Critically discuss the developments in art and architecture in India in the past which show that India's culture is a composite one.

This composite feature of Indian culture can be seen in the field of art and architecture similar to the composite culture in the form of literature and higher learning by different regions of India.
The Harappan art is the earliest example of Indian art. Later the Gandhara art also flourished in this region. The Mauryan art had its origin in Bihar but the best examples of Indian architecture, sculpture, and painting can be seen in the Gupta art which originated in Uttar Pradesh. In the post Gupta period the Nagara style of architecture flourished from Bhuvaneshvara in Orissa to Gujarat and Kathiawar with regional varieties in central India and Rajasthan. The Dravida style began in the reign of the Pallavas of Ranchi and reached its zenith in the time of the Cholas. The Chalukyan style was a mixture of the north Indian and south Indian styles of architecture. It flourished in the Deccan andreached its richest expression in the Mysoreregion under the Hoysalas of Dvarasamudra.
The best examples of sculpture can be seen in the temples of this period. In North India we come across both Buddhist and Brahmanical images of a fairly high standard but the conception of Nataraja Siva is a valuable contribution of South India.
From what has been stated above it is evident that India’s culture is a composite culture and every region, north, south, east, west and centre had contributed to the development in the ancient period.