Ardhanariswara represents the blending of force and grace that contributes to the creation of life. They are complementary and not contradictory.

Once sage Bhringi was very devoted to worshipping Shiva. He was so devoted that he refused to worship Shakti. Shiva wanted to correct his views and show that both him and Shakti are one only. Shiva shared his body with Shakti. The sage now realized that Shiva and Shakti are one only.

This beautiful bronze deity is in Chennai Egmore museum.

Source: “Manifestations of Shiva,” K. Venkatachari

Picture Credit: K Venkatachari
SR Ramanujam

Ajanta caves are near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The caves, famous for their murals, are also great examples of sculptures. The caves were excavated in different periods (circa. 2nd century B.C. to 6th century A.D.) In all, total 30 excavations were hewn out of rock. The caves were both living quarters and worship areas.

The Chidambaram Nataraja temple in Tamil Nadu is about thousand years old and has been continuously restored, expanded and renovated. The deity is a rare representation of Shiva in his dancing form, and not as a traditional Linga. The temple is also renowned for its representation of the 108 poses of Bharatanatyam in sculpture and for the Malabar style Vimana. The temple is also one of the five Shiva temples in south India which represent the five elements of the Universe. Chidambaram represents space. The other four temples of the group represent water, fire, air and earth.

Darasuram is a small settlement on the outskirts of Kumbakonam. It is just 34 kms from the Big Temple at Tanjore. The Airavateshvara temple is considered one of the finest monument of the Chola era. Though not of the same size as the Big Temple, the Darasuram temple is famous for its fine sculptures. The temple was conceived in the form of a chariot. Prancing horses pulling wheels are carved on the basement.

The Ganpati festival is one of the most public celebrations in India. Ganpati is welcomed to households; and to neighbourhoods. Some deities are small and made of clay while giant Ganpatis are made out of plaster of paris. The deities are worshipped for several days starting Vinayak Chaturthi and then immersed in lakes or in the Sea. The last day of immersion is ten days after Vinayak Chaturthi.

The Harmandir Saheb or Golden Temple is the holiest of the Sikh temples and is in Amritsar.

The offshore memorial to Swami Vivekananda is 400 metres from the shore. It is believed that Swami Vivekananda meditated here before setting out for one of the most crucial religious campaigns in 1892. The idea of Vivekananda Memorial was conceptualised on his birth centenary in 1962.

The Padmanabhaswamy temple of Trivandrum is built with a Dravidian style gopuram, unlike other Kerala temples. The Gopuram is seven storeys high. The deity is magnificent and in a reclining pose and has to be worshipped through three separate doorways due to the size. The deity is made of Shaligram, a fossil believed to Mahavishnu. The temple hosts murajapam, a once in six year reciting of Vedas followed by feasts for Brahmins. The festival culminates in the lighting of one hundred thousand lamps – Laksha Deepam. An interesting annual ritual called Palli Vetta is held during which the deity leaves the temple for a royal hunt.

The colossal monolith deity of Gomateeswara is in Sravanabelagola near Hassan in Karnataka. It is 17.5 meters high and is sculpted from a single piece of granite. It was sculpted in the late 10th century and the complex was gradually expanded since then.

The Thrissur Pooram is held in April/May and is one of the largest and most famous of festivals in Kerala. Pooram is a congregation of deities. Ten deities around the Vadakkunathan temple participate in the Thrissur Pooram. It involves ritual procession of the deities to the Vadukkunathan temple, a rhythmic performance called Panchavadyam, exchange of parasols, elephant procession and fireworks.

Pandharpur, west of Solapur in Maharashtra, is one of the major pilgrimage sites. Vithoba or Vithala or Panduranga is worshipped in Pandharpur. Vithoba is a form of Krishna. His consort is Rukmini. Pandharpur Vari is the yatra of Varkaris the followers of saints of Maharashtra, notably, Jnaneesvar and Tukaram. Every year, they reach Pandharpur on the Ekadashi of the Ashadha month carrying Palkhis. The main Palkhis start from Alandi and Dehu and meet in Pune. Palkhis of several other saints also join the pilgrimage. They reach Pandharpur on the Ashadha Shukla 10th. The Varis have been a continuous tradition for several centuries and had united the masses.

