Vandana Shiva

Colonialism. Over the course of history, many ancient empires set up colonies in foreign lands, encountered the indigenous people, and often times, established a trading network between themselves; the settlers are entitled to the land’s natural resources, and the natives are allowed access to superior technology. However, such relationships between colonists and the indigenous populace did not always yield positive results. The ancient Chinese became addicted to opium marketed by the British,…

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…

ShaktivistadvitaDarsana. As Shaktivishistadvaita is also named as Veseshadvita,Visistadvita,Shivadvita,Dvitadviata,Bhedaabheda,Shivayogaand Shatstala. Parabrahma is referred as Shiva or Parashiva. Parashiva is nothing but supreme consciousness, sthala, linga.Sthala is Shiva tatva, according MaggeMayideva the principle of shiva which is the cause of creation, maintaining and destruction is called sthala. Sthala is further divided lingasthala and angasthala. Linga (some times it is also…

in Hindu art is the great Lord Shiva, Mashesvara, accompanied by his consort Uma, the Great Goddess Parvati. (Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu, compose the Hindu trinity.) Shiva and Parvati (Uma- Maheshvara), found in the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, though originally from Central India, is an 11th century red sandstone architectural panel, 231⁄4 by 131⁄2 inches (fig. 1). Also found in there is the Shiva Nataraja. (fig. 2) (Good but why does your image show a Shiva Nataraja from the Metropolitan…

This wooden votive panel depicts the Hindu god Shiva seated cross legged on checkered cushion and is littered with various religious and cultural symbols. It was found in Dandan-oilik, Khotan during 1907 by Sir Marc Aurel Stein during his second expedition to central Asia. According to the most recent estimates the panel is believed to have been created sometime during the 7th or 8th century. The various symbols also tell a great deal about the origins and influences of the painting. Religious…

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…

awe-inducing god, lies a rainbow of food and gifts. Images of yellow, green, red, blue, and purple, plants, animals and gods are splashed and slapped on the walls, red lentil paste splattered over top of them in thick layers. The largest painting is of Shiva and Parvati together, both holding their palms out while standing on a giant pink-tipped lotus, a small ganesh lies at their feet. While many of the classic religious pieces are sacred, they are not considered to be so holy that they cannot…

worship and pray to many other gods and goddesses who are manifestations of Brahman. There are three principal gods: Brahma “The Creator”, Shiva “The Destroyer”, and Vishnu “The Preserver”. Brahma is the creator of the world. There are only a handful of temples devoted to Brahma because they (he/she?) had little impact on the world after it’s creation. Shiva…

food, rituals, attire and ceremonies. Hinduism is well known for its cultural and traditional festivals that can be celebrated in every month. In this regard, we will look into six major festivals according to the six Hindu sects which are Vaishnava, Shiva, Kaumaram (Murugan), Saktham (Sakthi), Ganapathyam (Ganapathy) and Saumaram (Surya). There are many significant festival in Hinduism which most of it are referred as the festivals of lights due to the colourful and beautiful arts and…

God Shiva. It is the depiction of Shiva in a column or pillar form. It represents the phallus, but at the same time it is the representation of the cosmos and a symbol of fertility, life and regeneration. Linga does not only specific a phallus but it is a word which translates best as a symbol indicating a distinguishing mark, a characteristic of gender or sex. Linga worship is also known as Nirguna worship which is characterised as the worship of the formless. The worship of idols or Shiva in…