Pectoral, 2500-1700BC Steatite carving (soapstone), National Museum of Pakistan

Soapstone is a relatively soft material comprised mostly of talc that has been used for thousands of years because it is easily carved.

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The pectoral had inlays that were lost over time.

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Indian people have a deep respect for animals and among those, cows have been held in particularly high regard.  The pre-historic Hindus Valley tribes left hundreds of images like this on seals behind.  Aryan (from the Iranian-Indian region) herdsman used cattle as money.  Hindus don’t kill any animal.  Hindus view all life as energy and believe in reincarnation.  For example, a bug may be a dead relative or friend so they wouldn’t kill it.  The Hindu gods also have features of animals. 

            In Hindu mythology Surabhi is the mother of all cows. The cow is a symbol of abundance and generosity.  Surabhi blesses people with good health and prosperity.  Cows take care of many needs: draft animals, provide milk, and by-products of yogurt and butter and buttermilk.  All of these are very important in the Indian diet.  Dung is used for fuel and fertilizer.  When cows die their skins are used for leather products.  Cows are regarded as a sacred mother while bulls are associated with Shiva, a husband.

Buddha in Meditation, 5th C, Sandstone statue, Archaeological Museum, Sarnath

The ninth (of 10) incarnation of Vishnu, the great protector, is Buddha.  Vishnu comes to earth when good and evil are out of balance.  Before Vishnu took on the guise of Buddha, the Brahman (ruling caste) had made many countless rituals for Hindus to perform that were actually harming people.  Buddha’s mission was to end Brahman oppression and purify the rituals.  He ended the sacrifice of animals as offerings to the gods and taught that it was possible to end cycle of reincarnation and attain eternal bliss (nirvana) through principals of mindfulness, detatchment, and meditation.  Buddha taught that a person’s karma not caste determined a person’s place in society.  This was a bold reform of Hinduism.

            How do you picture Buddha?  Probably as fat and jolly but Buddha is actually very fit and free of the temptations of society.  He is often depicted seated in lotus, meditating.  Here his hands are in a teaching position.  He is usually simply clad in a robe.  During his life, Buddha shared his vast knowledge freely and encouraged people to live in peace, reminding then to keep things simple.

Avalokitesvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.

Sometimes he is depicted as the Thousand armed Avalokitesvara.  There are a lot of different manifestations of Avalokitesvara, such as having 1,000 eyes and arms to see and help all.  Avalokitesvara means lord who gazes down at the world or observes the sounds of the world.  Avalokiteśvara is the bodhisattva who has made a great vow to assist sentient beings in times of difficulty and to postpone his own buddhahood until he has assisted every sentient being in achieving emancipation.

Avalokitesvara, 6th C, Sarnath, Indian sandstone, Boston Museum of Fine art.

Avalokitesvara was the personification of compassion.  Should he ever become disheartened in saving sentient beings, his body was to shatter into a thousand pieces.  One day, while helping beings in a higher realm, He looked down into the hells which he had emptied through the teaching of the Dharma, and realised, to his dismay, that countless beings were still flooding into them. In a moment of exasperation, he became so disheartened that true to his vow, his body shattered in great agitation and despair. Despite this, he did not just give up — his consciousness beseeched the Buddhas for help. Of the Buddhas who came to aid him, one was Amitabha Buddha, who became His Guru (personal teacher) Buddha. With the Buddha's miraculous powers, he attained a new form — one with a thousand helping hands of Compassion coupled with the eyes of Wisdom in each palm. With this, he renewed his vow to saving not just limited sentient beings, but all sentient beings.

Vishvarupa Vishnu, 9th-10thC, Nepal, Hindu Gilt Copper, 31.8cm high, Museum of Fine arts, Boston.

Vishnu is one of the three primary Hindu gods: Brahma (creation), Vishnu (preservation), and Shiva (destruction). 

In this manifestation, Vishnu appears as the supreme Lord with ten arms.   The ten-armed god stands firm like a column on a plain pedestal. He wears a dhoti of printed design, held with a girdle, a necklace, earrings, an elaborate crown with the face of glory, a sacred thread, and bracelets designed as serpents. His attributes are the lotus seed, battle-axe, sword, discus (chakra), elephant goad, bow shield, mace and conch. The back of the figure is as richly finished as the front, the ten arms emerging coherently from the shoulders, and the hair falling over the neck in stylized but well-groomed curls. With his ten arms, the god here reveals his universal form.