Source: Immortal India Volume 1 by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Gokarna is a popular tourist and pilgrimage place in Northern Karnataka. The famous Gokarna linga, a piece of solid reddish rock is twisted like an old stump. Here Ravana had to perform his evening rituals and gave the linga that he was carrying to Ganesha who was in disguise. Ganesha put the deity down and Ravana could not pick it up again. He tried so hard to remove the linga forcibly from the place where it was stuck. In this process the lingam was twisted.

Source: India: A Sacred Geography by Diana Eck

PicureCredit:

Golu or Kolu is an arrangement of dolls in a multi tiered staircase during Navaratri. This is popular in Tamil Nadu and in other southern States. The arrangement of dolls starts with that of a couple made of wood (marappachi) which is at the top tier. Various dolls of divnities and saints are arranged in other tiers as the arrangement proceeds towards the lowermost tier. At the ground level earthly scenes are depicted through dolls. Apart from the divinities there is a lot of freedom on which dolls to keep.

The festival season marks an eye catching display of clay dolls in bright colours. Kolu is considered a family tradition and once started, it is believed that it should not be discontinued.

Source: Various Sources

Picture Credit: Vijayakrishnan WikiCommons

In South India Diwali is associated with day of the killing of Narakasura by Satyabhama. Naraka was the King of Pragjyotisha, later known as Kamrup in Assam. He was a powerful king who became drunk with power and conquered the earth and enslaved 16000 women. He also received a boon from Brahma to have power over all males. Krishna fought Narakasura and was hit by the thunderbolt of Narakasura. Krishna feigned injury and collapsed. In rage, Satyabhama shot an arrow and killed Narakasura. Later, Narakasura’s son Bhagaddta, a legendary warrior would fight on the side of the Kauravas. It would take the might of Arjuna to kill Bhagadatta.

In the picture you can see Krishna battling Narakasura who is seated on an elephant.

Source: Hindu Festivals and Sacred Days, Ramakrishna Math

Diwali – Festival of Lights, Rina Singh

Picture Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The term ‘jallikattu,’ comes from Tamil terms ‘salli kaasu’ meaning coins and kattu which means package tied to the horns of bulls as prize money.

There are references to bull-fighting practices during the Tamil classical Sangam period (400 BC–AD 200) wherein it is called Yeruthazhuvuthal (embrace the bull). An ancient reference to bull taming is found in a seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, dated 2,500 – 1,800 BC.

Surya has been represented as a bull in many ancient cultures along with other symbols like the rayed orb, wheel, swastika, horse and solar bird (eagle, garuda). In the Rig Veda as well Atharva Veda, sun is called a bull. The unicorn or urus bulls so profusely represented on Indus Valley seals might be the symbol of Surya as a sun disc like object with rays emanating, is found with these bulls.

Source: VC Srivastava, “Sun Worship in Ancient India”
https://www.sahapedia.org/past-and-present-jallikattu-overview-0

Picture Credit: Manu Manohar Flickr

The Braj region (around Mathura-Vrindavan) is the venue for Lathmaar Holi. Krishna, who was from Nandgoan, planned to spoil Radha’s rosy complexion by smearing Gulal ( colours) on her face. He traveled to Barsana to achieve this mischievous feat, but this act makes the Gopis furious. They chased him and his accomplices back to Nandgaon with lathis.

Holi is celebrated most intensely in the Braj region and it usually lasts for eight days. The Krishna-Radha episode is recreated at both Nandgaon and Barsana by the local dwellers. First, the women of Barsana pretend to beat up the men of Nandgaon with lathis. The next day it is the turn of the women of Nandgaon follow-up the ritual with Barsana men. Both Holi celebrations are held at the temple complexes amidst a riot of colours and cheerful festive music.

