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Marathi Keertan
Marathi Kirtan or " Kirtan " is an art of spiritual teaching through story-telling. It is typically performed by one or two main performers, called Keertankar, accompanied by Pump organ, harmonium, castanets, Castanets/chiplya/Kartal/Khartal, cymbals, Manjeera/Taal/Jhaanj/cymbals, Tambori, Pakhavaj, Mridang/Pakhwaj and Tabla musicians. It involves singing, acting, dancing, and story-telling. However it is unlike any other performing art as it is basically pure glorification of god and godly acts. Based on the format and subjects, Keertan / Kirtan has been classified into several types, described in the sections below. Origin In Indian mythology, the story of Prahlad, Bhakta Prahlad is famous for the uninterrupted devotion of a small child towards the almighty God, despite the obstacles created by his own father, demon Hiranyakashipu. In the same "Avatar katha" (Story of the Avatar), child Prahlad the heavenly prince defines 9 types of "Bhakti" devotion. The relevant shloka sa ...
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Story-telling
Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include Plot (narrative), plot, Character (arts), characters and point of view (literature), narrative point of view. The term "storytelling" can refer specifically to oral storytelling but also broadly to techniques used in other media to unfold or disclose the narrative of a story. Historical perspective Storytelling, intertwined with the development of mythology, mythologies, predates writing. The earliest forms of storytelling were usually oral literature, oral, combined with gestures and expressions. Storytelling often has a prominent educational and performative role in religious rituals (for example, the Passover Seder), and some archaeo ...
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Harmonium
The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a vacuum system), and the Indian harmonium. Historical examples include the ''Kunstharmonium'' and the American reed organ, while earlier forms include the physharmonica and the seraphine. More portable than pipe organs, free-reed organs became widespread in smaller churches and private homes during the 19th century, although their volume and tonal range were limited. They generally featured one, or occasionally two, manuals, while pedal-boards were rare. Higher-end pump organs offered a broader range of tones, and models intended for churches or affluent households were often housed in finely crafted cabinets. Between the 1850s and the 1920s, several million reed organs and melodeons were manufactured in the United States and Canada ...
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Dnyaneshwar
Sant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ, (Devanagari : सन्त ज्ञानेश्वर), also referred to as Jñāneśvara, Jñānadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyaneshwar Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296 (living samadhi)), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath and Varkari tradition. In his short life of 21 years, he authored '' Dnyaneshwari'' (a commentary on the ''Bhagavad Gita'') and ''Amrutanubhav''. These are the oldest surviving literary works in the Marathi language, and considered to be milestones in Marathi literature. Sant Dnyaneshwar's ideas reflect the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta philosophy and an emphasis on Yoga and bhakti towards Vithoba, an incarnation of Vishnu. His legacy inspired saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram, and he is one of the founders of the Varkari ( Vithoba-Krishna) Bhakti movement tradition of Hinduism in Maharashtra. Dnyaneshwar undertook samadhi at Alandi ...
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Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the northwest. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India, the third most populous country subdivision in South Asia and the fourth-most populous in the world. The state is divided into 6 divisions and 36 districts. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra due to its historical significance as a major trading port and its status as India's financial hub, housing key institutions and a diverse economy. Additionally, Mumbai's well-developed infrastructure and cultural diversity make it a suitable administrative center for the state, and the most populous urban are ...
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Namdev
Namdev (Pronunciation: aːmdeʋ, also transliterated as Nam Dayv, Namdeo, Namadeva, (traditionally, ) was a Marathi Vaishnava saint from Narsi, Hingoli, Maharashtra, Medieval India within the Varkari tradition of Hinduism. He was as a devotee of the deity Vithoba of Pandharpur. Namdev was influenced by Vaishnavism and became widely known in India for his devotional songs set to music (''bhajan-kirtans''). His philosophy contains both ''nirguna brahman'' and ''saguna brahman'' elements, with Vedanta themes. Namdev's legacy is remembered in modern times in the ''Varkari'' tradition, along with those of other ''gurus'', with masses of people walking together in biannual pilgrimages to Pandharpur in Maharashtra. He is also recognised in the North Indian traditions of the Dadu Panthis, Kabir Panthis and Sikhs. Some hymns of Namdev are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Life Details of the life of Namdev are vague. His family name was believed to be as Relekar which is commo ...
