India: Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture (INA) Program Links - 1 3953
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India: Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture
Spiti, Ladakh, and Zanskar are among the most remote and beautiful areas of Indic Asia. Despite their political inclusion within the modern state of India, these areas are considered to be within the Tibetan cultural sphere. However, unlike Tibet itself, Spiti and Ladakh are still culturally vibrant and relatively unspoiled by modern tourism or the imposition of foreign social norms. Many ancient Vajrayana Buddhist monasteries in the region provide awe-inspiring examples of the intricate religious systems of Western Himalayan Buddhism and its rich artistic institutions.
Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism is the most complex form of Buddhism, not only in its philosophical foundations, but also in its visual expression. Buddhist monasteries use distinctive styles of architecture, painting, and sculpture to support, explain, and illustrate the elaborate systems of Vajrayana cosmography with its vast pantheon of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, goddesses, godlings, saints, demons, ghouls, and spirits.
