Durga

India had established trade cultural and political relations with Southeast Asian kingdoms. Influence of Indian civilization became most powerful among them and in Southeast Asian mainland. The people of Southeast Asia are said to have moved from southern China to southwards. Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic where they recognize a single deity, and view other Gods reflection of the supreme God. These kinds of religions have traditionally been among the world’s most religiously tolerant…

The movie industry in India is definitely undergoing changes to cater to modern mindsets of younger generation who are more liberalized. In the past, movies tend to be portrayed more stereotypes such as gender, storytelling and culture. However, with revolutions in the information and communications technology, Indian movies are becoming more diasporic, taking into account the audiences outside India. Hence, this idea intrigued us into the issue of stereotypes and if any changes in the…

dressing was enough to keep me entertained for a week. During the month of January, I also visited the southern parts of the country to celebrate the Pongal or harvest festival. Despite failing to compete with the magnanimous arrangements the Ganesh or Durga worship, Pongal is a beautiful homely festival that involves the creation of rangoli or colorful designs in houses, making a special ‘Pongal’ dish and also performances of folk music and dance throughout the state. I had the experience of…

With the emergence of Bhaktism in South Asia, Hindus started to show their love for Hindu deities through poetry and other forms of art. Bhakti is an intense emotional love for a personal god. It favors an immediate experience of the divine. This trend leads to the creation of major Hindu devotional groups: Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism. All three major groups are unified within the realm of bhakti/devotion; however, each group is distinguishable through their belief system, traditions,…

The religions of both Mary Crow Dog and Shuda Mazumdar represent many of Livingston’s concepts pertaining to religion. Both the Native American religion of Mary and the type of Hinduism that Shuda practices fit into Livingston’s working definition of religion, as both of the religions have “activities and beliefs” that are directed toward something “perceived to be of sacred value and transforming power (Livingston 8). In the case of Mary’s religion, some of the activities she participated in…

Dayamoyee as the incarnation of Goddess Kali on Earth. Trouble begins when Dayamoyee too starts believing her to be the incarnation leading to a bizarre set of events that befalls the entire family. The film opens with the sequence of the Devi Durga (Goddess Durga) being worshipped as a part of the traditional festival of Bengal. Umaprasad though hails from a rich Zamindar family; he…

to a dream it is unbelievable. Which is also supported by the Bhagavad Gita (Dehejia). After your fate was decided by one of the four stages, the soul is born again into a new body and it is an awakening. The people were buried in things like the Durga Temple (Davis). Essentially, death and the afterlife was judged and determined by your actions on the real world. Some may say that the real world is the one in the afterlife, and not the one here on earth, but that is the way of Hindu…

India is one of the most diverse countries in the world, where many colorful cultures reside. It is not only home to a variety of religions, but is also home to Hinduism, which in itself has many various ways of devotion and worship. It has many different types of worship, texts and gods. This is one reason Hinduism is so popular. It can be molded to fit the individual worshiper. There are three main classes in Hinduism each with their own focus when it comes to Puja or worship. Vedic Hinduism…

Generally, it is a celebration to glorify the victory of Goddess Durga winning over a demon. It is celebrated for nine (9) days where it is concentrated on the art festival and a primary theme of good over the evil. There are different beliefs on the history and origin of Navratri, but one which is the most legend is…

In the beginning of time, there is a central idea that religion shaped all areas of life. Literature and art shaped life in China as the rise of many emperors began to occur. An accurate view of the past provides a clear explanation as to how countries from centuries ago still thrive today. Early Chinese history is shaped by major events that occurred amongst four dynasties. Invaders changed life in India and affected their cultures and values. Different religions began to rise from invaders…