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Amrapali
Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated ''nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she became an arahant. She is mentioned in the old Pali texts and Buddhist traditions ( āgama sutras), particularly in conjunction with the Buddha staying at her mango grove, ''Ambapali vana'', which she later donated to his order and wherein he preached the famous ''Ambapalika Sutra''. The legend of Amrapali originated in the Buddhist Jataka Tales some 1500 years ago. Early life Amrapali was born around 600-500 BCE, to Mahanama & an unknown mother. Etymologically, the variants on her name derive from a combination of two Sanskrit words: ''amra'', meaning mango, and ''pallawa'', meaning young leaves or sprouts. It is said that she was spontaneously born at the foot of a mango tree in one of the royal gardens in Vaishali — hence her name. E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amrapali (film)
Amrapali is a 1966 historical Hindi film directed by Lekh Tandon, starring Sunil Dutt and Vyjayanthimala as leads. The film's music was by Shankar–Jaikishan. It was based on the life of Amrapali (Ambapali), the ''nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of Vaishali in present-day Bihar, the capital of the Licchavi republic in ancient India around 500 BC, and Ajatashatru, the Haryanka dynasty king of the Magadha empire, who falls in love with her. Although he destroys Vaishali to get her, she has been transformed by her encounter with Gautama Buddha in the meantime, of whom she becomes a disciple and an Arahant. Her story is mentioned in old Pali texts and Buddhist traditions. The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 39th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. Although the film was not a commercial success, its reputation has grown over time and it is now regarded as a classic of Hindi cinema. It is remembered for its dramatic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vyjayanthimala
Vyjayanthimala (born 13 August 1936) is a former Indian actress, dancer and parliamentarian. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two BFJA Awards and five Filmfare Awards. She made her screen debut at the age of thirteen with the Tamil film '' Vaazhkai'' (1949), and followed this with a role in the Telugu film ''Jeevitham'' (1950). Her first work in Hindi cinema was the social guidance film '' Bahar'' (1951), which she headlined, and achieved her breakthrough with the romantic film '' Nagin'' (1954). She is currently 86 years old. She garnered a lot of critical acclaim for her role in the period drama film ''Devdas'' (1955), where she played Chandramukhi, the Tawaif with a heart of gold. The film and her acting was praised, later considered to be her magnum opus. For ''Devdas'', she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress which she refused, stating that she played a leading role equal to that of Suchitra Sen, her co-star, and so she could not acce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaishali (ancient City)
Vaishali, Vesali or Vaiśālī was a city in present-day Bihar, India, and is now an archaeological site. It is a part of the Tirhut Division. It was the capital city of the Vajjika League of Vrijji mahajanapada, considered one of the first examples of a republic around the 6th century BCE. Gautama Buddha preached his last sermon before his death in c. 483 BCE, then in 383 BCE the Second Buddhist council was convened here by King Kalasoka, making it an important place in both Jain and Buddhist religions. It contains one of the best-preserved of the Pillars of Ashoka, topped by a single Asiatic lion. Vaishali is also home to possibly the earliest known example of a stupa, the Buddha relic stupa which is said to contain the ashes of the Buddha. The city finds mention in the travel accounts of Chinese explorers, Faxian (4th century CE) and Xuanzang (7th century CE), which were later used in 1861 by British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham to first identify Vaiśālī with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supriya Devi
Supriya Devi (Supriya Choudhury; 8 January 1933 – 26 January 2018) was an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema for more than 50 years. She is best known for her portrayal of Neeta in Ritwik Ghatak's Bengali film '' Megha Dhaka Tara'' (1960). She was conferred the Filmfare Award and the BFJA Award twice. In 2011, she received the Banga-Vibhushan, the highest civilian honour in West Bengal. In 2014, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for her contributions to the entertainment industry. She made her debut in Uttam Kumar starrer ''Basu Paribar'' (1952) under the direction of Nirmal Dey and successively appeared in ''Prarthana'' (1952) directed by Pranab Ray. However, IMDb lists 1951 Hindi film Shokhiyan as her first film. She, then took a hiatus and returned to filmdom in ''Marmabani'' (1958) under Sushil Majumdar's direction. She rose to prominence after she had appeared in the Uttam Kumar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ajatashatru
Ajatasattu (Pāli ) or Ajatashatru (Sanskrit ) in Buddhist tradition, or Kunika () and Kuniya () in the Jain histories, (c. 492 to 460 BCE or early 5th century BCE) was one of the most important kings of the Haryanka dynasty of Magadha in East India. He was the son of King Bimbisara and was a contemporary of both Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. He forcefully took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father and imprisoned him. He fought a war against the Vajjika League, led by the Licchavis, and conquered the republic of Vaishali. The city of Pataliputra was formed by fortification of a village by Ajatashatru. Ajatashatru followed policies of conquest and expansion. He defeated his neighbours including the king of Kosala; his brothers, at odds with him, went to Kashi, which had been given to Bimbisara as dowry and led to a war between Magadha and Kosala. Ajatashatru occupied Kashi and captured the smaller kingdoms. Magadha under Ajatashatru became the most powerful kingdom in Nor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was one of the major stars of Hindi cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to star in many successful films which included ''Mother India'' (1957) '' Sadhna'' (1958), ''Insan Jaag Utha'' (1959), '' Sujata'' (1959), ''Mujhe Jeene Do'' (1963), '' Gumraah'' (1963), '' Waqt'' (1965), ''Khandan'' (1965), ''Mera Saaya'' (1966) and ''Padosan'' (1967), and ''Hamraaz'' (1967), '' Heera'' (1973), ''Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye'' (1974), '' Nagin'' (1976), ''Jaani Dushman'' (1979), '' Muqabla'' (1979), and '' Shaan'' (1980). In 1968, he was honoured by the Padma Shri by the Government of India. He is the father of popular actor Sanjay Dutt. In 1984 he joined the Indian National Congress party and was elected to the Parliament of India for five terms from the constituency of Mumbai North West. He was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nagarvadhu