Source: Outlook Traveller, Lasya Nadimpally

Picture Credit: Avishek Das, Flickr

Anjeyanadri is a hill near Hampi in Karnataka which is accepted as the birthplace of Hanumanji. There are also competing claims for the birth place of Hanumanji from Gokarna in Karnataka and Anjanadri in Andhra. Hanumangarh is in Rajasthan. Anjeyanadri near Hampi is widely accepted as the birthplace of Hanumanji. There is a temple on top of a hillock for Hanumanji.

Source
Footsteps of Rama, Vikrant Pande and Neelesh Kulkarni.

Picture Credit
www.facebook.comanjanadrihillanegundi

Tirthankara means a saviour who has succeeded in fording or crossing over life’s streams of rebirths. He has made a path for others to follow.

You may note that Hindus also call their sacred places as Tirthas. The word Tirtha (pilgrimage) is used in a similar sense. Visiting a Tirtha helps in winning over the cycle of birth and death.

The picture is that of Parsvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara.

Source: “India : A Sacred Geography,” Diana Eck

Picture Credit: Ramanujam SR

The Ratha Yatra of Puri is the Yatra of the deities themselves. It is celebrated in June-July. During the festival, the three deities (Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra) are pulled in three massive, wooden chariots to Gundicha Temple whereby they reside there for a week and then return to the Jagnannath temple. The grandeur of the festival impressed the British so much that they coined the term juggernaut, an anglicized form of Jagannath. It refers to an overwhelmingly powerful and unstoppable force. Rev Claudius Buchanan was the first to popularize the word in the early 1800s, though as a missionary he described the yatra as a violent and bloody cult.

Source: Word Origins and their Romantic Stories. Wilfred Funk.

blog.oup.com

Picture Credit: Srijat Mishra, Rath Yatra 2023

Vidyaranya helped establish the Vijayanagara Empire sometime in 1336, and served as a mentor and guide to three generations of kings who ruled over it. Harihara and Bukka were two Kannada Hoysala Dynasty Army Chiefs. After the Kakatiyas were defeated by Muslim sultans, the brothers were forced to convert to Islam. Vidyaranya identified them, reconverted them back and asked them to identify a place to establish a Hindu empire.

Vidyaranya or Mādhavācharya, was the jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the late 14th century CE. Madhavacharya is known as the author of the Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha, a compendium of different philosophical schools of Hindu philosophy.

The sketch is that of the brothers with Vidyaranya.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harihara_and_Bukka_meeting_Vidyaranya.jpg

Picture Credit: Amar Chitra Katha

Popularly called Astavinayak temples, the group of eight Ganapati temples are around the Pune and Konkan region. The temples are in Morgaon, Mahad, Pali, Lenyadri, Ranjangaon, Siddhatek, Theur and Ozar. Astavinayak is a popular pilgrimage that many pilgrims cover in two or three days.

The deities are monolith and are also Swayambhu, self formed and not man made.

It is a commonly held belief that if a pilgrim visits any one of the 8 temples, they must visit the others as well to receive the full benefit of the pilgrimage.

Source: Glory of Ganesha. Chinmaya Mission.

Temples and Legends of Maharashtra. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Quick read: Kerala observes Ramayana Masam during the intense monsoon months.
Kerala observes a unique tradition during the monsoon months of July and August – Ramayana Masam, a month-long celebration. With heavy rains flooding the fields and farming at a standstill, families traditionally spend more time indoors.

In the past, elders would use this time to share the Ramayana story with younger generations. The Sundara Kandam, focusing on Hanuman’s brave journey to find Sita, is a popular choice for these readings.

Another special practice during this month is the Nalambala Darshanam pilgrimage. Devotees visit four temples dedicated to the four Ramayana brothers – Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Shatrugna. To facilitate this pilgrimage, the state transport corporation even runs special bus services during Ramayana Masam.

