, in numerous institutions as well as private collections, often unattended and undoc-umented.

The National Mission for Manuscripts aims to locate, document, preserve and render these accessible—to connect India's past with its future, its memory with its aspirations.

Answer : Mughal painting are one of the most important paintings from medieval India and are also repository of important information about the court scenes, flora and fauna etc.

There are certain important characteristics of the Mughal style/ school of paintings. Some of them being:-

• Profile Painting: Profile of faces is the main characteristics of Mughal style. Almost all the portraits are 'Ek-Chashma' (single-eyed or profile).
• Special ornamentation of Borders (Hashias): This is the main effect of Iranian art on Mughal painting. Ornamentation of borders by creepers and shrubs around every painting in common.
• Lively depiction of Birds and Animals and Depiction of Nature: Depiction of birds and animals are most important characteristics of the Mughal paintings. Ustad Mansur was best painter of birds. The hunting scenes, trees, plants, rivers and mountains have been very marvelously depicted in Mughal painting.
• Fine line drawing: The beautiful and appropriate use of fine lines can be judged by portrait painting of that style.
• Portrait painting: There is an abundance of portrait paintings in the Mughal School. Every Mughal ruler was very much fond of Portrait painting. Portraits of saints have also been painted along with those of emperors.
• Historical scenes: Mostly historical scenes have been painted in the Mughal School. Most of such work was done in the time of Akbar because he gave much importance to the manuscript painting such as Kissa- Amir Hamza.

Further the Mughal artists had a special gift of expressing different emotions and sentiments in their paintings. Most of these paintings use gold and silver colours and are adorned with beautiful calligraphy.

Answer : INTACH was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the vision to create a membership organization to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India. Since 1984, INTACH has pioneered the conservation and protection of India's natural and cultural heritage and is today the largest membership organization in the country dedicated to conservation.

• Among the tasks undertaken by INTACH are restoration of monuments and their management; advocacy for heritage property conservation; public awareness through heritage walks and buses; establishment of heritage clubs in schools; and holding of awareness workshop for teachers of schools and colleges and heritage walks to various unprotected sites.
• Over the years, INTACH has taken up restoration and protection of hundreds of monuments that fall outside the coverage of Archeological Survey of India and other gove-rnment agencies, and at times local authorities hand over the upkeep and restoration of heritage structures to INTACH directly.
• INTACH has established chapters not only within India but also outside it. It now uses funds mobilized by its international chapters in Belgium and the United Kingdom, to take up restoration, conservation and protection projects of historical structures and heritage buildings across India.
• Through the ASI, the Central Government protects monuments more than 100 years old declared to be of national importance. Monuments of importance to States are protected by the respective State Department of Archaeology (SDA). However, the existing legislation covers only about 5,000 monuments at the national level and approximately 3,500 at the state level. Considering India’s vast cultural heritage, these numbers are inadequate and their focus monument-centric.
• INTACH has undertaken an inventory of built heritage in India which includes notable buildings aged 50 years or more which are deemed to be of architectural, historical, archaeological or aesthetic importance.
• Since a large part of India’s cultural heritage has so far remained undocumented, preparing an inventory of heritage buildings worthy of preservation is the most important task with which to begin the process of conservation.
• The primary aim of listing is to document the fast disappearing built heritage and then present it to scholars and the general public in a user-friendly format, which aids conservation by generating public awareness. Once a property/ building is included in such a list, it becomes justifiable to undertake necessary conservation activities by formulating special regulations for its conservation or according it due protection under Town Planning Acts. Ideally, the footprints of all listed buildings should be included in the Master Plan documents of cities.
• This inventory will become INTACH’s Nati-onal Register of Historic Properties. It attempts to create a systematic, accessible and retrievable inventory of the built heritage of this country. It will serve as resource material for developing heritage conservation policies and regulations. In due course, this database should be made more comprehensive and the information compiled should be available online. It should also be made compatible with similar registers of other countries to facilitate international research.
• A similar Register of Craftspeople associated with the architectural heritage must be undertaken by specialist cultural organizations. It is important to reiterate that both buildings being listed and associated activities that keep these building in use constitute the ‘living’ heritage. The Register of Craftspeople is, therefore, essential to viewing the architectural heritage in a holistic manner. Buildings protected by the ASI and SDA should also be included in the list prepared by INTACH.

• Tanjore paintings also known as Tanjavur paintings have decorated the walls of temples, palaces and homes since the chola dynasty (17th century). Deeply rooted in tradition, Tanjore paintings depict divine Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon in rich vibrant colors.
• These paintings are remarkable in its step-by-step creation from the actual canvas board to the final touches. Adorned with rubies, diamonds and other precious gemstones, and trimmed with gold foil. Tanjore paintings were actually speaking-treasures.
• The 'canvas' for a Tanjore painting is usually a plank of wood over which a layer of cloth is pasted. The cloth is coated with lime paste and smoothened by rubbing with a smooth stone till the overlay is smooth, levelled and even. Now, the canvas is ready for painting. On this canvas, an artist draws a detailed pencil-sketch. Layers of paste made from glue (obtained from neem trees) and limestone are moulded and applied on the canvas to create a three-dimensional effect in embellishing and ornamenting a theme. Selected gems of varied hues are inlaid onto this layer of paste. Gold leaves are affixed on selected areas. The shine and gleam on the gold leaves used by the Tanjore style paintings, lasts forever.
• The paintings are mostly of Gods and Goddesses because this art of painting flourished at a time when fine-looking and striking temples were being constructed by rulers of several dynasties. The figures in these paintings are large and the faces are round and divine.

• Tanjore paintings are prepared on cloth with wood as base, while Mysore paintings are prepared on paper, wall, cloth and wood.
• Materials used in both styles are different. Raw lime powder is used along with a paste made of powdered tamarind seed for Gesso work, while in Mysore style Gesso is prepared by mixing white lead powder, gamboges and glue. Gesso work in Mysore Painting is low in relief and intricate as compare to the thick gold relief work of Tanjore School.
• Mysore paintings are lighter and more ornate than their Tanjore counter parts. In Mysore paintings a greater emphasis is on fine lines and delicate detail, especially on corner scroll designs, clothing and other decorative elements. Mysore style has no gem setting and glass embellishment as compared to Tanjore style.