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India. Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and there was no taboo against the practice. The most beautiful woman, and most talented in various dance forms, was chosen as the Nagarvadhu. A Nagarvadhu was respected, and she was a courtesan; people could watch her dance and sing. A Nagarvadhu's price for a single night's dance was very high, and she was only within the reach of the very rich – the king, the princes, and the lords. Famous Nagarvadhus *Amrapali, state courtesan and Buddhist disciple, described in ''Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu'' by Acharya Chatursen *Vasantasena, a character in the classic Sanskrit story of '' Mricchakatika'', written in the 2nd century BC by Śūdraka * Madhavi, a character in the classic Tamil story of ''Silappatikaram'', written in tamil by Ilango Adigal See also *Devadasi *Deuki * Ca trù, a similar profes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bimbisara
Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE or during the late 5th century BCE) was a King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi 262010p. 166f. or c. 400 BCE) and belonged to the Haryanka dynasty.Peter N. Stearns (2001), ''The Encyclopedia of World History''. Houghton Mifflin, p. 76 ff. . He was the son of Bhattiya. His expansion of the kingdom, especially his annexation of the kingdom of Anga to the east, is considered to have laid the foundations for the later expansion of the Mauryan Empire. According to Jain Tradition, he is said to be the first Tirthankara (''will be named as Padmanabha / Mahapadma'') out of 24th Tirthankara of the future cosmic age. He frequently visited Samavasarana of Lord Mahavira seeking answers to his queries. According to Buddhist Tradition, he is also known for his cultural achievements and was a great friend and protector of the Budd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nagarvadhu
Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India. Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and there was no taboo against the practice. The most beautiful woman, and most talented in various dance forms, was chosen as the Nagarvadhu. A Nagarvadhu was respected, and she was a courtesan; people could watch her dance and sing. A Nagarvadhu's price for a single night's dance was very high, and she was only within the reach of the very rich – the king, the princes, and the lords. Famous Nagarvadhus *Amrapali, state courtesan and Buddhist disciple, described in ''Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu'' by Acharya Chatursen *Vasantasena, a character in the classic Sanskrit story of '' Mricchakatika'', written in the 2nd century BC by Śūdraka * Madhavi, a character in the classic Tamil story of ''Silappatikaram'', written in tamil by Ilango Adigal See also *Devadasi *Deuki * Ca trù, a similar profes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Licchavi (tribe)
Licchavi ( Māgadhī Prakrit: ; Pāli: ; Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern Indian subcontinent whose existence is attested from the Iron Age to the Classical Age. The population of Licchavi, the Licchavikas, were organised into a (an aristocratic oligarchic republic), presently referred to as the Licchavi Republic, which was the leading state of the larger Vajjika League. Location The Licchavikas lived in the southwest part of the Vajjika League, which was itself bounded to the north, east, south, and west, respectively, by the Himālaya mountains, and the Mahānadī, Gaṅgā, and Sadānirā rivers. The Sadānirā river was the Licchavikas' western border, and the Gaṅgā river as their border with the kingdom of Magadha in the south. The capital of the Licchavikas was located at Vesālī (Vaishali), which also acted as the headquarters of the Vajjika League led by Licchavi. Name The tribal name () is a Māgadhī Prākrit derivation of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Courtesan
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal court, court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudalism, feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together. Prior to the Renaissance, courtesans served to convey information to visiting dignitaries, when servants could not be trusted. In Renaissance Europe, courtiers played an extremely important role in upper-class society. As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives—commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances—men and women would often seek gratification and companionship from people living at court. In fact, the verb 'to court' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hema Malini
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful leading actresses of mainstream Hindi cinema. She is known as ''Dream Girl'' of Hindi cinema. Malini made her acting debut in 1963 with the Tamil film ''Idhu Sathiyam''. Malini first acted in a lead role in ''Sapno Ka Saudagar'' (1968), and went on to feature in numerous Hindi films, frequently opposite Dharmendra, whom she married in 1980. Malini was initially promoted as the "Dream Girl", and in 1977 starred in a film of the same name. During her career, she received eleven nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, winning the award in 1973. In 2000, Malini won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019 Filmfare Special Award for 50 Years of Outstanding Contribution to Cinema. She is also honoured with the Padma S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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