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Indian art and its iconography represent one of the richest expressions of philosophical thought and religious devotion known to man. From initial conception of the Vedas to the prevailing symbolism in both art and culture, there is a historical continuity in which thought and expression persist and display an unwavering integration. Each and every symbol used in Indian art, be it painting, sculpture or architecture, is loaded with layers upon layers of meaning. An inquiry into the concepts that enrich the cultural significance of a symbol inevitably leads one the fundamental paradigms of Indian thought, which primarily assumed a philosophical character and then in the wake of political, cultural and economic needs fostered Hinduism and subsequently Hindu culture. In a presumably dialectical fashion the symbols we find in art feed the Indian culture with philosophical resonance of the past. The significance of symbols is thus, threefold. First, they are tangible expressions of various philosophical doctrines that defined the relationship between the microcosm (individual) and the macrocosm (universe). Second, they reinforce and regulate religious practices in their essence and form and third, they transform the whole activity of art into something that is both creative and cultural. This threefold significance, throughout Indian history, has kept satisfying the primordial needs of being and becoming experienced by man in various degrees. Interestingly, the symbols, which used natural elements instead of abstract signs, found a greater cross-cultural acceptance. This acceptance had two dominant reasons. One was the need to associate man with nature, which has been one of the core features of every civilization, and the other was the involvement of aesthetic considerations of the sublime that albeit their cultural variance largely converged on representation of nature. Moreover the by default power of symbolism to feed culture in a simple yet meaningful way, encouraged representation. The subject of the present study is the well-known symbol of purna-kalaśa with its threefold significance and cross-cultural acceptance. The inquiry is directed to elaborate upon the conceptual underpinning, religious association and South Asian Studies 31 (2) 562 cultural significance of purna-kalaśa and its cross-cultural use in Hindu and Muslim architecture of the Sub-Continent

Naela Aamir. (2016) The Conceptual, Cultural and Artistic Significance of Purna-Kalasa and its Use in Hindu and Muslim Architecture of the Subcontinent, South Asian Studies, Volume 31, Issue 2.
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