KIRAN ATMA: Search results for Rajasthan

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Hinduism - What Is The Solar Line Among Hindu Kshatriyas?

One of the two main lineages in Hindu mythology, the other being the Lunar Line.

The Solar Line may be traced all the way down to Ikshvaku, the Sun's grandson.

Many of the main characters in the Ramayana, the older of the two major Indian epics, are descended from it.

Rama himself is one among their descendants.

The rulers of several of Rajasthan's minor erstwhile princely kingdoms claimed lineage from the Solar Line in order to establish and sustain their regal power.

Many of these royal families still exist, even if they no longer have governmental authority, and so this lineage is seen to be still intact.

~Kiran Atma

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Shuddadvaita Vallabhacharya

Shuddadvaita Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) was the first to propose a philosophical school.

Shuddadvaita is a Sanskrit word that means "to be ("absolute monism")

To distinguish himself from the Advaita Vedanta school founded by the philosopher Shankaracharya, Vallabha named his school shuddadvaita, or "pure monism." The latter school promotes "nondual" (advaita) monism, which asserts that there is a single Ultimate Reality that underpins all things, and that all things are merely different manifestations of that reality.

Advaitins refer to this single reality as Brahman, which they define as formless, impersonal, and lacking in distinguishing characteristics other than being, consciousness, and bliss (sacchidananda).

Because all conceptions of particular deities have specific attributes, they are condi tioned forms of the ultimate Brahman, according to the Advaita viewpoint.

In fact, any assumption that the world as it appears is real is a fundamental misunderstanding that leads to karmic bonds, reincarnation (samsara), and suffering for human beings.

Shankaracharya's philosophical position was based primarily on the Vedas, the oldest and most authoritative Hindu texts, and especially on the Upanishads, the speculative Vedic texts.

Vallabhacharya based his Shuddadvaita school on both of these sources, as well as the Bhagavata Purana, which he regarded as equally authoritative.

One of the later sectarian collections known as puranas is the Bhagavata Purana.

It is the most important source for worshiping the god Krishna, whom Vallabha considered to be the ultimate manifestation of the Supreme Being, as opposed to Shankaracharya's unqualified Brahman.

Aside from favoring a personal conception of God over an impersonal one, another difference between the two schools was the world's status.

The world as we see it is real, according to Vallabhacharya, because it and human beings both evolved from God through the exercise of his supreme power.

Krishna is depicted as being–consciousness–bliss in the traditional threefold divine aspect.

Living beings have being and consciousness but not divine bliss, whereas the nonliving, material world has only being.

Vallabhacharya called this conception "pure monism" because it gives real value to everyday life.

God is the inner controller of all souls in Vallabhacharya's system, making human beings reliant on God for thinking and perception (pratyaksha).

This reliance on God emphasizes the importance of grace, which he refers to as "that which nourishes the soul," or "pusti." Vallabhacharya's religious community is known as the Pushti Marg because of its emphasis on grace.

The Pushti Marg believes that devotion (bhakti), which is open to all and has no prerequisites, is the way to gain God's favor.

All other forms of religious practice have been marginalized as a result of the Pushti Marg's emphasis on devotion, and the Pushti Marg is particularly known for rejecting all ascetic endeavors such as celibacy, fasting (upavasa), and renunciation.

Householders from merchant families, particularly from Gujarat, make up the majority of its members.

The community's main temple is located in Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

Richard Barz, The Bhakti Sect of Vallabhacarya, 1976, is a good source of information.

Shrinathji

The presiding deity of the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, and the name of a specific picture of the god Krishna.

The sculpture was initially buried on top of Mount Govardhan, a prominent peak in the Braj area linked with Krishna's humiliation of the storm-god Indra, according to legend.

The location of the picture was given to Vallabhacharya, the founder of the Pushti Marg religious group, in a dream.

On Mount Govardhan, Vallabhacharya erected a temple to hold the picture, and his family have been Shrinathji's hereditary slaves ever since.

Fearing that the picture might be destroyed by the Moghul ruler Aurangzeb, the portrait was transported to Rajasthan in 1669.

