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Chausathi Jogini Temple
The Chausath Yogini Temple (64- Yogini Temple) of Hirapur, also said Mahamaya Temple, is 20 km outside Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha state of Eastern India. It devotes to the worship of the yoginis, auspicious goddess-like figures. Religious aspect Hirapur's yogini temple is a tantric shrine, with hypaethral (roofless) architecture as tantric prayer rituals involve worshipping the ''bhumandala'' (environment consisting all the 5 elements of nature - fire, water, earth, air and ether), and the yoginis believe to be capable of flight. The yogini idols represent female figures standing on an animal, a demon or a human head depicting the victory of Shakti (Eternal power). According to Hindu mythology, aadishakti is the eternal power which came into existence on its own and then created everything by its will. Aadishakti (recognized as the goddess because of its motheristic character) is the supreme power. The idols express everything from rage, sadness, pleasure, joy, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, eighth-largest state by area, and the List of states and union territories of India by population, eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Tribes in India. It neighbours the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Odisha has a coastline of along the Bay of Bengal in the ''Indian Ocean''. The region is also known as Utkaḷa and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. The language of Odisha is Odia language, Odia, which is one of the Classical languages of India. The ancient kingdom of Kalinga (historical region), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalā
Kalā means 'performing art' in Sanskrit. In Hindu scriptures, Shiva is regarded as the master of Kalā. In the ''Lalita Sahasranama'', the Devi is invoked as an embodiment of the 64 fine arts. In some traditions, the goddess Sarasvati is also associated with these 64 kalās, and is thus referred to as ''Kalanidhi'' or ''Chausath Kalamayi'' (the one who possesses 64 arts). 64 Arts The mastery of 64 skills is known as ''Chatuṣṣaṣṭi Kalā''. The discussion of these arts is found in the ''Kama Sutra'', attributed to the sage Vatsyayana. The following is a commonly cited list of the 64 traditional arts: # ''Gīta vidyā'' – Singing # ''Vādya vidyā'' – Playing on musical instruments # ''Nṛtya vidyā'' – Dancing # ''Nāṭya vidyā'' – Theatrical performance # ''Ālekhya vidyā'' – Painting # ''Viśeṣaka-cchēdya vidyā'' – Body decoration with colours # ''Tāṇḍula-kusuma-balivikāra'' – Preparing offerings from rice and flowers # ''Puṣpastaraṇa'' � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiva Lingam
A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, where it means a "mark, sign, emblem, characteristic", the "evidence, proof, symptom" of Shiva and Shiva's power. The lingam of the Shaivism tradition is a short cylindrical pillar-like symbol of Shiva, made of stone, metal, gem, wood, clay or precious stones. It is often represented within a disc-shaped platform, the '' yoni'' – its feminine counterpart, consisting of a flat element, horizontal compared to the vertical lingam, and designed to allow liquid offerings to drain away for collection. The ''lingam'' is an emblem of generative and destructive power. While rooted in representations of the male sexual organ, the ''lingam'' is regarded as the "outward symbol" of the "formless reality", the symbolization of merging of the 'primordial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoni
''Yoni'' (Sanskrit: योनि, ), sometimes called ''pindika'', is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti. It is usually shown with ''linga'' – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging of microcosmos and macrocosmos, the divine eternal process of creation and regeneration, and the union of the feminine and the masculine that recreates all of existence. The ''yoni'' is conceptualized as nature's gateway of all births, particularly in the esoteric Kaula and Tantra practices, as well as the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions of Hinduism. ''Yoni'' is a Sanskrit word that has been interpreted to literally mean the "womb", the "source", and the female organs of generation., Quote: "Yoni- 'womb, vulva', Yoni- "way, abode' is from a second PIE root ..; It also connotes the female sexual organs such as "vagina", "vulva", and "uterus", or alternatively to "origin, abode, or source" of anything in other contexts. For example, the V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandala
A mandala (, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. In the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Shinto it is used as a map representing deities, or especially in the case of Shinto, paradises, kami or actual shrines. Hinduism In Hinduism, a basic mandala, also called a '' yantra'', takes the form of a square with four gates containing a circle with a centre point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often have radial balance. A '' yantra'' is similar to a mandala, usually smaller and using a more limited colour palette. It may be a two- or three-dimensional geometric composition used in '' sadhanas'', puja or meditative rituals, and may incorporate a mantra into its design. It is considered to represent the abode ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhairava
