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Durga Temples
Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and dharma, representing the power of good over evil. Durga is believed to unleash her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed, and entails destruction to empower creation. Durga is seen as a motherly figure and often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating demons. She is widely worshipped by the followers of the goddess-centric sect, Shaktism, and has importance in other denominations like Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The most important texts of Shaktism, Devi Mahatmya and Devi Bhagavata Purana, revere Devi (the Goddess) as the primordial creator of the universe and the Brahman (ultimate truth and reali ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahishasura
Mahishasura (, ) is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in Hindu texts, Hindu literature as a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting. Mahishasura was the son of the asura Rambha (asura), Rambha and the brother of buffalo-demoness named Mahishi (demoness), Mahishi. He was ultimately killed by the goddess Durga with her trishula (trident) after which she gained the epithet Mahishasuramardini ("Slayer of Mahishasura"). Mahishasura had a son named Gajasura. The Navaratri ("Nine Nights") festival eulogises this battle between Mahishasura and Durga, culminating in Vijaya Dasami, Vijayadashami, a celebration of his ultimate defeat. This story of the "triumph of good over evil" carries profound symbolism in Hinduism, particularly Shaktism, and is both narrated as well as reenacted from the Devi Mahatmya at many South and Southeast Asian Hindu temples. The ''Mahishasura Mardini Stotra'' by Adi Shankara was written to commemorate her legend. Legend Mahis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Navaratri
Navaratri () is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal ''Navaratris''. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri. There are 2 Gupta Navaratris or "Secret Navaratris" as well, one starting on the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Magha Month (Magha Gupta Navaratri) and another starting in the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of Ashadha Month. Etymology and nomenclature The word ''Navarātram'' means "a period of nine nights" in Sanskrit, ''nava'' meaning "nine" and ''ratri'' meaning "night". Dates and celebrations In the eastern and northeastern states of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified by adherence to the concept of ''dharma'', a Ṛta, cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word ''Hindu'' is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, it has also been described by the modern term ''Sanātana Dharma'' () emphasizing its eternal nature. ''Vaidika Dharma'' () and ''Arya dharma'' are historical endonyms for Hinduism. Hinduism entails diverse systems of thought, marked by a range of shared Glossary of Hinduism terms, concepts that discuss God in Hinduism, theology, Hindu mythology, mythology, among other topics in Hindu texts, textual sources. Hindu texts have been classified into Śruti () and Smṛti (). The major Hin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Female
An organism's sex is female ( symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and males are results of the anisogamous reproduction system, wherein gametes are of different sizes (unlike isogamy where they are the same size). The exact mechanism of female gamete evolution remains unknown. In species that have males and females, sex-determination may be based on either sex chromosomes, or environmental conditions. Most female mammals, including female humans, have two X chromosomes. Characteristics of organisms with a female sex vary between different species, having different female reproductive systems, with some species showing characteristics secondary to the reproductive system, as with mammary glands in mammals. In humans, the word ''female'' can also be used to refer to gender in the social sense of gen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prakriti
Prakriti ( ) is "the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance". It is a key concept in Hinduism, formulated by the ''Samkhya'' school, where it does not refer merely to matter or nature, but includes all cognitive, moral, psychological, emotional, sensorial and physical aspects of reality. ''Prakriti'' has three different innate qualities ( ''guṇas''), whose equilibrium is the basis of all empirical reality, in the form of the five panchamahabhootas (basic elements) – Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, Pruthvi. ''Prakriti'' contrasts with '' Puruṣa'', which is pure awareness and metaphysical consciousness.James G. Lochtefeld (2001), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Rosen Publishing, , Pages 224, 265, 520 The term is also found in the texts of other Indian religions such as Jainism and Buddhism. Etymology and meaning ''Prakriti'' (Sanskrit: प्रकृति) is an early Indic concept meaning "making or placing before or at f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tantras (Hinduism)
Hindu tantric literature refers to esoteric scriptures in Hinduism. Classes The word ''tantra'' is made up by the joining (''sandhi'' in Sanskrit) of two Sanskrit words: ''tanoti'' (expansion) and ''trayati'' (liberation). Tantra means liberation of energy and expansion of consciousness from its gross form. It is a method to expand the mind and liberate the dormant potential energy, and its principles form the basis of all yogic practices. Hence, the Hindu tantric scriptures refer to techniques for achieving a result. The Hindu tantras total 92 scriptures; of these, 64 are purely ''Abheda'' (literally "without differentiation", or monistic), known as the Bhairava Tantras or Kashmir Śaivite Tantras, 18 are ''Bhedābheda'' (literally "with differentiation and without differentiation" monistic or dualistic), known as the Rudra Tantras), and 10 are completely ''Bheda'' (literally "differentiated" or dualistic), known as the Tantras. The latter two (''Rudra'' Tantras and ' T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shakta Upanishads
