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Stambha
A stambha () is a pillar or a column employed in Indian architecture. A stambha sometimes bears inscriptions and religious emblems. Religion In Hindu mythology, a stambha is believed to be a cosmic column that functions as a bond, joining heaven (Svarga) and earth (Prithvi). A number of Hindu scriptures, including the ''Atharva Veda'', feature references to stambhas. In the ''Atharva Veda'', a celestial stambha has been described as an infinite scaffold, which supports the cosmos and material creation. In the legend of Narasimha, an avatara of Vishnu, the deity appears from a stambha to slay the asura Hiranyakashipu. The stambha has been interpreted to represent the axis mundi in this myth by Deborah A. Soifer. Architecture Stambhas are popularly employed in Indian architecture. Different stambhas serve different purposes, including the following: * A dhvaja stambha (''flagstaff tower'') is placed opposite the main shrine, on an axis with the main deity. * A kirti stam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manastambha
In Jainism, a ''manastambha'' () is a pillar that is often constructed in front of Jain temples or large Jain statues. In North India, they are topped by four Tirthankara images. According to the ''Digambara'' Jain texts like '' Adi Purana'' and ''Tiloyapannati'', a huge ''manastambha'' stands in front of the '' samavasarana'' (divine preaching hall) of the tirthankaras, which causes someone entering a ''samavasarana'' to shed their pride. A monolithic manastambha is a standard feature in the Jain temples of Moodabidri. They include a statue of Brahmadeva on the top as a guardian yaksha. Examples Some of the well known Jain manastambhas are: * Kirti Stambha of Chittorgarh. The Vijaya Stambha was inspired by this. * Manastambhas of Devagarh * Manastambhas of Moodabidri * Manastambhas of Shravanabelagola * Manastambha at Shikharji at Madhuvan Manastambhas in South India are generally monolithic. Photo gallery File:Hutessing Temple3 Ahmedabad.JPG, Kirti Stambha of Hu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dhwaja Stambha
The dhvajastambha (ध्वजस्तम्भ) refers to the flagstaff erected in front of the ''mukhamaṇḍapa'' (front pavilion) of a Hindu temple. The ''dhvajastambha'' is usually built within the temple walls (''prākāra''). They are traditionally built of wood and stone, where the wooden variety is often finished with a metal covering (''kavaca''). The dhvajastambha is a common feature in South Indian temples. Two other objects that are grouped together with this flagstaff are the '' bali pitham'' (altar for offerings) and the vehicle (vahana) of the deity to whom the temple is dedicated. Symbolically, these three objects are shields that protect the sanctuary of the temple from the impure and undevoted. Hiltebeitel, Alf (1991). The Cult of Draupadi, Volume 2: On Hindu Ritual and the Goddess'. University of Chicago Press. . pp. 91-92. See also * Dhvaja * Gopuram * Vahana * Hindu temple architecture Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hutheesing Jain Temple
Hutheesing Temple is a Jain temple in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. It was constructed in 1848 by the Hutheesing family. The temple blends the old Maru-Gurjara temple architecture style with new architectural elements of ''haveli'' in its design. History The construction of the temple was originally planned and initiated by Hutheesing Kesarisinh, a wealthy trader of Ahmedabad. Following his death at the age of 49, the construction was supervised and completed by his wife, Harkunwar. The total cost was approximately . The chief temple architect was Premchand Salat. The temple is located outside the Delhi Darwaza. Lockwood de Forest, who was a business associate of Muganbhai Hutheesing, the son of Sheth Hutheesing, estimated the cost as "over a million dollars". The temple was built during a severe famine in Gujarat. Building the temple employed hundreds of skilled artisans which supported them for a period of two years. The temple is managed by a Hutheesing family trust. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kirti Stambha
Kirti Stambha is a 12th-century tower situated at Chittor Fort in Chittorgarh town of Rajasthan, India. History Chittor has a history going back several centuries. It was an ancient centre of Jain tradition. Chittor is adjacent to the ancient city of Madhyamika. The Jain inscriptions at Mathura from the Kushana period (1st–3rd centuries CE) mention a "Majjhimilla" branch of the "Kottiya" gana, indicating that it was a major Jain centre. The famous Acharya Haribhadra Suri (6th century CE) was born in Chittor and wrote "Dhurtopakhyana" there. There was a scholar Elacharya at Chittor from whom Vira-senacharya (9th century) learned the ancient Shat-khandagama and Kashayapahuda. Virasena later wrote the famous " Dhavala" and "Jayadhavala" on the basis of these books. The tower was built by a Jain merchant Jeeja Bhagerwala during the reign of Rawal Kumar Singh in CE. It was the residence of Jinavallabha who propagated the Vidhimarga in the 12th century. From the 15th to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh (literally Chittor Fort), also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls over a hill in height spread over an area of above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort covers 65 historic structures, which include four palaces, 19 large temples, 20 large water bodies, 4 memorials and a few victory towers. In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a group of six Hill Forts of Rajasthan, including Chittor Fort, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geography Chittorgarh, located in the southern part of the state of Rajasthan, from Ajmer, midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway 48 in the road network of Golden Quadrilateral. Chittorgarh is situated where National Highways No. 76 and 79 intersect. The fort rises abruptly a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pillars Of Ashoka
The pillars of Ashoka are a series of Monolith, monolithic columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected—or at least inscribed with Edicts of Ashoka, edicts—by the 3rd Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great, who reigned from to 232 BC. Ashoka used the expression ''Dhaṃma thaṃbhā'' (Dharma stambha), i.e. "pillars of the Dharma" to describe his own pillars. These pillars constitute important monuments of the architecture of India, most of them exhibiting the characteristic Mauryan polish. Twenty of the pillars erected by Ashoka still survive, including those with inscriptions of his edicts. Only a few with animal capitals survive of which seven complete specimens are known. Two pillars were relocated by Firuz Shah Tughlaq to Delhi Sultanate, Delhi. Several pillars were relocated later by Mughal Empire rulers, the animal capitals being removed.Krishnaswamy, 697-698 Averaging between in height, and weighing up to 50 tons each, the pillars were dragged, sometimes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heliodorus Pillar