Bhairava (, ), or Kāla Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.Kramrisch, Stella (1994). ''The Presence of Śiva''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 471. In the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Bhairava represents the Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman. Generally in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Dandapāni (" e who holds thedanda in ishand"), as he holds a rod or ''danda'' to punish sinners, and Svaśva, meaning, "he whose vehicle is a dog". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of boddhisatva Mañjuśrī, and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava, Mahākāla and Yamantaka. Bhairava is worshipped throughout India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Japan, as well as in Tibetan Buddhism. Etymology Bhairava originates from the word ''bhīru'', which means "fearsome". Bhairava means "terribly fearsome form". It is also kn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar, because they are the most resistant minerals to the weathering processes at the Earth's surface. Like uncemented sand, sandstone may be imparted any color by impurities within the minerals, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, pink, white, and black. Because sandstone beds can form highly visible cliffs and other topography, topographic features, certain colors of sandstone have become strongly identified with certain regions, such as the red rock deserts of Arches National Park and other areas of the Southwestern United States, American Southwest. Rock formations composed of sandstone usually allow the p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Konark
Konark is a medium-sized town in the Puri district in the state of Odisha, India. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometres from the state capital Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Konark Sun Temple, Sun Temple, also known as the ''Black Pagoda'', built in black granite during the reign of Narasimhadeva I, Narasinghadeva-I. The temple is a World Heritage Site. The temple is now mostly in ruins, and a collection of its sculptures is housed in the Sun Temple Museum, which is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Konark is also home to an annual dance festival called Konark Dance Festival, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Odisha, Odissi. In February 2019, the Konark Dance Festival (now called Konark Music and Dance Festival) will be hosting its 33rd edition. The state government is also organising annual Konark Festival and International Sand Art Festival at Chandrabhaga Beach of Konark. On Sola ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaganath
Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, ''Purushottama'', and the ''Para Brahman''. To most Vaishnava Hindus, particularly the Krishnaites, Jagannath is a form of Krishna, sometimes as the avatar of Vishnu. To some Shaiva and Shakta Hindus, he is a symmetry-filled tantric form of Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. Jagannathism ( Odia Vaishnavism) — the particular sector of Jagannath as a major deity — emerged in the Early Middle Ages and later became an independent state regional temple-centered tradition of Krishnaism/Vaishnavism. The idol of Jagannath is a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric face, and the idol has a conspicuous absence of hands or legs. The worship procedures, sacraments and rituals associated wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Murti
In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing devotion or reverence – whether at Hindu temples or shrines. A ''mūrti'' is a symbolic icon representing divinity for the purpose of devotional activities. Thus, not all icons of gods and saints are ''mūrti''; for example, purely decorative depictions of divine figures often adorn Hindu temple architecture in intricately carved doorframes, on colourfully painted walls, and ornately sculpted rooftop domes. A ''mūrti'' itself is not God, but it is merely a representative shape, symbolic embodiment, or iconic manifestation of God. ''Murti'' are also found in some nontheistic Jainism, Jain traditions, where they serve as symbols of revered mortals inside Jain temples, and are worshiped in ''murtipujaka'' rituals. A ''murti'' is typically ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalapahad
Kala Pahaṛ or Kalapahada (in Odia language) was a Bengali Muslim General of the Bengal Sultanate under the reigning Karrani Dynasty. According to traditional narratives pieced together since late 18th century, Kalapahaṛ was a Bengali Brahmin from either Bhurisrestha or Barendra who was military commander of the Sultanate & fell in love with the Sultan Sulaiman Khan Karrani's daughter, which led him to convert to Islam in order to win her hand (or being excommunicated by the Brahmin pandits, who denied him prayaschitta) and solidified his position within the ruling Muslim elite of Bengal; this conversion is often associated with his change in name from Kalachand Ray/Rajibalochana Bhaduri to "Mohammad Farmuli.". Military Campaigns Sultan Sulaiman sent his army to conquer Odisha to expand his Sultanate under the command of his son " Bayazid and general Kalapahaṛ alias Raju". They defeated and killed the king Mukundadeva. The general Kalapahaṛ led a contingent deep into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archaeological Survey Of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham during the British Raj who also became its first Director-General. History ASI was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director-General. The first systematic research into the subcontinent's history was conducted by the Asiatic Society, which was founded by the British Indologist Sir William Jones on 15 January 1784. Based in Calcutta, the society promoted the study of ancient Persian texts and published an annual journal titled ''Asiatic Researches''. Notable among its early members was Charles Wilkins who published the first English translation of the ''Bhagavad Gita'' in 1785 with the patronage of the then Governor-General of Bengal, Warren Hastings. Jones initiative resulted in the publica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
