05/19 05. South Asian Art: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism Free Online FlashCards

What is a Buddhist stupa?

A stupa is a Buddhist reliquary monument associated with the burial or enshrinement of sacred relics and used for pilgrimage and circumambulation.

What does pradakshina mean?

Pradakshina is ritual circumambulation performed while keeping the sacred object or building to the right.

What is aniconism in early Buddhist art?

Early Buddhist art often suggested the Buddha through symbols such as an empty throne, footprints, the bodhi tree, or the dharma wheel rather than a human figure.

What is a Jataka?

A Jataka is a story about one of the Buddha’s previous lives, often used in Buddhist narrative art to communicate ethical instruction.

What is a chaitya-griha?

A chaitya-griha is a Buddhist prayer hall, often with a stupa at its apsidal end.

What is a vihara?

A vihara is a Buddhist monastery or monastic residence, often built near trade routes and pilgrimage centers.

What is the garbhagriha?

The garbhagriha is the inner sanctuary of a Hindu temple, where the primary image or emblem of the deity is housed.

What is darshan?

Darshan is the auspicious reciprocal encounter in which a devotee sees the deity or sacred image and is understood to be seen by it.

Why do Hindu deities often have multiple arms?

Multiple arms visualize a deity’s superhuman capacity by displaying several attributes at once; they are not intended as realistic anatomy.

What does Shiva Nataraja’s dance symbolize?

In Nataraja imagery, Shiva’s dance expresses cosmic creation, preservation, destruction, and cyclical time.

Who are the Jain tirthankaras?

The tirthankaras are twenty-four Jain enlightened teachers who show the way across the cycle of rebirth.

How are Jain tirthankaras typically portrayed?

Jain tirthankara images emphasize intense stillness, symmetry, meditation, and freedom from worldly ornament.