Ganesha: An Elephant-Headed Deity
Ganesha, the Elephant-Headed God, is the most worshipped god in the Hindu religion most commonly practiced in India. He represents Wisdom and the distinction between good and bad and is the leader of ganas, also known as beings.
When Ganesha was created, his creator and/or mother, Parvati had created him out of anger when her husband Shiva’s followers betrayed her due to their loyalty. Parvati being jealous, created Ganesha from the dirt on her body to have someone who was loyal to her like her husband did. Once Shiva discovered this and Ganesha would not let Shiva pass through to see Parvati, he sent out an army to kill Ganesha. This mission was unsuccessful but shortly after Shiva fought him and beheaded him during their fight. Parvati was furious, and Shiva now felt bad for upsetting his wife. In order to strengthen him and Parvati’s relationship again, two conditions were made, one being Ganesha would be revived, and two being Ganesha being one of the most worshipped gods. Both came true. Ganesha was now considered the son of Parvati and Shiva. (“Lord Ganesha: his birth story, symbolism meaning and practice”)
Ganesha was one of two children to Parvati and Shiva, he had another brother named Skanda who represented grace, love of virtuous deeds, and bravery. Along with one brother, Ganesha had two wives, Siddhi who represented success and Riddhi who represented prosperity.
Ganesha and his wives did not have any children.
Not only does Ganesha himself represent a lot of different qualities, his body and every aspect of him is interpreted in different ways throughout the Hindu religion. Ganesha is viewed as the “destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride”. His features represent an abundanc...
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Thesis: It is clear that Gandhi made many sacrifices in his lifetime to not only appease millions around him, but to also influence many forthcoming icons.
Most people have at least heard his name. Mohandas Gandhi is one of the most notable characters in our fairly recent history. Born and raised a Hindu, he was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in the British-ruled India. He led India to independence and inspired many movements for civil rights across the world. Gandhi also assumed the leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921; effectively becoming the leading figure in India’s struggle for independence. He is known for many accomplishments. Women’s rights, the ending of untouchability, and the decline poverty of poverty in India are just a few of his accomplishments. During his conquest he was imprisoned multiple times, undertook a number of hunger strikes, and dressed only in a loincloth and shawl-and devout Hindu faith. Mohandas Gandhi's most significant accomplishment however, was uniting the Hindus in India with the Muslims of Pakistan to break free of British rule peacefully.
Ganymede was known for his beauty; he was a Trojan prince in the Greek era. According to another tale, Zeus turned himself into an eagle and kidnapped Ganymede and lured him into Mount Olympus. Ganymede’s father was weeping for his son, so in turn Zeus had delivered two horses so swift that they could run over water. Tros was completely satisfied that son will have a noble stand. “The theme of the father recurs in many of the Greek coming of age myths of male love, suggesting the relationship to be symbolized by these stories that took place with the consent of the father.” (Aquarius, the Gay Constellation) Most of the gods were comfortable with Ganymede, in the exception of Hera, who was feeling awfully jealous. Hera was the wife and one of the three sisters of Zeus in the Greek Mythology and religion. Her leading function was the goddess of women and marriage. “Zeus eventually turned Ganymede into a constellation which is known as Aquarious (the water-bearer) in the sky, even to this day it is still linked with that of the Eagle (Aquila).” (Myth
The golden fish is one of the ‘Eight Auspicious Symbols’ of Buddhism; frequently witnessed and significant religious symbols. Each represents a specific teaching of Lord Buddha and together, form a powerful union. The golden fish is classified as second most important under the Ashtamangala (union of eight).
A living, vibrant tradition of goddess worship is at the heart of the Hindu religion; many goddesses are worshipped on a daily basis throughout India and the Hindu world, although most individual goddesses are seen as a manifestation of one Great Goddess (Flood 174). The Goddess is an ubiquitous figure in popular media, devotion, and academic study. In 1975, an Indian movie called Jai Santoshi Maa (“Hail to the Mother of Satisfaction”) with a small budget, largely unknown cast, cheesy, almost comical special effects, and second-rate sets became a runaway “superhit” that packed out theatres in large metropolitan areas, as well as those in smaller venues, and broke records by becoming one of the highest grossing movies of the year (Lutgendorf 11, 14). The popularity of this “cult classic” is illustrative, not only of the popular appeal of mythological movies in India, but also of the attractiveness of the Goddess. While the Sakta and Tantric traditions are the most well-known for the veneration of the Goddess, both Śaivism and Vaiṣṇavism incorporate goddesses as consorts or energies, and in fact, “almost all Hindus will revere her in some capacity” (Flood 175; see also Choudhary 2).
