Kalā

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For other uses, see Kala.

Kalā (Sanskrit: कला) refers to art forms, attributes or virtues.

[edit] The 64 Kalas (art forms)

The 64 Kalas is the classical curriculum of sacred sciences, studies, arts and skills listed in various Hindu shastra.

  1. Histrionic Talents, Drama, story telling techniques, mnemonics etc.,
  2. Making musical Instruments, simple mechanical devices etc.,
  3. Playing Musical Instruments (i.e.) Instrumental music including jalatarangam- creating music with water, percussion and string instruments.
  4. Decorating, Dressmaking, costume making, artful dressing and personal grooming.
  5. Ornaments and head adornments
  6. Singing and Dancing , practicing fine arts
  7. Making beds, Bedroom decorations
  8. Garland making, flower arrangement, designs with grains on the floor like Rangoli
  9. Playing games like dice
  10. Mastering eroticism as per Vatsyayana, erotic devices and sexual arts
  11. Making honey, liquor , beverages and desserts
  12. Plucking out arrows and healing
  13. Cooking, eating and drinking skills
  14. Horticulture, forestry
  15. Breaking and pulverizing hardrock, mining
  16. Making Medicines from herbs
  17. Sorting, Mixing, Isolating Ingredients
  18. Making and using Astras and Sustras
  19. Wrestling, Boxing, Gymnastics, physical culture, body building etc.,
  20. Making ICBM
  21. Parades , Army Bands and Dharmic warfare
  22. Ratha, Gaja, Turaga wars ( Chariot, Elephantry and Cavalry)
  23. Asanas, Postures & Mudras
  24. Training elephants, horses, birds
  25. Making Vessels of clay, wood, bronze
  26. Drawing
  27. Making Paints & Painting
  28. Architecture, Sculpture, house and temple construction, mosaic tiling
  29. Mixing air, water etc (Air Products and Water Products)
  30. Boats, Ships, Chariots etc
  31. Making threads, ropes etc
  32. Weaving and Spinning
  33. Diamond , Precious Stones and gems-distinguishing them from ordinary ones.
  34. Alchemy, Chemistry , preparing ointments, unguents for charm and virility
  35. Jewellery making including artificial jewelry
  36. Gold Plating, metallurgy
  37. Skinning and Preserving bodies
  38. Leather Technology
  39. Dairy Farming
  40. Tailoring, Sartorial skills and Embroidery
  41. Swimming and water sports
  42. Cleaning houses and vessels
  43. Laundering and Washing
  44. Hair dressing and Shaving
  45. Managing Oil Resources
  46. Having control over others' minds, spells, charms ,Omens
  47. Tilling and agriculture
  48. Handicrafts including Carpentry, furniture making and furnishing
  49. Making Vessels of glass , ceramic and pottery
  50. Drawing water & resources
  51. Gardening and Fencing
  52. Caporisoning elephants etc
  53. Child rearing & Pediatrics including doll making and toy making for kids
  54. Punishing guilty appropriately by Law and Order
  55. Learning Languages / dialects (both native and foreign), literary excellence, semantics
  56. Preparing 'Tambool' etc.
  57. Composing impromptu poetry
  58. Preparing perfumes, cosmetics, playing poetry games, oratory, elocution, prosody, rhetoric
  59. Sorcery, Conjuring, Sleight of hand, Magic, Illusions, Impersonation
  60. Composing Riddles, Rhymes, Verses, Puzzles, Tongue twisters and involved recitations
  61. Making swords, Staffs, Archery
  62. Training fighting partridges and rams, Cock fight, Bull fight etc.,
  63. Teaching parrots, mynas to talk and training animals, Veterinary science
  64. Writing in cipher codes and languages, secret mantras, coding and decoding.[1]

[edit] References

  • ^ Ramaswamy, Anbil Hinduism Rediscovered - A Contemporary study of Hindu thought from Vedic roots - Chapter: Sources