Author: Alexandra Anna Enrica van der Geer Publisher: BRILL ISBN: 9004168192 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 535
Book Description
This magnificently illustrated study of a vast amount of South Asian animal stone sculptures provides an art history covering almost four and a half thousand years, analyzing the art historical, archeological and cultural context of animals in society.
Author: Madhu Bazaz Wangu Publisher: Abhinav Publications ISBN: 9788170174165 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 290
Book Description
Goddess Images Are Omnipresent Within The Cultural Fabric Of India, Yet Most Indians Are Unaware Of Uplifting Meanings These Images Convey. In The Book, Images Of Indian Goddesses,. Dr. Madhu Bazaz Wangu Explains The Emergence Of Indian Goddesses Within The Changing Social, Political And Cultural Environment From The Prehistoric To The Present Times And Explains Their Metaphysical Meanings. Why Are Hindu Goddesses Paradoxical In Nature? Why Are They Portrayed As Erotic And Maternal Simultaneously? Why Do They Have Multiple Arms? Why Do Some Of Them Have Their Own Vehicle (Vahana) And Some Do Not? Why Are Such Images Portrayed On The Popular Calendar- Posters? The Book Answers Such Questions And Helps The Reader Understand Their Meanings. The Goddesses Discussed Range From The Devoted Sita To The Sinister Kali; From The Warrior Durga To The Auspicious Shri Lakshmi; From The Erotic Radha To The Serene Sarasvati And Many Others. Dr. Wangu Firmly Feels That If Experienced Hindu Goddesses Have A Potential For Stimulating The Onlooker'S Innermost Self. Experiencing Goddess Imagery Uplifts This Worldly Life And Ponders The Nature Of The Other -Worldly Existence. Furthermore, The Book Argues That The Goddesses Are Stimulating And Empowering Models Not Only For Indian Women But For All. Images Of Indian Goddesses Helps A Common Person Understand And Appreciate The Bewildering Number Of Female Images Expressed In India'S Sacred Art. The Book Is Not Only Absorbing And Inspiring, It Also Offers A Visual Treasury Of Goddess Art Images. Its Text Is Food For The Mind And The Illustrations Are A Feast For The Eyes.
Author: Diana L Eck Publisher: Harmony ISBN: 0385531915 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 578
Book Description
In India: A Sacred Geography, renowned Harvard scholar Diana Eck offers an extraordinary spiritual journey through the pilgrimage places of the world's most religiously vibrant culture and reveals that it is, in fact, through these sacred pilgrimages that India’s very sense of nation has emerged. No matter where one goes in India, one will find a landscape in which mountains, rivers, forests, and villages are elaborately linked to the stories of the gods and heroes of Indian culture. Every place in this vast landscape has its story, and conversely, every story of Hindu myth and legend has its place. Likewise, these places are inextricably tied to one another—not simply in the past, but in the present—through the local, regional, and transregional practices of pilgrimage. India: A Sacred Geography tells the story of the pilgrim’s India. In these pages, Diana Eck takes the reader on an extraordinary spiritual journey through the living landscape of this fascinating country –its mountains, rivers, and seacoasts, its ancient and powerful temples and shrines. Seeking to fully understand the sacred places of pilgrimage from the ground up, with their stories, connections and layers of meaning, she acutely examines Hindu religious ideas and narratives and shows how they have been deeply inscribed in the land itself. Ultimately, Eck shows us that from these networks of pilgrimage places, India’s very sense of region and nation has emerged. This is the astonishing and fascinating picture of a land linked for centuries not by the power of kings and governments, but by the footsteps of pilgrims. India: A Sacred Geography offers a unique perspective on India, both as a complex religious culture and as a nation. Based on her extensive knowledge and her many decades of wide-ranging travel and research, Eck's piercing insights and a sweeping grasp of history ensure that this work will be in demand for many years to come.
Author: M. Krishna Kumari Publisher: Virago Press ISBN: Category : History Languages : en Pages : 248
Book Description
A Significant Feature Of This Volume Is The Critical Analysis Of Archaeological And Historical Sources Relating To The Specific Issues Of Cultural History With Special Reference To Andhra Region. Besides The Historical Sources, The Oral Traditions And Folkloristic Materials Provide Substantial Materials For The Better Understanding Of The Culture Of The People On Which Certain Historical Generalisation Can Be Made. Further, It Allows For A Range Of Historical Interpretations Especially Regarding The Legitimization Of Kingship And The Relationship Between Royalty, Rituals And Religion. This Volume Deals With The Different Aspects Of The Cultural History And Some Of The Topics Included Have Long Been The Subject Of Interest, Debate And Importance. It Throws A Fresh Light On The Tantric Goddesses, The Temples Constructed On The Essentials Of Tantrism And Tantric Practices In Every Day Life. The Religious Meanings And Symbolism Of The Iconographical Forms Of Ganesa And Vishnu In The Forms Of Panchanana Ganesa And Adivaraha Are Analysed. The Book Speaks Of The Seamy Side Of The Socio-Cultural Life Of The People Of Medieval Andhra, Throwing A New Light On Robbery And Alcoholism, Which Are Studied In Detail For The First Time. Contents Section I: Folklore And Psychohistory; Chapter 1: Psychohistorical Approach To Popular Child Rearing Practices In Andhra; Chapter 2: Beliefs, Attitudes And Values In Medieval Andhra: Gleanings Through Epigraphs; Chapter 3: Riddles And Proverbs As Sources Of The Social History Of Andhradesa; Chapter 4: Psychohistorical Analysis Of Curses And Folklore Traditions Of Medieval Andhradesa; Chapter 5: Psychoanalytical And Iconographical Perceptions Of Mother And Child; Section Ii: Tantrism-Tantra In Art, Architecture And Culture; Chapter 6: Iconography Of The Tantric Goddess Chinnamasta And Human Sacrifices; Chapter 7: Tantric Temples Of Sakti Deities In Modern Times; Chapter 8: Fresh Light On Certain Obscure Tantric Practices In Daily Life; Section Iii: Art And Iconography; Chapter 9: Panchanana Ganesa From British Museum: An Iconographical Study; Chapter 10: An Image Of Adi Varaha In The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; Chapter 11: Some Aspects Of Inscribed Jaina Images; Section Iv: Royalty, Women And Society; Chapter 12: Divine Kings And The Concept Of Kingship In Medieval South India; Chapter 13: Kings, Temples And Famines In Medieval Andhra; Chapter 14: Royality, Women, And Vratams In Medieval Andhra; Chapter 15: Robbery And Royalty In Medieval Andhra: Some Historical Insights; Chapter 16: Alcoholic Drinks In Medieval Andhra: Gleanings Through Literature; Chapter 17: Historical Insights Into Vegetation And Wildlife: Reconstruction Through Inscritions And Literature (17Th & 18Th Century Ad).