The Naga worship or Serpent worship ( also known as Ophiolatry ) is among the oldest and most widespread forms of religious practices in that the world. In the minds of the early men there were a fear of the nature and powerful animals, with a feeling that they were stronger and wiser than him,…
Category: IncredibleIndia
Kesa-vinyas or Hairstyles in Indian art- a photo exhibition by the ASI (2015)
My two bits as Introduction Hair is an important aspect of a person as well as that of an image or a murti. It gives it an individuality and adds to the personality or character of that person or image. The Chitrasutra of Vishnudharmottara purana names six different types of hairstyles: Kuntala (loose flowing hair), Dakshinavarta (hair curled…
An Iconographic exploration of Ganapati- Vinayaka
प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं गौरीपुत्रं विनायकम् ।भक्तावासं स्मरेन्नित्यमायुः कामार्थसिद्धये ।।1।। Pranamya shirasa devam Gauri putram Vinayakam.Bhakthavasam smaretrityamayuh kama artha sidhaye ||1|| The learned one, who wishes, For more life, wealth and love,Should salute with his head to, Lord Ganapathi who is the son of Goddess Parvathi प्रथमं वक्रतुडं च एकदन्तं द्वितीयकम् ।तृतीयं कृष्णपिंगाक्षं गजवक्त्रं चतुर्थकम् ।।2।। Prathamam Vakratundam…
Triloknath/Trilokinath temple in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
Mandi district as we now see was formed by merging the two princely states of Mandi and Suket, when the State of Himachal Pradesh was created post independence (1948). The kings of Mandi and Suket are believed to be descendants of the mighty Sena dynasty of Bengal. After the Islamic invasion of Bengal in 1204…
Surya deva or the Sun god- a long journey within the realms of Indic history
The Sun causes day and night on the earth, because of revolution, when there is night here, it is day on the other side, the sun does not really rise or sink. —Aitareya Brahmana III. 44 (Rigveda) The journey of Surya deva or the Sun god, the most prominent one among the other celestial luminaries, has…
A Photographic Journey of Hardwar
Scenes from Har ki Pauri ghat: the melting point of India where one gets to see people from all states The main bazaar area bordering the ghats: The Temples of Hardwar near Har ki Pauri To read on the history and other details on Haridwar please check this link : Haridwar
From Jara, Hariti, Jyestha/Alakshmi, to Sitala – an interesting study of the worship of folk devis
Interestingly India has seen many folk or tribal deities from ancient and medieval eras being worshipped from time to time, especially during the time of epidemics, and other physical and natural calamities. Some of these deities, which retain their primitive aspects, are still venerated by many, and temples dedicated to them are seen spread across…
The Weapons seen in the hands of deities – in terms of Hindu temple iconography
When we see a murti and try to identify it, often the first thing we do is to check the accessories in his or her hands. These include weapons, musical instruments, birds, animals, etc. These ayudhas, besides helping to differentiate and identify the different deities, are primarily used to symbolise the diverse activities of the…
Kurmachal or Kumaun – The land of Vishnu
माटू हमरू, पाणी हमरू, हमरा ही छन यी बौण भी… पितरों न लगाई बौण, हमुनही त बचौण भी। (Soil ours, water ours, ours are these forests. Our forefathers raised them, it’s we who must protect them —Old Chipko Song ) The state of Uttarakhand, earlier referred to as Uttaranchal, is located in the northern part of India….
Exploring the lanes of ancient Indian city architecture
After reading some of the heated debates on different Facebook forums centering on the term ‘Vedic architecture,’ I thought of exploring this subject a bit. This entailed I pull out books written by well known historians who had read and translated the original texts that dealt with topics related to ancient Indian architecture. Thanks to…
Moni Gāthā 