Shiva

pluralism and inherent diversity that typifies the Hindu culture and tradition. At a glance, Hinduism’s ideas of oneness seem to be contradictory with the existence of the plethora of gods and goddesses. The sheer magnitude of the number of gods, from Shiva to Krishna, Lakshmi to Rama, can potentially cause a student of Hinduism to be at a loss for understanding how it is possible for the innumerable branches of the religion to merge in the one Reality. The explanation provided in the reading…

God Shiva is stated as the one who is responsible for the destruction of the Universe for a new beginning or process of creation. The worldly creations foster due to the equanimity between two opposing forces of good and evil. When the balance collapses, through destruction Lord Shiva instigates another birth cycle to maintain presence of life. Despite being called Lord of destruction, Lord Shiva is often addressed as Maheswara…

Hoysala Dynasty Hoysala dynasty is a South Indian dynasty that existed between 1110 A.D. and 1326 A.D. Vinayaditya (1047-98) ruled an area centred on Dorasamudra (modern Halebid), which became the dynasty's capital. His grandson Bittiga (later called Vishnuvardhana; reigned c.1110-42) made extensive conquests, including the Mysore plateau, and built magnificent temples at Dorasamudra that were noted for their intricate and elaborate sculpture. Bittiga's grandson, Vira Ballala II (reigned…

Cultural appropriation has been defined by many as the process of using something from a different culture and making it marketable without taking into consideration the religious and cultural aspects of the thing in question. Unfortunately, a multitude of organizations are guilty of this and it is clear that the perpetrators value money more than the cultures they are taking advantage of. It seems as if it would be difficult for people who work for these businesses to avoid cultural…

Ques 1 Discuss how the religious thinking of Buddhism and Hinduism influenced the layout and appearance of temple architecture by examining case studies of Ajanta Caves and Lakshmana Temple. The Ajanta caves situated at a distance of 200 miles from Mumbai are cut into the face of a mountain, form a horseshoe shape around the Wangorah River. They are an example of one of Indian's unique artistic traditions known as rock cut temples. Ajanta consists of thirty caves, each dedicated to the life of…

1 ANURAN DASGUPTA Filtering the Gaze – The Jala Motif in the decorations of Apsara Bracket Figures in the Cennakesava temple of Belur After the decline of the late Chalukyans, the northern region of their territory (present southern Karnataka) saw the rise of a dynasty named Hoysala. At their peak their kingdom spread from the Tungabhadra River in the north (Chalukyan territory) to the Kaveri river in the south (Chola territory). Originated in the hilly regions of western boundary of the Hassan…

Suryanamaskar (The Sun Salutation): Why you do it and How to do it; transforming your life The name Suryanamaskar is self –explanatory. Surya meaning sun and namaskar meaning salutation in Sanskrit. It is a series of asanas, whose origin lies in India, where a large number of its population worships the sun god, Surya. It is a chain of twelve postures, each having its unique and magnificent benefit on your body, mind and soul. You come back from your hectic schedule and crash land on your couch…

Formal Analysis: Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) is an Asuka period sculpture depicting the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara is an enlightened being that aids others in their path to enlightenment through Buddhism. He is said to be the embodiment of compassion and the attendant bodhisattva to Amitabha, Buddha of the West. Kannon is an important figure in Japanese art. The stylistic aspects of this sculpture seem to be borrowed from earlier Chinese styles and…

Religion has always played a prominent part in ancient cultures, and this is all the more so in India. The temples have played a central role in the fostering of the Hindu religion. The Hindu temple is not just a congregational structure or prayer hall. It is the House of God and the image inside is the soul. The temple that I went to was located in Ashland, MA and it was called Sri Lakshmi. From the outside the temple look really big and the color of the building is white, and they are a lot of…

Pushkar is always good for its most esteemed temples and it’s a place for the temple of Brahma, the only temple dedicated to him in India. Epics say that Pushkar floated to the surface when Brahma dropped a lotus flower on earth later this pond size town is largely associated with the few renowned sacred places of India. The rarity of the Brahma temple under this city domain renders huge significance to it. It is also considered that the famed waters of the Pushkar wash away the sins of whole…