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Bharata, Bhārata, Bharatā, Bharat ~ That is India

||Why Bhārata instead of India|| There is a 2200 years old “Hātigumphā Inscription” found in the ‘Udayagiri Hills’, near Bhubaneshwar in Odisha. This is a very special inscription, as it contains the earliest recorded mention of the word “Bhāratavarṣa” (Prakritized as – ‘Bhāratavasa’). Line number 10 of this inscription mentions “Bharatavarsha” (translation published by Jayaswal and Banerji in…

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Photodocumenting Museum Sculptures I - Coochbehar Palace Museum (newly renovated)

All photos by Anirban Sarkar (if images are downloaded and shared, please give his name as reference) Surya, 10th c. CE Navagraha panel, 10th c. CE 4 armed Devi, 9th -10 c. CE Fragmentary remains of a likely Vishnu Stele, at the two sides are Devis Lakshmi and Saraswati, 11-12th c. CE remains of ornametal stele, 10th -11th century CE Vishnu, 11th-12th century CE Avalokiteswara, 11th…

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Bengal temples II- Hindu revival period (16th-19th c. CE)

A brief look at the political and socio-religious scenario that led up to the 16th century Hindu revivalism under Sri Chaityna With the start of the Muslim invasions from the end of the 12th century and the subsequent settling down of these invaders in Bengal marked a sharp breakaway from the past within the socio-cultural fabric of the region. For almost a century (13th-14th century CE) , as…

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Bengal Temples I - The Early Hindu period

Bengal Temples I – The Early Hindu period

The history of Bengal’s Hindu temple architecture can be divided into three basic categories: Early Hindu period – from ancient times to end of 12th century. This architectural type was transferred and carried on in northern and western parts of India, even as Bengal changed its architectural style after it faced massive destruction in the hands of Islamic invaders post 12th century. Islamic…

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Mudras and Postures seen in Indian Iconography

Mudras and Postures seen in Indian Iconography

Studying the murtis created by in the past helps in understanding a great deal of the social history of that times and locality. The dress, jewellery, weapons, etc., depicted on a murti is a direct reflection of the what was in vogue among people living in that era. Varahamihira in his book explains the same by saying the dress and ornaments worn by people in a country are similar to the ones…

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Ekanamsa- an aspect of Devi Sakti in Vaishnavism

Ekanamsa- an aspect of Devi Sakti in Vaishnavism

The Sakta group of followers within Hinduism believes in the Feminine principle as the Brahman or the Supreme Consciousness, and their worship revolves around various Devi images, many of which are popularly associated with Shiva. However, Devi sakti is also associated with Vishnu-Krshna from an early period in Indian history. Besides Sri or Lakshmi, who we see as Vishnu’s consort, there is one…

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Shiva- the conqueror of Time and Death

Aum Tryambakam yajaamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam | Urvaarukamiva bandhanaan-mrityormuksheeya maamritaat || Tadipatri, Photo by Jay Shankar One among the most influential gods in Hinduism, Shiva is a part of the old Hindu triad, and his followers are cumulatively known as Saivites, although there are many sects within it. While Shiva is associated with the act of destruction (Samhara) or…

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Yaksha

The demi gods/ accessory deities or the Vyantara devatas With the rise of the element of bhakti during the early stages of religious worship (Varuna is the first Vedic god to have been portrayed as the first moral god associated with the concept of sin, faith, and divine forgiveness; thus sowing the seeds of bhakti in Indic religions), there were many changes in the religious outlook among the…

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The face of Glory- Kirtimukhas on Hindu temple walls

The face of Glory- Kirtimukhas on Hindu temple walls

One of the most intriguing and most common features in the Hindu temple adornments is the face of glory or kirtimukha. The half human – half animal face, swollen with the intake of breath, is most prominently seen on the sukhanasa, in the centre of the arches of littles niches or shrines, the apex of windows, in front of the threshold of the garbhagriha on either side of the lotus stalk in the…

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Sri or Lakshmi

Sri or Lakshmi- the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The most sought after devi especially for homemakers and those in trade and commercial activities. She is also among the earliest represented deities in Indian iconography in the form of Gaja Lakshmi.

Sri -Lakshmi in texts

Rig Vedauses the term Sri both as a noun and adjective to denote anything that appears as beautiful, which…

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Jewellery in Indian iconography

Jewellery in Indian iconography

Indians, right from the time they started depicting their gods on seals and murtis, showed a great deal of love for depicting jewellery on their deities. Almost all parts of the body from head to ears, nose, neck, chest, lower and upper arms, fingers, waist, hip, ankle and feet are shown with different appropriate ornaments. Grunwedel in his writing “Buddhist Art” noted this and stated that “the…

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The Naga cult

The Naga cult 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, a feeling that they were stronger and wiser than him, or in short uncanny. This was specially true of the snake or serpent because of its swift, mysterious, yet…

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The curious case of Rama in West Bengal (written by me)

worshipping Ram and Sita in Ramrajatola in Howrah, WB

Mahakavi Krritibas Ojha (1381–1461), a well known poet from Bengal, was the author of “Sri Rampanchali,” the Bengali version of the Sanskrit Ramayan. While he had largely changed the narrative of Valmiki’s Ramayan and made many additions of his own (making Ram quite different…

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Kesa-vinyas or Hairstyles in Indian art- a photo exhibition by the ASI (2015)

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 towards the right); Taranga (wavy hair); Simha…

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An Iconographic exploration of Ganapati- Vinayaka

An Iconographic exploration of Ganapati- Vinayaka

Wooden Ganesha on a lintel in the Tripurasundari temple Naggar, HP

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

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The Mother Goddesses

In all ancient cultures or primitive societies women formed to be the foundation pillars upon whom rested the important tasks of giving birth and rearing the young, while teaching them in order to preserve what were seen as social norms, culture and heritage, behavioral habits, and traditions at that time. The women were seen as life producers with regenerative capacities, hence her organs that…

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Triloknath/Trilokinath temple in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

Triloknath/Trilokinath temple in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

Mandi district as we now see was formed by merging the two princely states Mandi and Suket, when the State of Himachal Pradesh was created post independence.  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 where the Sena dynasty lost Gaur, some members of the royal family fled to Ropar in Punjab,…

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