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Dasbodh
''Dāsbodh'', loosely meaning "advice to the disciple" in Marathi, is a 17th-century bhakti (devotion) and jnana (insight) spiritual text. It was orally narrated by the saint Samarth Ramdas to his disciple, Kalyan Swami. The ''Dāsbodh'' provides readers with spiritual guidance on matters such as devotion and acquiring knowledge. Besides this, it also helps in answering queries related to day-to-day life and how to find solutions to it. Background The ''Dāsbodha'' was written in 1654 by Samarth Ramdas Swāmi (1608-1681), a satguru, a Hindu saint from Maharashtra, in the local Marathi language. It is a comprehensive volume in verse form providing instructions on the religious life, presented in the format of a conversation between a Guru and disciple. The narration is believed to have taken place in a cave called Shivthar Ghal (pronounced shiv-ther-gaal) in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. Style ''Dāsbodh'' is written in the verse form known as ''owi'' (''ōvyā'') in ...
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Samarth Ramdas
Ramdas (c. 1608 – c. 1682), also known as Samarth Ramdas Swami or Ramdas Swami, was an Indian Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master. He was a devotee of the Hindu deities Rama and Hanuman. Early life Ramdas or previously Narayan Thosar was born at Jamb, a village in present-day Jalna district, Maharashtra on the occasion of Rama Navami, probably in 1608 CE. He was born into a Marathi Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin family to Suryajipant and Ranubai Thosar. His father was thought to have been a devotee of the Vedic deity, Surya. Ramdas had an elder brother named Gangadhar. His father died when Narayan was only seven years of age. He turned into an introvert after the demise of his father and would often be noticed to be engrossed in thoughts about the divine. As per legend, Narayan fled his wedding ceremony in Asangao near Jamb, at age 12, upon hearing a ''pandit'' (Hindu priest) chant the word Saawadhaana!''' (Beware!) during a customary Hindu wedding rit ...
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Lokmanya Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (; born Keshav Gangadhar Tilak (pronunciation: eʃəʋ ɡəŋɡaːd̪ʱəɾ ʈiɭək; 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), endeared as Lokmanya (IAST: ''Lokamānya''), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence activist. He was one third of the Lal Bal Pal triumvirate. The British colonial authorities called him "The father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred with the title of " Lokmanya", which means "accepted by the people as their leader". Mahatma Gandhi called him "The Maker of Modern India". Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj ('self-rule') and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. He is known for his quote in Marathi: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!". He formed a close alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghose, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Early life Keshav Gangadhar Tilak was born on 23 ...
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Bindi (decoration)
A bindi (from Sanskrit '' bindú'' meaning "point, drop, dot or small particle") is a coloured dot or, in modern times, a sticker worn on the centre of the forehead, originally by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists from the Indian subcontinent. A bindi is a bright dot of some colour applied in the centre of the forehead close to the eyebrows or in the middle of the forehead that is worn in the Indian subcontinent (particularly amongst Hindus in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka)Khanna 1979: p. 171 and Southeast Asia among Balinese, Javanese, Sundanese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Vietnamese, and Myanmar Hindus. A similar marking is also worn by babies and children in China and, as in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, represents the opening of the third eye. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism the bindi is associated with the ajna chakra, and Bindu (symbol), BinduMercier (2007). p. 267. is known as the third eye chakra. Bindu (symbol), Bindu is the point or dot around whic ...
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Nath
Natha, also called Nath (), are a Shaivism, Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism, Tantra and Yoga traditions of the Indian subcontinent.Natha: Indian religious sect
Encyclopedia Britannica (2007)
The Naths have been a confederation of devotees who consider Shiva as their first lord or guru, with varying lists of additional gurus. Of these, the 9th or 10th century Matsyendranatha and the ideas and organization mainly developed by Gorakhnath are particularly important. Gorakhnath is considered the originator of the Nath Panth. The Nath tradition has an extensive Shaivism-related theological literature of its own, most of which is ...
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Saree
A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-stitched stretch of woven fabric arranged over the body as a dress, with one end attached to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder as a stole, sometimes baring a part of the midriff.Alkazi, Roshan (1983) "Ancient Indian costume", Art HeritageGhurye (1951) "Indian costume", Popular book depot (Bombay); (Includes rare photographs of 19th century Namboothiri and nair women in ancient sari with bare upper torso) It may vary from in length, and in breadth, and is a form of ethnic wear in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. There are various names and styles of sari manufacture and draping, the most common being the Nivi (meaning new) style.Linda Lynton(1995), The Sari: Styles, Patterns, History, Technique , page ...
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Marathi People
The Marathi people (; Marathi language, Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi language, Marathi, an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a Marathi-speaking state of India on 1 May 1960, as part of a nationwide linguistic reorganisation of the States and union territories of India, Indian states. The term "Maratha" is generally used by historians to refer to all Marathi-speaking peoples, irrespective of their Caste system in India, caste; However, it may refer to a Maharashtrian caste known as the Maratha (caste), Maratha which also includes farmer sub castes like the Kunbis. The Marathi community came into political prominence in the 17th century, when the Maratha Empire was established by Shivaji in 1674. Etymology According to R. G. Bhandarkar, the term Mara ...
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