Hinduism is recognized as the oldest religion and the third most popular in the world not only because its extended number of practitioners around the globe but also because the deeply influence that has created in other many religions. Hindus go to their Temple or Mandir, which is their place of worship in order to offer their prayers to their gods; every temple is dedicated to a specific deity or god. Different from other religions, Hinduism has no funder and its origins are not clearly defined. It is a religion based on myths, starring by several diverse gods and it is identified as a monotheistic religion regardless of having numerous gods. The explanation to this is that the followers of this religion consider all these gods as part of Brahma, who is the supreme god. For others, Krishna is very important god. The 5,000 years old Indian Vedic scriptures clearly describe the nature and identity of Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead (McPhee & Rigolot, 2011). Hare Krishna is the name for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness known as Iskon. Hare Krishna is a new religious movement based in Vaishnava Hinduism.
Dharma is the universal moral code of hinduism. It guides the individual (if followed) to happiness and success in life. Living on a dharmic path consists of truthfulness, compassion and purity. In the story, Ganesha is compassionate and truthful to his parents. He devotes his life to them by saying they are his “world”. To value and respect your parents is a principle that supports dharma. By doing so, Ganesha received immortality and supreme knowledge. Similarly, abiding by dharma leads to strength, tranquility and most importantly, good karma. In societal times, showing a strong band of respect towards your parents is highly valued. Your parents raise you until the age of 18, for most people. Additionally, some may pay for a college education and for you to start your life on the right path. Personally, my parents humbled me and raised me to be a good person. Not many things can be valued over that. Showing respect and appreciation towards your guardians is absolutely a principle that is appraised in our
http://www.lotussculpture.com/ganesh1.html Ganesh is one of the most beloved gods of the Hindu people, as well as the most important. The son of Shiva and Parvati, no spiritual worship in the Hindu belief system is initiated until the Lord Ganesha is invoked. The Lord Ganesha is not only celebrated amongst Hindus, but also Jains, Buddhists and pagans the world over. Many European pagans and wiccas hold Lord Ganesha very highly in their personal pantheon of dieties. They believe that the Lord Ganesha and his ability to remove obstacles, love of art and science makes their lives better.
Once ----- stated, “Just as there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to every person. One that we reveal to the world and another we keep hidden inside” (____). And so did the great and unforgettable leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Who was the real Father of the Indian nation? Was Gandhi what one thought he was? Gandhi was and will always be on known for every child, every young man and woman, and every old man and woman mind. He will always be depicted as a noble leader whom spent life fighting for justice through “satyagraha”- reaching truth. Contrastingly, there is a second face to the person that we all adore. A face that was not known as the “Mahatma” or the “Bapu” that we all recognize and venerate. The side, which came to light by several well-known historians and writers, was unfortunately, a side that neither one of us would anticipate from a courageous, kind and gentle leader. Even though India’s God-Like Founding Father, Gandhi, was a great leader, there are further little known parts of his life, which are not yet exposed.
Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Is rare that a big religion like Hinduism don’t have a single founder, religious organization, specific theological system and don’t even a system of morality, but it is a religion that has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a diverse body of cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moshka. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. The Hindu scriptures are collectively referred to as the Shashtras. The Hindu scriptures were initially passed on orally from generation to generation until finally ancient scholars wrote them down; mainly in the Sanskrit language that was the prevailing language of the time. Some of the Hindu scriptures are the Shruti and Smritis. The Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas which represent eternal truths revealed to ancient sages but some other Hindu individuals associated the Vedas with a God or a powerful person. The Smritis are all of the other text different than the Shruti. The most know of the Smritis are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Although the Hindus worship a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, they believe in the one Supreme Power that manifests itself in various forms.
...mitted and resilient against evil. Gandhi is still to this day the icon of political figure through the usage of religious attributes and will live long after his death.
To fully understand Indian culture and customs, India’s long history is used as a foundation. Numerous religions were founded in India. These religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Other religions have also played influences in shaping Indian culture such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Henceforth, religion is intertwined with customs and traditions. Therefore, this discussion will defer to religions as the main factor of cultural diversity and sensitively addressing issues.
The main symbol I put in the middle is family, which consist of my mom, my little brother and I. This symbol means that I care about my family a lot because they're in the middle which is the most important part of my mandala. My family makes me who I am because without them I wouldn’t be as independent when it comes
Sayings of the Buddha: A selection of suttas from the Pali Nikayas. Gethin, Rupert. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.
In Hinduism some of the things I found most fascinating is that the idea of God in Hindu is compounded and how they worship. There is one Supreme God and his form is unlimited. The Supreme God’s qualities and forms are represented by the numerous deities that stem from him. The deities God can form can be either male or female, allowing Hindus to pray to a god or goddess.