South Asia

Learn about the basic beliefs of Hinduism.

Utilizing the special exhibition “Yoga: The Art of Transformation” as a point of departure, this short, dynamic talk, or Baat Cheet, focuses on California’s unique role in the adoption, evolution, and popularization of yoga today.

A short documentary on The Stupa, a hemispherical mound that represents the burial mound of the Buddha.

Learn how to identify the Hindu deity Shiva and hear a story related to a depiction of Shiva in the Asian Art Museum’s collection.

Learn about the Hindu deity Vishnu and his avatar Krishna, and hear a story about Krishna defeating the serpent Kaliya.

This background information will help you prepare your students for their visit to Yoga: The Art of Transformation (on view at the Asian Art Museum from February 21–May 25, 2014).

Objective: Students gain an appreciation and understanding of art and culture, and build language skills by reading; developing scripts; making choices about gesture, voice, and expression; and performing traditional stories alongside art objects in the Asian Art Museum’s collection galleries.

Duration: One class period over the course of 1 week

Refined Character Type: Arjuna, third of the Pandava (Pandawa) brothers, approx. 1950. Indonesia; West Java. Wood, cloth, and mixed media. From The Mimi and John Herbert Collection, F2000.86.115.

The Himalayas are the highest mountain ranges in the world, and from them flow the major rivers of Asia. Learn more.