Shakta Upanishads are a group of minor Upanishads of Hinduism related to the Shaktism theology of a Goddess (Devi) as the Supreme Being. There are 8 Shakta Upanishads in the Muktika anthology of 108 Upanishads. They, along with other minor Upanishads, are generally classified separate from the thirteen major Principal Upanishads considered to be from the ancient Vedic tradition. The Shakta Upanishads also contrast from other groups of minor Upanishads, such as the Samanya Upanishads which are of a generic nature, the Sannyasa Upanishads which focus on the Hindu renunciation and monastic practice, the Yoga Upanishads related to Yoga, the Shaiva Upanishads which highlight aspects of Shaivism, and the Vaishnava Upanishads which highlight Vaishnavism. Composed in medieval India, the Shakta Upanishads are among the most recent minor Upanishads, and constitute an important source of information on Devi worship and Tantra-related theology. Some Shakta Upanishads exist in more tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalika Purana
The Kalika Purana (), also called the Kali Purana, Sati Purana or Kalika Tantra, is one of the eighteen minor Puranas (''Upapurana'') in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. The text was likely composed in Assam or Cooch Behar district, Cooch Behar: "This story is recounted also in the Kālikāpurāṇa—the earliest text devoted to the worship of Kāmākhyā, probably compiled no later than the tenth–eleventh century in a region between Assam and Koch Bihar (a district of West Bengal)." region of India and is attributed to the sage Markandeya. It exists in many versions, variously organized in 90 to 93 chapters. The surviving versions of the text are unusual in that they start abruptly and follow a format not found in either the major or minor Purana-genre mythical texts of Hinduism. Various types of Animal sacrifice in Hinduism, animal sacrifices for devi are detailed in the Purana. Content The text starts off with the legends of Devi trying to bring Shiva back from ascetic l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Devi Mahatmya
The ''Devi Mahatmya'' or ''Devi Mahatmyam'' () is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess, known as Mahadevi, Adi Parashakti or Durga, as the supreme divine parabrahma, ultimate reality and creator of the universe. It is part of the Markandeya Purana, Mārkandeya Purāna (chapters 81 to 93). ''Devi Mahatmyam'' is also known as the ''Durgā Saptashatī'' () or Śata Chandī (शत् चंडी) and ''Chandi Path'' (). The text contains 700 verses arranged into 13 chapters. It is one of the most important texts in Shaktism, along with ''Devi-Bhagavata Purana'' and Devi Upanishad. The text is one of the earliest extant complete manuscripts from the Hindu traditions which describes reverence and worship of the feminine aspect of God. The ''Devi Mahatmyam'' describes a storied battle between good and evil, where the Devi manifesting as goddess Durga leads the forces of good against the demon Mahishasura—the goddess is very angry and ruthless, and the forces of goo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Devi-Bhagavata Purana
The Devi Bhagavata Purana (, '), also known as the Devi Purana or simply Devi Bhagavatam, is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas as per Shiva Purana of Hinduism. Composed in Sanskrit by Veda Vyasa, the text is considered a major purana for Devi worshippers ( Shaktas). It promotes ''bhakti'' (devotion) towards Mahadevi, integrating themes from the Shaktadvaitavada tradition (a syncretism of Samkhya and Advaita Vedanta). While this is generally regarded as a Shakta Purana, some scholars such as Dowson have also interpreted this Purana as a Shaiva Purana. The Purana consists of twelve cantos with 318 chapters. Along with the ''Devi Mahatmya'', it is one of the most important works in Shaktism, a tradition within Hinduism that reveres Devi or Shakti (Goddess) as the primordial creator of the universe, and as Brahman (ultimate truth and reality). It celebrates the divine feminine as the origin of all existence: as the creator, the preserver and the destroyer of everything, as well ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vindhya Range
The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India. Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the geological sense. The exact extent of the Vindhyas is loosely defined, and historically, the term covered a number of distinct hill systems in central India, including the one that is now known as the Satpura Range. Today, the term principally refers to the escarpment and its hilly extensions that runs north of and roughly parallel to the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh. Depending on the definition, the range extends up to Gujarat in the west, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north, and Chhattisgarh in the east. The average elevation of the Vindhyas is also dependent on different sources. The word Vindhya is derived from the Sanskrit word ''vaindh'' (to obstruct) and is in reference to a mythological story. The Vindhya range is also known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manidvipa
Manidvipa (; ) is the celestial abode of Mahadevi, the supreme goddess, according to the Shaktism tradition in Hinduism. It is an island situated in the middle of an ocean called the Sudha Samudra (the ocean of nectar). In the Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Devi Bhagavata Purana, Manidvipa is portrayed as the ''Sarvaloka'', the highest world that is superior to Goloka, the realm of Krishna and Radha, Saketa the realm of Rama and Sita, Vaikuntha, the realm of Vishnu and Lakshmi, Kailasa, the realm of Shiva and Parvati, and Brahmaloka, the realm of Brahma and Saraswati. This is consistent with the scripture's portrayal of goddess Tripura Sundari being greater than any of the Trimurti. In her form as Tripura Sundari, Devi is the ruler of Manidvipa. It is believed that Mahadevi created this island according to her will. Description The descriptions of Manidvipa can be found in the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana'', ''Mahabhagavata Purana'', and ''Tripura Rahasya''. According to the goddess-c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