Shrinathji is said to have shown his desire to remain in Nathdwara by digging his wagon's wheels deep into the ground, preventing it from moving any farther.

In 1672, a new temple was built and consecrated, and the picture has stayed there ever since.

Whether or whether one believes in the divine mandate, much of the account seems to be plausible.

Given Braj's closeness to Agra, the Moghul capital, custodians of famous pictures may have been anxious about their safety, and because the Moghuls' Hindu vassals ruled the nearby state of Rajasthan, this would have been a natural location to move.

Even now, Nathdwara is located in a distant and sparsely populated district of Rajasthan, indicating that it was once a safe haven.

The Pushti Marg, a religious group dedicated to the deity Krishna, plays a significant role in the administration of the Nathdwara temple.

Rajendra Jindel, Culture Of A Sacred Town, 1976, is a good source of knowledge.

~Kiran Atma

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Saraswati River

Along with the Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Narmada, Indus, and Cauvery, it is one of India's seven holy rivers.

The Saraswati is especially fascinating since no one knows precisely where it flows.

The Saraswati River is referenced in the hymns of the Vedas, the oldest and most authoritative Hindu religious books, and hence seems to be in the northeastern portion of India, where these poems are placed.

In contemporary times, the Saraswati River runs through the northern Indian state of Haryana before drying up in Rajasthan's desert.

On its banks, archaeologists have discovered huge villages from the Indus Valley civilization, indicating that the river was once an active tributary of the Indus.

The Saraswati, according to popular mythology, flows underground and meets the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers at their confluence at Allahabad.

One of the site's names, Triveni ("triple stream"), comes from the legendary confluence of three holy rivers.

Sabarmati

Sabarmati is a river in north western India that begins in the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan and runs south to the Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat.

It is well known as the location of the Sabarmati Ashram, which is located across the river from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

After returning from South Africa in 1915, Mohandas K. Gandhi lived in the Sabarmati Ashram for sixteen years.

From this ashram, he coordinated most of the campaign for Indian independence.

Hinduism - What Is The Hindu Symbolism Associated With Rats?

Rat is a religious animal that appears in at least two religious settings.

On the one hand, the rat is known as the elephant-headed deity Ganesh's animal conveyance, reinforcing Ganesh's identity as the Lord of Obstacles.

If Ganesh's elephant head reflects his ability to easily push barriers away, his rat chariot demonstrates a stealthier approach.

Rats are known for their ability to maneuver around barriers, sliding through even the tiniest openings in granaries to reach the grain inside.

They are a good complement to Ganesh's might because of their ability to sneak around and between obstructive things.

Rats are also significant to the goddess Karni Mata's shrine in the hamlet of Deshnok in Rajasthan's state.

Thousands of rats live in the Karni Mata shrine, believing themselves to be Karni Mata's offspring and hence holy animals.

According to legend, when the rats die, they are resurrected as members of the temple's hereditary servants' families, making the rats and temple priests members of the same extended family.

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Ramsnehi

A renunciant ascetic society made up of followers (bhakta) of the deity Vishnu—as the god Rama—whose practice emphasizes Rama's love (sneha).

The Ramsnehis are divided into three primary centers, all of which are situated in Rajasthan.

These institutions are remarkable in that each honors just its own founder, and none of the three honors any of the founders or preceptors.

The Jains have had an influence on Ramsnehi religious practice, which concentrates on the chanting of Rama's name.

The Ramsnehis deliberately accept various limits as a result of this latter impact in order to prevent killing life.

Ramdev

Ramdev (1404–58)

According to tradition, a Rajput prince whose piety and capacity to perform miracles earned him fame during his lifetime, and after his death, he was thought to be an incarnation of the deity Krishna.

His mausoleum has become a pilgrimage place for devotees (bhakta) who come seeking different blessings in the hamlet of Ramdevra, east of the city of Jaisalmer in the western section of the state of Rajasthan.

Ramdev's life is little known, and unlike many other medieval saints, he is neither credited with any poetry or body of writing, nor did he serve as the head of any organized religious group.

His early followers came to him because he could supply their needs, and pilgrims continue to flock to him for the same reason.

