The goddess Saraswati is worshipped as the patron of music. She is always seen symbolically holding a veena. The veena was an ancient stringed instrument, important is Hindu music and raising spirituality.
A mantra, which is considered as very sacred, is often a poem, syllable, verse or word, which is recited by devotees. The recital must be carried out with extreme concentration, devotion and understanding in order to connect spiritually with god. Mantras act as a mystic power, which revitalises the body and harmonizes the mind and actions of the devotees. Mantras can also be inspiring and uplifting when chanted regularly. They can mentally change the consciousness, focusing all attention on the inner soul; the true self. This in turn purifies the soul and gives great strength to the devotee.
Hindus sing Bhajans (devotional songs) to pray and connect with god. With music, these simple songs are composed using soulful language, showing the love the Hindus have for their God; conveying a complete submission or self-surrender to him.
One way in which art and music in Hinduism is used, is to evoke the presence of God to encourage the divine to become real and present in their lives. It helps the worshipper to feel the spiritual energy of God.
David Frawley said, “Art can be a natural expression of devotion or love of God. Poetry, drama, sculpture, music and dance are an integral part of worship”. This quote signifies that both art and music play an essential role in Hindu worship and spiritual life.
Hindus always commence any important or happy occasions with prayers to the Gods and this always includes songs. This makes each occasion auspicious in their eyes. Auspicious is described as ‘giving promise of success, prosperity and happiness’ and thus they use the occasions to obtain blessings from the gods. Aarti is always offered at the end of any auspicious occasion, when a Diva is lit and the arti is sung to the particular god that has been worshipped on that occasion.
Aarti is a Hindu ritual in which light from wicks soaked in ghee is offered to one or more deities. It is generally performed twice or three times daily, and usually at the end of a puja or bhajan. It is performed during most Hindu ceremonies. It involves the circulation of an 'Arati plate' around a person or idol and is generally accompanied by the singing of prayers of that deity or person. In doing so, the plate itself is supposed to gain the power of the deity. The priest circulates the plate to all those present.
Without art Hindus would find it difficult to worship as they would not be able to view the divine image of all of their gods. Every one of the gods has a unique form, which in some cases links to the story that is associated with that one particular god. The image of a god is not just a statue or a picture; through the worship of the god, the power of god enters their minds. This is, therefore, why many Hindus travel long distances just for a glance of their icon. They believe that though the artistic representation of a god, the divine enters it and enters the life of a Hindu.
Hindus offer prayers by way of Darshan to the gods by leaving offerings in front of the murtis. These offerings may be food, milk, flowers or even money. Darshan is the most important form of worship because it involves the inner self bonding with god.
Hindus use murtis, mandala or yantra (geometric designs which act as tools in enhancing concentration and meditation), mehndi, rangoli and symbols, which are all forms of art, as ways of communicating with god and expressing love and devotion towards Brahman.
The statues are known as Murtis and come in many sizes and shapes, all decorated in the most vibrant, elaborate colours, and dressed in authentic colourful clothing. The murtis do not have any likeness of any earthly form but are instead fantastic artistic forms intended to present divine realities. With a mixture of human realities and divine qualities they are seen as a way to stretch the human imagination towards what is divine and therefore enable to focus on a spiritual level. An example of this is the Lord Shiva, who has multiple arms. In some forms Shiva is lord of dance, and dance is a form of dance.
Hindu symbols are a representation of the god’s qualities. However some symbols are more important than others and many Hindus draw these symbols and even wear a pendant replica of specific symbols for good luck, for example the symbol for ‘Om’ which represents peace. All the images and symbols of all of the gods are different representations/characteristics of the all powerful Brahman.
Om is the most significant of the Hindu symbols. Om means eternal or eternity and can be split into three stages of existence; Birth, Life and Death, as well as the three states of consciousness; waking, dreaming and deep sleep. It can also represent past, present and future; Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is used in puja and mantras and is subsequently considered to be a sacred sound or vibration.
There are other religious symbols which are important in Hinduism. One of them being, placing their hands together when praying. This is a sign of respect towards the divine and sacred. Another important symbol is the lotus, which is seen as a symbol of purity or transcendence. Like the murti it is also a symbol of beauty and so has the power to reveal our spiritual nature.
Hindus would use colours to decorate pictures of deities and also on themselves to show that they are blessed and also for worship. All of their worship materials consist of many different colours.
In and , where Lord grew up, the festival of Holi is celebrated for 16 days. Lord Krishna is believed to have popularized the festival by playing pranks on the here. Krishna is believed to be complained to his mother about the contrast between his dark colour and his consort Radha's fair colour. Krishna's mother decided to apply colour to Radha's face. The celebrations officially usher in spring, the celebrated season of love.
Today all Hindus celebrate the Holi festival by squirting each other with paint and singing songs. Holi is also emphasised in many Bollywood movies and therefore keeps this art alive in Hinduism today.
Rangoli is one of the most popular art forms in . It is a form of decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used commonly outside homes in India. Rangoli can be wall art as well as floor art.
The origin of rangoli painting is traced to a legend recorded in the , the earliest Indian treatise on painting. When the son of a King's high priest died, , Lord of the universe, asked the king to paint the likeness of the boy so that Brahma could breathe life into him again. This is how, it is believed, and the first painting was made. Also, the son of the king painted a portrait of a girl whom the son liked very much. Although, the king would not let his son see her. Rangoli also became a form of a women self portrait.
Another popular story is that , in one of his creative episodes, extracted the juice from one of the trees as , and drew the figure of a so beautiful that it put the to shame.
Like rangoli, mehndi (henna) plays an important part in Hindu art. Mehndi is paste made from ground leaves. It is applied to the skin using a plastic cone or paintbrush on brides and bridesmaids. Some traditional mehndi designs draw the sun on the palms which represents the mind (in mehndi).
Historically, a mandir was a centre for intelligence and art. Throughout the history of Hinduism the mandir has been the most significant of patrons, sculpture and painting. They have been the greatest architectural projects; the greatest sculptures and paintings of every era have been linked with the construction of mandirs.
Mandirs were also great places of performing arts. Mandirs always supported the performing and teaching of devotional song and instrumental music. Mandirs also promoted traditional and devotional dances. The tradition of music and dance was developed in the mandir and then spread out into the wider culture.
The mandir was universally accessible. People from all backgrounds and places came to experience the painting, music and dance. Without mandirs these traditional arts would be forgotten and music and art would not be used in worship to this day.
Art and music both play a significant role in helping Hindus identify their true, inner self; otherwise known as Atman. Art and music both spiritually bridge the connection between the humans and the divine. Hindus use art to see the living god in their murtis and symbols. Mehndi and rangoli are ancient art traditions taken from Hindu history and still followed today. Dance acts as form of worship during special occasions like Divali and weddings. Music is equally significant during worship and building the spiritual beliefs. It is rooted in bhajans and mantras. Music arouses devotion and love for god through powerful rhythm and beat. Hindus use art and music in their lives every day to enable them to the Atman’s ultimate journey to Brahman.