Bronze casting was already a developed art in Nepal by the 7th Century as attested by visiting Chinese dignitaries, and the superb bronze shows the technical dexterity of the Newari artist in this field.

Vishnu is often shown with 10 heads too.

Shiva Nataraja, 12th-13thC, Bronze, Nelson Gallery, Kansas City

Shiva is one of the oldest Hindu gods and plays many important roles.  He is a devote meditator and yogi, cosmic dancer who sets the rhythms of the universe, benevolent protector and husband, and part of the Hindu trinity.  He is the god of destruction, transformation, and regeneration.  Some think when Shiva stops dancing the universe will come to an end. 

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Shiva's dance is set within a flaming halo. The god holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarflike figure being trampled by his right foot represents apasmara purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). Shiva's front left hand, pointing to his raised left foot, signifies refuge for the troubled soul. The energy of his dance makes his hair fly to the sides. The symbols imply that, through belief in Shiva, his devotees can achieve salvation.

Taj Mahal, 1632-1650, near Agra, India.

The Taj Mahal is one of the Wonders of the World.  The name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make a visit to the Taj Mahal amongst the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. 

Grief-stricken when his favorite wife died in childbirth, Shah Jahan, one of India's richest and most powerful rulers, determined to build her a mausoleum "as beautiful as she was beautiful". Through 19 years of marriage she had been his constant companion; she was called Mumtaz Mahal, "chosen of the palace". To build her suitable monument, 20,000 expert craftsmen and laborers, summoned from all over India, Asia and Europe, worked for 22 years.  Shah Jahan, a Muslim, based the design of the mausoleum on Islamic concepts, but native materials, motifs and craftsmanship were what finally gave the building its special quality. It is a brilliant fusion of Muslim and Hindu styles, the jewel in India's architectural diadem; the Taj Mahal.

Above all, the Taj Mahal is feminine. Much of its ornamentation , like the beautifully carved marble flowers on the wall of the alcove, conveys a sensitive, almost perfumed loveliness. Both inside and out, the marble reflects the light and mood of the changing day - dazzling at noon and glowing at dusk, soft and ethereal in the moonlight, like the varying moods of a beautiful woman. It is fortunate that most of the delicate beauty remains. Within 60 years following the death of Shah Jahan, India dissolved into warring states. Marauding bands ransacked the monument and Hindu Indians reviled it as a reminder of the Muslim overlords. The Taj Mahal was not fully restored until the early 20th Century. Today it is an object of national and international admiration, and is the symbol of India for the entire world.

The Summer Elephant, c1750, Rajasthan Bundi, miniature painting, Prince of Wales Museum of Wetern India, Bombay.

Playful elephants wallowing in the lotus pool and dancing on the shore are depicted under a blazing sky before the monsoon. According to Hindu mythology, the first elephants in the world had wings and consorted with the clouds. It was still in their power to call upon their former heavenly companions to bring rain. For this blessed ability elephants are still honored in India. Particularly revered are the pure white elephants traditionally kept by kings, who consider the discovery of one of these rare specimens to be an omen of good fortune. Worshipping them is associated with rainfall and bountiful crops. Even today the symbol of good luck is an elephant-headed divinity called Ganesha, to whom Hindus pray before every important undertaking.  Ganesha also clears obstacles and wants you to share your sweets.

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Ganesha has the head of an elephant and the body of a man.  He was the first child of Shiva and Parvati.  Not sure how he got his head but one story says that when Shiva was away, Parvati made Ganesha as her protector out of dirt.  When Shiva returned, Ganesha wouldn’t let him in because didn’t know who he was.  Shiva cut off his head, and in a rush to make his wife happy again, he gave Ganesha the head of an elephant.

The Holy Family in a Cave, c. 1810-1820. Mandi School, Punjab Hills, N Pakistan. Watercolor on paper.

The holy family: Shiva, Parvati, and Karttikeya and Ganesha are depicted in a cave in Mt Kailasa/Kailash, the legendary home of the gods.