The Interrelation between Religion and Artistic Expression in Indian and World Traditions

Abstract

The interrelation between religion and artistic expression represents a fundamental aspect of human creativity, where spirituality and aesthetics converge to shape cultural identities and historical legacies. Religion has traditionally served as a source of inspiration, symbolism, and purpose for art, while artistic expression has provided a visual, musical, and performative medium to communicate the sacred. In Indian traditions, this synthesis is evident in Vedic chants, temple architecture, Bhakti and Sufi poetry, and folk performance arts, which embody devotion through creative expression. World traditions also reflect similar patterns—ranging from Mesopotamian and Egyptian monuments to Greco-Roman mythological art, Christian iconography, Islamic calligraphy, and indigenous ritual performances—each translating faith into tangible artistic forms. Beyond devotion, religious art has played vital sociocultural roles, educating communities, preserving values, and reinforcing collective identities. This study explores how religion and art across civilizations are inseparably linked, demonstrating a universal human impulse to express the divine through creativity.