The month also coincides with the sun’s movement into Karkidaka Rasi, hence the alternative name Karkidaka Masam. For 2024, Ramayana Masam begins on July 16th.

Source: Swarajya Magazine, Nalambalam.Org

Picture Credit: Asianet News

When Vyasa was wondering who the scribe for the epic Mahabharata would be, Brahma suggested to him that Ganesha was the right choice. Ganesha had a special condition. Vyasa must not give a moment’s rest to his pen. He also said that he would not write down a single letter if he did not understand it completely. At times, Vyasa composed verses which were difficult for Ganesha to comprehend. These came to be called kuta-slokas. These are said to number 8800 verses.

VS Sukhthankar who worked on the critical edition believes that the references to the kuta-slokas are later interpolations in the epic. Mahabharata was composed in the age of oral works and this story is likely a later folk tale. Nevertheless, many scholars like Macdonell & CV Vaidya believe that the original core of the epic consisted of these 8800 verses. Traditionalists believe that the entire epic consisting of 100000 odd verses was composed by Vyasa. They also opine that if we exclude the upakhyanas from these, the actual story of Mahabharata is 24000.

The Mahabharata being an encyclopedic work has many anecdotes not related to the main storyline which demonstrate some learning of Dharma. The Ramayana for example is summarized as Ramopkhyana.

Source: SR Ramaswamy, “Evolution of the Mahabharata”

A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The Tirupati Laddoo has obtained the GI tag in 2009 and thus only the Tirupati temple can produce and sell under the name Tirupati Laddu.

In the Rig Veda, Sarasvati or Saraswati is a powerful river flowing from the mountains to the sea in northwest India. The Vedas place Saraswati between Satluj and Yamuna. After examining its description in the Rig Veda, many Indologists have identified the ancient Saraswati river with the Ghaghar Hakra, that dried around 2000BCE.

She is much referenced in the Rig Veda with more than 50 mentions and the Vedas are supposed to have been composed on its banks. She bestows bounty, fertility & purity to the land and is called “the best mother, best of rivers, best of the goddess”. The Vedas state that rituals were performed on its banks due to the sacredness of the river. Sarasvati of the Vedas is thus the prototype of such important later river goddesses like Ganga, Yamuna & Kaveri. People continued their memory of Saraswati by naming regional rivers as Saraswati, like in Badrinath, Aravalli and a dried up distributary of Hooghly. Some historians who advocate Aryan Invasion Theory claim that Saraswati was mythical or it was in Afghanistan.

The image is the iconic Raja Ravi Varma painting of Saraswati

Source: https://www.indica.today/long-reads/river-sarasvati-eulogised-rig-veda/

Nataraja is the most aesthetic form of Shiva, blending force and grace. According to Hindu belief, all life is a part of the great rhythmic process of creation and destruction. Shiva”s dance symbolizes the eternal life-death rhythm going on in an endless cycle.

Shiva is the presiding deity of Bharatanatya, the art and science of dancing. He has danced all the hundred and eight kinds of dances the Bharatanatya talks about.

The most famous temple for Nataraja is in Chidambaram. Beautiful deities of Nataraja are also seen near Kancheepuram. Several temples in Tamil Nadu have a shrine dedicated to Nataraja.

This bronze sculpture is in Chennai Egmore museum. It is set against an artificial backdrop of the cosmos.

Picture Credit: SR Ramanujam

Mahabharat contains the essence of all Vedas in story form. Therefore, it is also referred to as Panchama Veda, or the fifth Veda.

Hanuman features prominently in two Mahabharata stories. In one, Arjuna encountered Hanuman and questioned why Rama needed monkeys to build a stone bridge to Lanka when he could have used arrows. Hanuman argued that an arrow bridge couldn’t bear the monkey army’s weight. Arjuna boasted he could build such a bridge, but Hanuman easily destroyed it. Krishna mediated, and Hanuman agreed to adorn Arjuna’s chariot flag.

