Found 80 Articles for Religion & Spirituality

A Rangoli is a beautiful and colorful floor design or motif that is found in Hindu households in the Indian subcontinent although the term can differ as you move towards eastern India where it is known as Alpana. A Rangoli is generally created by the women of a house although in some houses the men also become part of this creative expression. It is created with organic powdery material which is essentially organic such as powdered rice as well as flour of different grains, turmeric, sandal, flower extracts, leaf extracts and specific kind of soil extracts. Many Rangolis are made ... Read More

There is no relation between Buddha (Gautama who after attaining enlightenment has become Buddha) and the fat laughing Buddha.The Laughing Buddha is based on an eccentric Chinese Ch'an (Zen) monk who lived over 1,000 years ago and has become a significant part of Buddhist and Shinto culture. This monk was known for his benevolent nature, with characteristic features like large protruding stomach and jolly smile. He popularly became "Laughing Buddha." for his hearty smile.People believe these cute looking saints bring luck and fortune and keep at home and business places.

According to a Salafist preacher by the name of Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid, who runs a website for authentic information on everything related to Islam, known as IslamQA.info, a woman's face is the equivalent of 'Awrah' which means revealing among other things, in Arabic, and should hence be covered.Many others, who know the Quran well, however, say that Muslim tradition requires the whole body to be covered in attire that doesn't hug the body too tightly, except the face, hands, and feet. The term 'Burqa' is Arabic and it has come to mean the veiled overall covering the woman who wears ... Read More

The holy book of the Sikhs is known as the Guru Granth Sahib and it is considered as the eternal guru for all times after the tenth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, declared that the lineage of living gurus will end with him. The original name of the Guru Granth Sahib was Adi Granth and it was Guru Gobind Singh who elevated it to the status of the eternal and immortal guru by naming the book, Guru Granth Sahib. This holy book which comprises the sermons of the Gurus called the Gurubani, is written in the Gurmukhi script, ... Read More

Indian Culture has reversed all its natural resources and it is also evident from Vedic time on how the various forces of nature were worshiped to maintain the balance in the cycle of nature called Rita. Ganga is the longest river in India that originates from the Gangotri glaciers in the state of Uttarakhand and ends in the Bay of Bengal in Sagar Island.It is a river which is considered to be the oldest as far as references in the sources of history are concerned. This river has been the life-giver for a population of the Gangetic plains for many ... Read More

Ellora caves located in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ellora caves did not, however, remain unexplored due to the proximity to the trade routes.These caves are one of the finest examples of rock-cut architecture in India with construction beginning during the time of Vakatakas and architecture reaching its zenith during Rashtrakutas. Ellora caves are excavated out of volcanic basalt rock peculiar in the Deccan regionThe significance of the caves can be understood according to their classification.Buddhist CavesCave no.1 to Cave no.12 is the Buddhist group of caves in Ellora. These are mostly Viharas and ... Read More

Khajuraho is popular for its group of artistic temples which were built by the Chandela rulers between the 10th and 12th Century. Chandela rulers were the great patrons of art and this is the reason that the Khajuraho group of temples is known for its sculptural wealth. There were some 85 temples constructed during the aforementioned period but only 25 temples remain in the complex today.The Khajuraho temples are even mentioned in the records of Al Biruni and Ibn Battuta. All the temples are built out of fine sandstone except Chausath Yogini, Brahma and Lalguan-Mahadeva temples constructed out of granite.Categories ... Read More

Jainism is one of the oldest religions in India. Its references are traced back to the Harappan Civilization with reference to the nude torso found during the excavations. Vrishabdeva is the first Tirthankara in Jain religion and the 24th is Varadamana Mahavira. This is one of the first religions that gave the concepts of complete non-violence and total vegetarianism.Sects of JainismThe two main sects in the Jain religion are Shvetambara and Digambara. It is the Shvetambara sect which generally forms the part of the mainstream society. The Jains have contributed in trade, art,  and architecture, philosophy and mathematics throughout the ... Read More

Aarati in the India tradition is a part of worship in which fire is lit on Diya or using camphor pieces. This is offered to the deities that are worshiped. It generally marks to end of the ceremony or Pooja that is performed. Here are some important points related to Aarati:PanchamahabhutasIn the Indian tradition since the Vedic times, the five elements of nature- Panchamahabhutas have played a very important role to keep the proper balance in nature. These five elements are Prithvi, Ap, Vaayu, Agni, and Akasha. In a Pooja that is conducted, Aarati invokes fire (light) i.e. the Agni ... Read More

Located near the banks of River Tungabhadra, Hampi is an ancient village that has remained important for its variety of religious and secular structures. In the epic Ramayana, it is identified as Kishkinda. Hampi remained in central importance in the medieval times as the second capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.Virupaksha TempleFor the Vijayanagar kings, Virupaksha was the family God and their crest was the Boar or Varaha. It is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and was constructed during the reign of Vijayanagara ruler Krishna Deva Raya II. It remains an important center of pilgrimage in the site of Hampi ... Read More