Dashrath Nandan Ram – The Complete Life and Legacy of Maryada Purushottam
Introduction Dashrath Nandan Ram, the firstborn of King Dashrath from Ayodhya, is respected as a divine incarnation of Lord Vishnu and stands as a timeless symbol of virtue, dharma, and typical human behaviour. His story, beautifully narrated in the Valmiki Ramayana, imparts deep insights into duty, honor, bravery, compassion, and spiritual wisdom. What truly sets […]
Serpents of the Sacred: The Symbolic Power of Snakes in Indian Iconography
Snakes, the spineless creatures, alias, Nagas in our land, are virtually present almost everywhere—below the ground, under the sea; in the lakes and springs; on the mountains; on the trees, in the burrows; and even in the skies. In India, snakes exist in the subcontinent’s ancient texts, mythologies, folklore, tribal worship, art, and architecture. Found […]
Birthplaces of Hanuman: Legends Across India
Among the many characters of Ramayana, Hanuman is probably one of the most revered and loved characters. Apart from Ram and Sita, Hanuman is one who got embedded in the culture, folklores and rituals. Hanuman is considered to be the embodiment of power and humility, who teaches us many important lessons about communication and management […]
The secret behind Jyotirlinga names
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr Dinesh Soni (@indian.temples) In Shaivism in India, the term Jyotirlinga holds a very specific religious value. The Word Jyotirlinga is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis (‘radiance’) and linga (‘symbol’). Thus, a Jyotirlinga is Shiva’s symbol that contains Shiva’s radiance; or the presence of Shiva in […]
The Jyotirlingas : An introduction to the legends and history of the 12 sacred Shaivite Temples
Introduction In Shaivism in India, the term Jyotirlinga holds a very specific religious value. The Word Jyotirlinga is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis (‘radiance’) and linga (‘symbol’). Thus, a Jyotirlinga is Shiva’s symbol that contains Shiva’s radiance; or the presence of Shiva in form of a Jyoti. The Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam is a devotional hymn […]
Balrama : The unsung hero of Hinduism
Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, does not find a lot of significance in worship today. However, he existed as a very significant figure in Bhagavata Purana. The elder brother of Krishna, he is described as the highest form of divinity that expanded into Vishnu. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one […]
Unveiling the Vedic Gods: The Divine Beings of Ancient Indian Scriptures
Temples and deities are an integral part of our society today. We see temples dedicated to deities like Vishnu (in forms like Krishna, Rama, Narismha etc), Shiva, Lakshmi, Shakti (in different forms), Hanuman etc. All these deities are from the Puranic references. We see mentions of these Gods and their stories in various Purans and […]
Hanuman : The embodiment of Power and Humility
Hanumana, the all powerful Hindu deity, is one of the most revered characters in Ramayana. Even though Ramayana is a story of Ram and Sita, the side character of Hanuman gets equal praise, love and respect in the story. Such is the magic of this deity. The son of wind god Vayu and Anjani is […]
Beyond Myth: The True Story Behind Lakshman Rekha in Ramayana
Introduction Even Sita had to follow the Lakshman Rekha. Who are you to defy? A very common line I have heard while growing up. Girls and women around me would often hear this line from parents and relatives. And it always makes me wonder, what is a Lakshman Rekha? And why is it supposed to […]
The Divine Prescription: How Hindu Deities Teach Hygiene Practices
We have seen many natural forces being worshipped as deities in Hinduism. We have Varun (personification of ocean and flowing water), Indra (God of rain and thunder), Vayu or Pavana (Air we breathe), Agni (the fire). We also have celestial bodies embodied as Gods. These includes Sun worshipped as Surya, Moon worshipped as Chandra. Mangal […]