SPLENDOUR IN STONE: ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF GUPTA ERA

“India is the cradle of human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only! ”

Indian history and culture is dynamic and it spans back to the beginning of human civilization. India is known for its cultural heritage in the whole world. In fact it is India which has given the world the gift of art. The firstart work which belongs to Paleolithic culture of the Stone Age was found in India only. The presence of these paintings has asserted India’s importance for art and culture in the whole world. Architecture and the arts in India display a devotion to gods and goddesses, oral histories and storytelling, and romantic love. India is a virtual museum of architecture dating back thousands of years, and many of its most magnificent structures excel because of their detailed carvings and stonework, as well as intricate tiling, much of it handed down through artisans from generation to generation. A combination of figures and styles from Hindu and Islamic tradition decorates temples, public buildings and residences grand and small, and there are Buddhist shrines dating to the 2nd century.