Ramdevra

Village and holy location (tirtha) in Rajasthan's northwest region, around sixty miles east of the city of Jaisalmer.

The graves of the fifteenth-century saint Ramdev and his low caste follower Dadi Bhai are both located at Ramdevra.

Ramdev was known for his devotion and charity throughout his lifetime, and was credited with performing several miracles to help people in need.

He has been recognized as an avatar of the deity Krishna since his death.

Pilgrims may visit at any time of year, but the majority come during the yearly religious fair (mela), when the near-deserted village takes on the appearance of a busy metropolis.

Many of the guests come to ask Ramdev a question, which is usually connected to their health or financial well-being.

Others come to express thanks and preserve their contact with him, particularly those whose previous requests have been realized.

Hinduism - Who Are The Rajputs Among Hindu Jatis?

("son of the king") Endogamous, or intermarried, groupings called as jatis ("birth") were patterned in traditional Indian culture.

The group's hereditary occupation, over which each jati held a monopoly, ordered these jatis (and determined their social standing).

The Rajputs were a martial Hindu jati that formerly governed wide swaths of western India, and they have always claimed to be kshatriyas, bolstering their claim by tracing their ancestors back to the mythological Solar and Lunar Lines of rulers.

Their origins are unknown; they first appear at the end of the first century, and many academics believe they descended from the Hunas before being absorbed into the tiny kingdoms.

Because they claimed descended from a single mythological ruler who sprung from a sacrificial fire pit in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, the four great Rajput clans were known as the Agnikula ("fire lineage").

The Pariharas of southern Rajasthan, the Chauhans of Delhi, the Solankis of Gujarat, and the Pawars of western Madhya Pradesh were the four dominating clans.

Regardless of their origins, the Rajputs were warrior princes whose martial code prioritized death over dishonor and fast retaliation in the event of an affront.

Rajput monarchs were often feudal vassals under the Moghul Empire (1525–1707), receiving kingdoms in return for their allegiance and service.

Following the disintegration of the Moghul Empire, several of them went on to control tiny princely realms.

They continue to be a powerful governing elite in current times, thanks to parliamentary politics.

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Hinduism - What Is The Rajasthani Style Or School Of Miniature Painting?

One of two major "schools" of Indian miniature painting, the other being Pahari.

The differences between the two schools are mostly geographical and hence artificial, since the Pahari school's Basohli paintings are aesthetically closer to those of Rajasthan than works in the later Pahari style.

The Rajasthani was the first developed school, flourishing in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the small kingdoms of the Malwa region, such as Mandu, and in the kingdoms that now make up modern Rajasthan—particularly Bundi, Kota, and Mewar, but also Jaipur and Bikaner—in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The Rajasthani style is distinguished by a flat perspective and visual force generated from vibrant hues, which are often used as a background to the painting.

W. G. Archer, Indian Painting, 1957, is a good source of knowledge.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Where Is Rajasthan In India?

(Land of Kings) A modern Indian state on the Pakistani border between the provinces of Punjab and Gujarat, formed by the amalgamation of a network of princely kingdoms with Ajmer, which was formerly under British control.

Rajasthan's well-entrenched martial culture may be traced back to these principalities, which were remnants of minor kingdoms that were generally preserved by force of arms.

Many towns in Rajasthan feature enormous forts that were formerly used as defensive strongholds but are now major tourist attractions.

The Aravalli Hills divide the state throughout its length, generating two separate climate zones.

The south receives more rainfall and has historically been more densely inhabited, whilst the north progressively fades into the Thar Desert, which has recently been made cultivable by a system of irrigation canals.

While Pushkar is the most prominent pilgrimage destination in the state, there are many more interesting places to visit.

Among these, the Hanuman temple in Mehndipur has achieved regional prominence as a place for treating mental illness, while the Karni Mata temple in Deshnok is known for its holy rats.

Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th ed., Lonely Planet, 1998, is an accessible resource for general information on Rajasthan and all of India's regions.

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Hinduism - What Is The Pushti Marg?

Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) formed a religious community whose teachings have remained the sect's primary impact.

