Indo-Islamic motifs are a merger of art & architecture from a variety of faiths

THE TIMES OF INDIA
By Sajjad Shahid

The Taj Mahal

INDIA - The first major contact between India and the Arab world occurred with annexation of Sind by the Umayyad Caliphate in 711. After a preliminary period of polarization, there began a slow but inevitable exchange of ideas and beliefs that impacted both cultures, bringing about perceptible changes in both. Although obscure, the process of interaction eventually led to the evolution of the religious and cultural traditions which define modern India. Indo-Islamic art has absorbed all these symbols into its own imagery along with adding a lot more from the extensive Indian repertoire. [link]

• Apart from the pentacle (five pointed star) which remains the most used symbol in both Islamic and Christian art, a number of very potent symbols which have been in use for centuries, continue to evoke very strong emotional reactions.
• The Swastik, for example, represents aspects of creation and motion in Hindu iconography. In its international manifestation, it gained notoriety as the hated symbol of the Nazis. Its Persian avatar recurs frequently as the intentional focus in artistic renditions even in mosques in present day Iran.
• The six pointed hexagram, today identified predominantly as the Jewish 'Star of David', has been used by different cultures since earliest recorded history. In India it has been a revered symbol in Mughal art and architecture and is also found extensively in Jaina and Hindu graphics and illustrations.
• The lotus, a prime symbol of creation, has been the favoured embellishment for the springing of domes, especially in the Deccan.