Students Explore the Art and Culture of India

The Art and Culture of India class traveled to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 12th, for a visit to the Hindu temple there and an Indian art exhibition at Carnegie Mellon. The Pittsburgh temple is called the Sri Venkateswara Temple. It was one of the first Hindu temples built in this country and is modeled after a famous temple in Tirupati also called the Venkateswara temple. At the temple, the class met with some of the priests, received a tour and learned about the importance of the architecture and sculptures. They also observed a religious service called an Archana. Because Indian art and architecture are so connected to religion, the visit allowed the class to see those connections and to understand how religion dictates other aspects of the culture. Students also completed some sketching and independent observations of the architecture or sculptures at the temple. Following the temple visit, the class enjoyed lunch at an area Indian restaurant before moving onto the Indian art collection at Carnegie Mellon for a guided tour. The ultimate goal was to expose students to the connections between independent artwork and what they observed and studied at the temple. The Art and Culture of India is offered as a senior elective. The students have already studied and researched many of the primary Hindu deities and their related artwork can be seen in the showcase across from the main office.