Vallabhacharya's philosophical viewpoint is known as "pure monism" (Shuddadvaita); his fundamental belief is that the deity Krishna is the Supreme Being and the ultimate source of everything that exists.

As a result, the earth and humans partake in his divine essence, although in limited ways, and the human soul is endowed with divinity as its inner light and controller.

Because Krishna is the ultimate source of everything, everything ultimately relies on God, the school's major religious focus is on God's grace.

This blessing is said to nourish (pushti) the devotee (bhakta) and is best obtained via devotion (bhakti), which is seen to be the only successful religious method.

Because of this focus on grace and devotion, the Pushti Marg has placed little emphasis on abstinence or sacrifice, and Vallabhacharya's followers mostly came from prosperous merchant groups.

In the Pushti Marg's temples, the emphasis on devotion was quickly expressed in beautifully structured forms of image worship.

Devotees would imagine themselves as Krishna's companions throughout his everyday activities—waking, eating, bringing his cows to pasture, returning home, and so on—and so be able to participate in the divine drama (lila).

The emergence of large liturgical materials, composed by eight poets (the ashtachap) affiliated with Vallabhacharya and Vitthalnath, his son and successor, aided this focus on vision and participation.

Vitthalnath's son Gokulnath, the group's third head, further cemented the growing community, whose main holy place is currently at Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

R.K. Barz, The Bhakti Sect of Vallabhacharya, 1976, is a good source of information.

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Hinduism - Where Is Pushkar In India?

Pushkar ("blue lotus") is a Hindi word that refers to a specific genus of blue colored lotus. Pushkar is the name of a Shakthi Pitha and Hindu tirtha in Ajmer.

Ajmer is a city and a prominent religious place (tirtha) located a few kilometers north and west of Ajmer in Rajasthan.

Pushkar's core is a natural lake, and its primary function is as a bathing (snana) destination—its lake is so holy, according to legend, that Pushkar is the religious preceptor (guru) of all other sacred locations.

The lake at Pushkar is encircled by temples.

The most well-known of them is devoted to the deity Brahma, and it is his solitary temple in India.

Shakti Pithas, a network of holy locations distributed over the subcontinent, are claimed to have two neighboring temples devoted to the Goddess.

Each Shakti Pitha represents the spot where a piece of the goddess Sati's severed body fell to earth.

The two temples in Pushkar commemorate the locations where Sati's wrists were severed.

Kartik Purnima (October–November), Pushkar's biggest festival, takes place on a full moon (generally associated with enhancing the sanctity of bathing places).

This festival is noted by the hosting of a massive animal market, mainly for camels and horses, in addition to bathing.

This is presently being promoted as a tourism destination by the state government, and it has attracted over 200,000 visitors in recent years.

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Panchvani

("Five Voices") is a Hindi word that means "five voices." Dadupanth, a religious society formed by northern Indian poet-saint Dadu (1554–1603), created a manuscript collection.

Dadu, Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Hardas are among the five devotional (bhakti) poet– saints whose writings are included in this compilation.

The desert environment of Rajasthan has aided in the preservation of ancient manu scripts, some of which date back to the early seventeenth century.

The Panchvani manuscripts are among the poets' oldest written sources, making them an essential resource for the study of northern Indian devotional poetry's history.

See Winand Callewaert (trans.

), The Sarvangi of the Dadupanthi Rajab, 1978; and The Sarvangi of Gopaldas, 1993, for further information on the Dadupanth's literary treasures.

A hereditary priest who aids pilgrims with whatever ceremonies they may want or choose to undertake, as well as any other demands they may have.

Each panda family at a particular pilgrimage site (tirtha) has unique rights to serve pilgrims from a certain geographical area or regions; travelers are expected to seek out the panda serving their original region, whether or not the pilgrims currently reside there.

Pilgrims will write a note in the panda's pilgrim register (bahi) on each visit, recording the names of those who came and why they came.

The records are the definitive indication of the familial relationship between panda and pilgrim families, since some of these registrations extend back hundreds of years.

This hereditary link was important for pilgrims in the past since it offered resources like as housing, food, and other forms of assistance while they were journeying.

The pandas would minister to their customers, arranging for the appropriate ceremonies and, if necessary, lending them money.

When the pilgrims left, they would generally leave a tiny gift for the panda, as well as a commitment for a bigger sum, which the pandas would return to their homes to collect.

Although pandas are typically stereotyped as selfish and rapacious because to their propensity to demand what they believe a customer can afford, in their optimal form, both sides gain from the relationship.

Pandas have become less significant characters at many pilgrimage sites in recent years, and as a result, their prestige and revenue have dwindled.

Many pilgrimage locations have been established as religious tourist destinations, and the hotels and amenities that have been erected there have made pilgrims less reliant on their guides for lodging.

At the same time, save for the most significant ritual actions, such as those related to death, there has been a general drop in the performance of ritual acts in recent years.

Hinduism - What Is The Pahari Style Of Indian Painting?

One of India's two major "schools" of miniature painting, the other being Rajasthani.

Because the Basohli paintings belong to the Pahari school, but are artistically closer to those of Rajasthan than to the later Pahari style, the boundaries between schools are geographical and hence rather arbitrary.

The Pahari style thrived in the Shiwalik Hills north and west of Delhi throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

It initially appears in the kingdom of Basohli, where the Rajasthani school's influence is most obvious, and then spread to the kingdoms of Jammu, Guler, Garhwal, and Kangra.

The evolved Pahari style differs from the Rajasthani in that it emphasizes more linear drawing—perhaps influenced by European art—and a more restrained use of color, all of which contribute to a more lyrical mood to the paintings.

W. G. Archer, Indian Painting, 1957; and "Pahari Miniatures: A Concise History," Marg, Vol. 28, No. 2, 1975, for further details.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Where Is The Nathdwara Tirtha In India?

About twenty-five miles north of Udaipur, in the state of Rajasthan's south-central area, is the city and holy place (tirtha).

A temple at Nathdwara has an image of Lord Krishna in the guise of Shrinathji.

The figure was initially buried on top of Mount Govardhan, a peak in the Braj area where Krishna is claimed to have dwelt, according to legend.

Vallabhacharya, the founder of the Pushti Marg religious group, received the location of the picture in a dream.

Vallabhacharya erected a temple atop Mount Govardhan to house it, and his family have been the image's hereditary serfs ever since.

Fears that the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb might destroy the image led to its relocation to the state of Rajasthan in 1669.

Shrinathji is said to have shown his desire to remain in Nathdwara by digging his wagon's wheels deep into the ground, preventing it from moving any farther.

Because Nathdwara is a rather distant region, it is a secure spot to store the photograph.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Who Was Mirabai?

(early sixteenth century?) A poet-saint who was a devotee of the deity Krishna (bhakta).

Mirabai's songs are among the most well-known religious (bhakti) poetry, despite the fact that nothing is known about her.

Mirabai was born into a royal family in a tiny kingdom in Rajasthan, according to legend.

She had been committed to Krishna since she was a little child.

Despite the fact that her parents had planned for her to marry the scion of another monarch, she regarded Krishna to be her actual spouse.

Her liberation occurred with the death of her husband, after which she was permitted to leave her marital house after extensive battle with her in-laws—during which they allegedly tried to poison her.

She spent her final years traveling areas linked with Krishna and socializing with other devotees in "excellent company" (satsang).

She traveled to Dwaraka, the city where Krishna is claimed to have reigned, and was absorbed into Krishna's image in his temple there.

Mirabai's poetry is characterized by her love for Krishna.

She often refers to herself as his wife or as his awaiting lover, expressing her desire for physical and metaphysical connection with him.

Her poetry is a deeply personal expression of her religious fervor, and the power of her yearning has made her a religious symbol.

Mirabai's poetry raises perplexing authorship questions for scholars, as the earliest manuscripts are several hundred years older than when she is supposed to have lived, but for ordinary people, Mirabai's songs are still popular today.

She has also appeared in at least ten feature films, demonstrating the power of devotion even in today's world.

See A. J. Alston's The Devotional Poems of Mirabai, 1980, and John Stratton Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer's Songs of the Saints of India, 1988, for more information.

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