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The basis is Hinduism is Dharma or righteousness, incorporating duty, cosmic law and justice. Five thousand years ago, the Vedas showed a clear appreciation of the natural world and its ecology, the importance of the environment and the management of natural resources. Hinduism and nature delves into the religion's deep respect for all life forms, the forests and trees, rivers and lakes, animals and mountains, which are all manifestations of divinity. Nature is ...
Ganesha is today the most popular and loved of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Nothing auspicious takes place without invoking his name.
Was this always so? If not, how did he rise into prominence? These and so many more questions about this god with the elephants head and unusual form have exercised the minds of those interested in Hindu religion and philosophy.
In this book, "Ganesha: The Auspicious
The Beginning ", Smt. Shakunthala Jagannathan and ...
Animals are worshipped in India in many ways: as deities-the elephant-god Ganesha and the monkey-god Hanuman; as avatars-like Vishnu’s fish, tortoise and boar forms; and as vahanas-the swan, bull, lion and tiger were all vehicles of major deities and are thus sacred by association. Some animals, like the snake are worshipped out of fear. Birds such as the crow are associated with the abode of the dead or the souls of ancestors, while the cow’s ...
Sacred Animals of India draws on the ancient religious traditions of India—Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism—to explore the customs and practices that engendered the veneration of animals in India. Animals are worshipped in India as deities, as, for instance, the elephant-god Ganesha and the monkey-god Hanuman, or as the fish, tortoise and boar—forms or avatars that Vishnu is believed to have taken on earth. Some species, such as the swan, bull, ...
Vishnu, the supreme being, is the preserver, the protector of the good and the guardian of dharma. Seated on Adi Shesha, the many-hooded serpent, in the primeval waters, he watches over his devotees and rewards the pious. And whenever dharma is in danger, he incarnates himself on earth to rid it of evil. Beginning with an investigation of the possible non-Vedic, Dravidian origins of Vishnu, this book describes his form, aspects and attributes, and his avatars or ...
The temple of Balaji or Venkateshwara on Tirumala hill above the town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh has become a focal point of contemporary religion in India, attracting crowds of all ages, faiths and nationalities. However, not much is known about the God, except his ability to answer prayers and perform the most improbable miracles. Not many people are aware that the sanctity of the God and the hill is over two thousand years old. What makes the temple so ...