Humanities 1010 with Prof. Candyce Sweet

Ancient India gave birth to culinary traditions that still carry wide influence. Learn about the culture of the Aryans, whose religion prefigured Hinduism; food customs relating to caste; and the traditions of vegetarianism in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Also study the dietetic system of Ayurvedic medicine and the components of Indian cuisine. (31 minutes)

A journey across India walking in the same path that led to Buddha’s enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama lived 2500 years ago in an ancient land called Maghada, known today as Bihar, the poorest state in India. He was born in Lumbini (Nepal today) into a noble family. At the age of twenty-nine, he renounced all wealth and, as a homeless wanderer, set out to seek the nature of our existence. To seek the truth.

For six years he would wander as a homeless Shramana or spiritual seeker. In summer the dust would blind his eyes and fill his nostrils. In the monsoon season the mud would cake his bare feet. Breaking his journey only for meditation. Going deeper and deeper as he explored his subconscious until finally, as he meditated under a tree through the night, he broke free of attachment and suffering. “I am free from desire. Free from ignorance. Free from the taint of being," said Siddhartha. “I was asleep, but now I am awake in reality. In Nirvana.” When he got up, he was the Buddha. The Awakened. (58 minutes)

Grasp the nature and roles of sacred writings within Hinduism, as contrasted with the Judeo-Christian tradition. Learn about the structure of the Vedas, comprising collections of hymns and commentaries, and their meaning and function in Hindu ritual. Read compelling excerpts from the Vedas, and learn how Western religious scholars have approached them. (29 minutes)

Continue your study of South Asia. Here, Professor Benjamin traces the rise of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religious traditions during the millennium between 1500 and 500 B.C.E. He then turns to the political and social organizations of the subcontinent, from the Indo-Aryan settlements through the Mauryan Empire. (30 minutes)

Ancient monuments, regional arts and crafts, myths, and folklore on Google Arts & Culture.

Including Hampi from the Vijayanagara Empire, Ajanta Caves, Chand Baori Stepwell, and the Great Stupa at Sanchi

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

Archaeological Survey of India