Vaishnavism

also known as “Mahatma” (Great Soul), was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, which is the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. His father was the Prime Minister of Porbandar, and his mother was extremely religious and practiced the religion of Vaishnavism. This religion was influenced by Jainism, which taught “compassion toward all sentient beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification,…

Ni Bhajana Gana Rasikula Nenendu Ganara Rama… Ranjani and Gayatri soulfully sing Thyagaraja’s Telugu words, calling out to Lord Rama, “I do not find people anywhere who enjoy chanting Your names and singing of You in praise.” I empathize with Thyagaraja—for I too find it difficult to encounter other devout Hindus who will sing in praise of Lord Rama without ulterior motives. Although I was born in Chennai, India, I have spent the majority of my life in southern California, making weekly trips to…

Hinduism vs. Judaism Jihaad O Barnett Georgia Military College Judaism is a religion formed perhaps four-thousand years ago by a group of people called by God. These people called Hebrews, who considered to be “God’s Chosen People”, originated from the country Ur or otherwise known today as the Fertile Crescent in Mesopotamia. Originally, the Hebrews were known as a nomadic people who grazed their herds along the Fertile Crescent. Abraham, a wealthy leader of the group of the Hebrews, was…

One of the most pervasive symbols that is associated with Hinduism, and often India as a whole, is the concept of the “sacred” cow. The purpose in placing “sacred” in quotations is because this persistent image of Hinduism and India in general is endlessly complicated in both its origins and in its applications, historically and in the present day. Many scholars have analyzed the origins and importance of the “sacred” cow, addressing it through various lenses: economic (Adcock 2010), political…

myths, folklore, religion, arts and culture. The oldest visual image of the human fascination, love and reverence for nature in India can be found in the 10,000 years old cave paintings at Bhimbetka in Central India depicting birds, animals and human beings living in harmony. The Indus Valley civilization provides evidence of human interest in wildlife, as seen in depicting images of rhino, elephant, bull, etc. The earliest concern for the wild life law could be traced to 3rd century B.C. when…

Gandhi's father was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar; his deeply religious mother was a devoted practitioner of Vaishnavism (worship of the Hindu god Vishnu), influenced by Jainism, an ascetic religion governed by tenets of self-discipline and nonviolence. Because of this Gandhi became the person we all know him to be.(History.com staff) Gandhi was disgusted by the harsh…

Oppression has been a tenet of man since the beginning of time. Today, oppression based on race feels equally as old. It is a wonder how we find ourselves studying the great leaders of civil rights movements past, as we look for answers to fix current day problems. Despite what is going on in the world now, there have been several people throughout history who made the choice to stand up to their oppressors and fight for the rights of themselves and those around them. By asking how they…

was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, in North West India on October 2nd, 1869, and was lucky to have been born into a higher caste, with his father being the chief minister of the small town they lived in. His mother immersed herself in her religion, Vaishnavism, and spread what she had learned to Gandhi as he grew up. They also believed in Jainism, which is where his renowned nonviolence ideas came from. Their family followed…

With the rise of polytheistic Hinduistic ideology beginning in South Asia around 2000 BCE, during a time of hunting and gathering and the start of rice cultivation, the process of envisioning a faith and establishing a solid following proved to be difficult. The Indus River Valley civilization in northern India was populated by a diverse community, one group being Indo-European peoples known as the Aryans, who of which founded Hinduism. Acknowledging the large variety of people and beliefs,…

monuments, also meant spread of religion. To be specific, Suryavarman dedicated Angkor Wat to Vishnu. Britannica refers to the king as, a “religious reformer who blended the mystical cults of Vishnu and Shiva, supreme Hindu deities, and promulgated Vaishnavism as the official religion, rather than Buddhism, which had briefly flourished under his predecessors.” The scale of Angkor Wat enabled the Khmer to give full expression to religious symbolism. Typically, the dimensions of the temples…