The Heliodorus pillar is a stone column that was erected around 113 BCE in central India in Besnagar (Vidisha), Madhya Pradesh. The pillar is commonly named after Heliodorus (identified by him as a Garuda-standard), who was an ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas from Taxila, and was sent to the Indian ruler Bhagabhadra. A dedication written in Brahmi script was inscribed on the pillar, venerating Vāsudeva (Krishna), the ''Deva deva'' the "God of Gods" and the Supreme Deity.''Devadeva'', the "God of Gods", the Supreme Deity in The pillar also glorifies the Indian ruler as "Bhagabhadra the savior". The pillar is a stambha which symbolizes joining earth, space and heaven, and is thought to connote the "cosmic axis" and express the cosmic totality of the Deity. The Heliodorus pillar site is located near the confluence of two rivers, about northeast from Bhopal, from the Buddhist stupa of Sanchi, and from the Hindu Udayagiri Caves, Udayagiri site. The pillar was discover ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashoka Pillar
The pillars of Ashoka are a series of Monolith, monolithic columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected—or at least inscribed with Edicts of Ashoka, edicts—by the 3rd Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great, who reigned from to 232 BC. Ashoka used the expression ''Dhaṃma thaṃbhā'' (Dharma stambha), i.e. "pillars of the Dharma" to describe his own pillars. These pillars constitute important monuments of the architecture of India, most of them exhibiting the characteristic Mauryan polish. Twenty of the pillars erected by Ashoka still survive, including those with inscriptions of his edicts. Only a few with animal capitals survive of which seven complete specimens are known. Two pillars were relocated by Firuz Shah Tughlaq to Delhi Sultanate, Delhi. Several pillars were relocated later by Mughal Empire rulers, the animal capitals being removed.Krishnaswamy, 697-698 Averaging between in height, and weighing up to 50 tons each, the pillars were dragged, sometimes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dhar Iron Pillar
The Dhar iron pillar is a now-fragmented iron column located in the Dhar town of Madhya Pradesh, India. The exact origins of the pillar are unknown, but according to the local tradition, it was a victory column erected by the 11th century Paramara king Bhoja. Three of its fragments are now located near the 15th century Lat Masjid ("pillar mosque"), which is named after the pillar (called "lāṭ" in Hindi). A fourth portion is believed to be missing. The original pillar tapered from bottom to top: the bottom fragment has a square cross-section; the middle fragment has square and octagonal cross-sections, and the top fragment has an octagonal cross-section with a small circular part at the end. The total length of the three fragments is , which indicates that the original pillar must have been twice as high as the iron pillar of Delhi. The combined weight of the fragments is estimated at around , which is at least more than the Delhi pillar's weight. At the time of its erectio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tirthankara
In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsāra (Jainism), saṃsāra'', the sea of interminable birth and death. According to Jains, ''tirthankaras'' are the supreme preachers of ''dharma'', who have conquered ''saṃsāra'' on their own and made a path for others to follow. After understanding the true nature of the self or soul, the ''Tīrthaṅkara'' attains ''kevala jnana'' (omniscience). A Tirthankara provides a bridge for others to follow them from ''saṃsāra'' to ''moksha'' (liberation). In Jain cosmology, the wheel of time is divided into two halves, Utsarpiṇī', the ascending time cycle, and ''avasarpiṇī'', the descending time cycle (said to be current now). In each half of the cycle, exactly 24 ''tirthankaras'' grace this part of the universe. There have been infini ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vijay Stambha
The Vijaya Stambha is a Rajput victory monument located within Chittor Fort in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India. The tower was constructed by the Hindu Rajput king Rana Kumbha of Mewar in 1448 CE to commemorate his victory over the army of Sultanate of Malwa led by Mahmud Khilji in the Battle of Sarangpur. The tower is dedicated to Hindu God Vishnu. Colonel James Todd considered it one of the finest examples of Hindu Rajput architecture & superior to Qutub Minar. Inscriptions To commemorate this great victory, Rana Kumbha built the great Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory) in the fortress of Chittor. However, before this tower could be completed, the Rana had to face and vanquish the combination of two most powerful kingdoms in India at the time, those of Gujarat and Malwa, these glorious events are inscribed on the celebrated tower. Sultan Mahmud Khilji remained a prisoner in Chittor for a period of six months, after which he was liberated with ransom by Rana Kumbha. The inscribed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts
The Major Rock Edicts of Indian emperor Ashoka refer to 14 separate major Edicts of Ashoka which are significantly detailed and represent some of the earliest dated rock inscriptions of any Indian monarch. These edicts are preceded chronologically by the Minor Rock Edicts. History Ashoka was the third monarch of the Maurya Empire in the subcontinent, reigning from around 269 BCE. Ashoka famously converted to Buddhism and renounced violence soon after being victorious in a gruesome Kalinga War, yet filled with deep remorse for the bloodshed of the war, but findings suggest that he had already converted to Buddhism 4 years before the war. Although he was a major historical figure, little definitive information was known as there were few records of his reign until the 19th century when a large number of his edicts, inscribed on rocks and pillars, were found in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In India, Places where rock edicts were found are – Kalsi, Uttarakhand; Sopa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