In another tale, during the Pandavas’ exile, Draupadi sent Bhima to fetch a flower she admired. Bhima encountered an old monkey blocking his path—Hanuman in disguise. Unable to move even the monkey’s tail, Bhima realized his identity and sought forgiveness. Hanuman blessed him and promised to appear on Arjuna’s flag in the great war. Thus, the saffron flag with Hanuman symbolizes victory for Hindus. Bhima, born to Kunti through Vayu’s blessings, is Hanuman’s celestial brother, both being Vayuputras. Yet, Hanuman graced Arjuna’s flag.

Source: Various

Hanumanji’s flags on sale in Ayodhya

Bhishma had a boon that he could choose his time of death. Therefore, even though mortally wounded, he choose to wait till Uttarayana, considered an auspicious period.

Akshaya means “endless” or “inexhaustible.” Tritiya refers to the third day of Vaisakha Shulka Paksha. It is one of the most auspicious festivals and is celebrated with fasting, worship of Vasudeva with aksata (rice grains) and donations. Whatever is donated or uttered or sacrificed on this day becomes inexhaustible. A fast undertaken on this day yields inexhaustible results.

We will find this theme of “endless” or “inexhaustible” being a central part of many beliefs about this festival, later on in the quiz. Source: P. V. Kane. History of Dharmashastras.

Picture – Mahalakshmi emerging from Ksirasagara

New Raths are made every year. The construction of the Raths starts on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. Each Ratha has a name. The Ratha of Jagannatha is known as Nandighosa, of Balabhadra as Taladhwaja and Subhadra as Darpadalana. After the completion of Rath Yatra, the wheels are auctioned off and are bought by many hotels for display. The remaining wood is used in the kitchen for preparation of Bhog. The picture is Sand Art by Sudarsan Patnaik representing the start of chariot making on Akshaya Tritiya.

Surya Sarathi Roy, Sangam Talks Lecture

Trivikrama refers to three steps. Vishnu or Vamana is addressed as Trivikrama describing the three giant steps he takes. Trivikrama is a popular sculpture in Indian temples including Ellora. Several temples dedicated to Trivikrama are in South India.

Picture Credit: Trivikrama at Halabeidu, Ramanujam SR

The grand Vitthala temple is located in the heart of Hampi, near the banks of the Tungabhadra River. It is also known as Shree Vijay Vitthala Temple. It is a magnificent testament to the architectural prowess of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was constructed in the 15th century during the reign of King Krishnadevaraya II.
The temple has undergone architectural evolution with each successive king adding their unique touch to this captivating landmark. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vitthala, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is renowned for its extraordinary stone structures, including the impressive Stone Chariot and the Musical Pillars.
The Wikimedia image is the stone chariot which figures in the 50 Rs note.
Source: https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/karnataka/hampi/vitthala-temple-complex

Narendra felt a strong call to become a monk. In 1891, he began a journey across India. He traveled under the name Swami Vividishananda, which means “one who desires to know.” He traveled from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. In Alwar, he met a Maharaja who criticized idol worship. To make him understand, Swami asked the Maharaja to spit on a portrait of his own father.
At Kanyakumari, he swam to a rock in the sea. He meditated there for three days and nights. He realized that India could only rise again through renunciation and service. He saw that the rich were indifferent to the poor. Therefore, he decided to take his message to the world to find help for India.
This Wikimedia image shows the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, built where he meditated in Kanyakumari.

Shivaji was born in 1630. His father Shahji was in Mughal service at that time. He then became an independent warlord and later joined Adilshah. He was given control of Bangalore by Adilshah. Sometime between 1637 and 1642, both Shivaji and his mother lived in Bangalore. He is believed to have stayed either at the Gowri Mahal or Gowri Vilas palace in chikpet area. Many temples, including Kadu Malleswaram temple are attributed to Shivaji’s family. When he was around 12 years old, Shivaji was brought back to Pune.
The picture is by Raja Ravi Varma.
Source: Shivaji, His life and times, Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale