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Vishnu Temples
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation (sattva). Vishnu is known as ''The Preserver'' within the Trimurti, the triple deity of supreme divinity that includes Brahma and Shiva. Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism' () (1996), p. 17. In Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the supreme Lord who creates, protects, and transforms the universe. Tridevi is stated to be the energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Lakshmi being the equal complementary partner of Vishnu. He is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. According to Vaishnavism, the supreme being is with qualities ( Saguna), and has definite form, but is limitless, transcendent and unchanging absolute Brahman, and the primal Atman (Self) of the universe. There are both benevolent and f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parabrahman
''Para Brahman'' or ''Param Brahman'' () in Hindu philosophy is the "Supreme Brahman" that which is beyond all descriptions and conceptualisations. It is described as beyond the form or the formlessness (in the sense that it is devoid of Maya (religion), Maya) that eternally pervades everything, everywhere in the universe and whatever is beyond. Para Brahman is conceptualised in diverse ways. In the Advaita Vedanta tradition, the Para Brahman is a synonym of ''nirguna brahman'', i.e., the attribute-less Absolute. Conversely, in Dvaita Vedanta and Vishishtadvaita, Vishistadvaita Vedanta traditions, the Para Brahman is defined as ''saguna brahman'', i.e., the Absolute with attributes. In Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, Vishnu, Shiva, and Adi Shakti respectively are Para Brahman. Mahaganapati is held to be Para Brahman by the Ganapatya sect, Kartikeya by the Kaumaram. Etymology ''Para'' is a Sanskrit word that means "higher" in some contexts, and "highest or supreme" in ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gada (weapon)
The gada (Sanskrit: गदा ''gadā'', Kannada: ''ಗದೆ'', Telugu: ''గద'', Tamil: ''கதை'', Malay: ''gedak'', Old Tagalog: ''batuta'') is a mallet or blunt mace from the Indian subcontinent. Made either of wood or metal, it consists essentially of a spherical head mounted on a shaft, with a spike on the top. Outside India, the gada was also adopted in Southeast Asia, where it is still used in silat. The weapon might have Indo-Iranian origins, Old Persian also uses the word ''gadā'' to mean club, as seen in the etymology of Pasargadae. The gada is the main weapon of the Hindu God Hanuman. Known for his strength, Hanuman is traditionally worshipped by wrestlers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Vishnu also carries a gada named Kaumodaki in one of his four hands. In the epic ''Mahabharata'', the fighters Balarama, Duryodhana, Bhima, Karna, Shalya, Jarasandha and others were said to be masters of the gada. Gada-yuddha The martial art of wieldin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vivaha Panchami
Vivaha Panchami () is a Hindu festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita in Janakpurdham which was the capital city of Mithila (region), Mithila. It is observed on the fifth day of the Paksha, Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the month of Agrahayana (November – December) in the Bikram Samvat, calendar also known as Mangsir. The day is observed as the Hindu wedding, Vivaha Utsava of Sita and Rama in temples and sacred places associated with Rama, such as the Mithila (region), Mithila region of India and Nepal and Ayodhya in India. Observances The day is of great importance at Janakpurdham and Vivah Mandap in Janakpur, Nepal, where thousands of pilgrims arrive many from India and from other part of the country, as it is mentioned in the Ramayana that Sita Marriage, married Rama here. File:Vivah Mandap, Janakpur-September 22, 2016-IMG 7419.jpg, Vivah Mandap, Janakpur File:Vivah Mandap, Janakpur-September 22, 2016-7358.jpg, Idols of Lord Rama and Mata Sita in Vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Onam
Onam () is an annual harvest and Hindus, Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Kerala. A major annual event for Malayalis, Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. Hindu mythology Onam commemorates the return of the generous daitya king Mahabali after he was banished to the netherworld by Vamana (the fifth avatar of Hindu deity Vishnu). According to the Hindu mythology, Hindu legends, after Indra (the king of the Deva (Hinduism), devas) is defeated by Mahabali (the king of the asuras), the devas ultimately seek refuge in Vishnu, who agrees to restore Indra to power. To do so, Vishnu incarnates as a dwarf priest called Vamana. Mahabali (himself a devotee of Vishnu) conducts Yajna, ritual prayers, one of which is attended by Vamana, who requests only three feet (steps) of land to build a Vedi (altar), fire-altar. Mahabali agrees, despite being told about Vamana's divine nature by the sage Shukra. Vamana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deepavali
Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual victory of ''Dharma'' over '' Adharma'', light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.Jean Mead, ''How and why Do Hindus Celebrate Divali?'', Diwali is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin (according to the amanta tradition) and Kārtikabetween around mid-September and mid-November.''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998) – p. 540 "Diwali /dɪwɑːli/ (also Diwali) noun a Hindu festival with lights...". The celebrations generally last five or six days. Diwali is connected to various religious events, deities and personalities, such as being the day Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana after defeating the demon king Ravana. It is also wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narasimha Jayanti
Narasimha Jayanti () is a Hindu festival that is celebrated on the fourteenth day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha (April-May). Hindus regard this as the day the deity Vishnu assumed his fourth avatar in the form of a "man-lion", known as Narasimha, to vanquish the oppressive asura king Hiranyakashipu and protect his devotee Prahlada. The legend of Narasimha represents the victory of knowledge over ignorance and the protection offered by God to his devotees. Legend In Hindu mythology, Hiranyakashipu was the first incarnation of Jaya, one of the two doorkeepers of Vishnu's abode of Vaikuntha. After being cursed by the Four Kumaras, along with his brother, Vijaya, he chose to be born as an enemy of Vishnu thrice, rather than as a devotee of the deity seven times. After the death of his brother, Hiranyaksha, at the hands of Varaha, the third avatara of Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu swore revenge. The king performed a severe penance to propitiate the creator deity, Brahma, until the l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krishna Janmashtami
Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the '' Gita Govinda'', Krishna has been identified as supreme God and the source of all avatars. Krishna's birth is celebrated and observed on the eighth day ( Ashtami) of the dark fortnight ( Krishna Paksha) in Shravana Masa (according to the amanta tradition). According to the purnimanta tradition), Krishna's birth is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in Bhadrapada Masa. This overlaps with August or September of the Gregorian calendar. It is an important festival, particularly in the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The celebratory customs associated with Janmashtami include a celebration festival, reading and recitation of religious texts, dance and enactments of the life of Krishna according to the ''Bh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rama Navami
Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Rama, one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is often held as an emblem within Hinduism for being an ideal king and human through his righteousness, good conduct and virtue. The festival falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the lunar cycle of Chaitra (March–April), the last month in the Hindu calendar. It is also part of the Chaitra Navaratri festival in spring. Rama Navami is a holiday for government employees in India.Holiday Calendar , High Court of Karnataka, Government The rituals and customs associated with Rama Navami vary from region to region throughout India. The day is marked by reciting from the Hindu epic |
Holi
Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions, Volume 1, , p. 212 It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna.R Deepta, A.K. Ramanujan's ‘Mythologies’ Poems: An Analysis, Points of View, Volume XIV, Number 1, Summer 2007, pp. 74–81 Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu.; Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.Ebeling, Karin (10), Holi, an Indian Festival, and its Reflection in English Media; Die Ordnung des Standard und die Differenzierung der Diskurse: Akten des 41. Linguistischen Kolloquiums in Mannhe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shesha
Shesha (), also known by his epithets Sheshanaga () and Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod ( naga) and king of the serpents ( Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta Shesha. The Narayana form of Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha, accompanied by his consort Lakshmi. Shesha is considered as one of the two mounts of Vishnu alongside Garuda. He is said to have descended upon Earth in the following human forms or incarnations: Lakshmana, brother of Vishnu's incarnation Rama during the Treta Yuga, and according to some traditions, as Balarama, brother of Vishnu's incarnation Krishna during the Dvapara Yuga. According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), his father was Kashyapa and his mother Kadru, though in other accounts, he is usually a primordial being cre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Garuda
Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the Devas, Gandharvas, Daityas, Danavas, Nāgas, Vanara and Yakshas. He is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. He is the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun. Garuda is mentioned in several other texts such as the Puranas and the Vedas. Garuda is described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure. He is shown either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some ornithic features). Garuda is generally portrayed as a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere, ever vigilant and an enemy of every serpent. He is also known as Tarkshya and Vainateya. Garuda is a part of state insignia of India, Indonesia and Thailand. Both Indonesia and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes used to refer to any guru or revered human being. The word ''avatar'' does not appear in the Vedic literature; however, it appears in developed forms in post-Vedic literature, and as a noun particularly in the Puranic literature after the 6th century CE. Despite that, the concept of an avatar is compatible with the content of the Vedic literature like the Upanishads as it is symbolic imagery of the Saguna Brahman concept in the philosophy of Hinduism. The ''Rigveda'' describes Indra as endowed with a mysterious power of assuming any form at will. The ''Bhagavad Gita'' expounds the doctrine of Avatara but with terms other than ''avatar''. Theologically, the term is most often associated with the Hindu god Vishnu, though the idea has been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
