Hinduism

=Durga=

The goddess Durga is said to be the mother of the universe. She has the power of creations, preservation, and destruction.There are many other forms of this same mother goddess that go by different names, most commonly, Kali. The legend of Durga’s creation states that out of desperation the Hindu gods created Durga to defeat Manisha, the buffalo demon. They gave her all their weapons such as an arrow, sword, chisel, hammer, thunderbolt, elephant goad, war discus, shield, bow, bell, mirror, and noose. In the art work, she is portrayed holding all of these tools and weapons. Each object has its own symbolism. For example, the conch shell represents the word “Om,” which indicates that Durga is connected to god through sound. The thunderbolt represents firmness and conviction of belief. Durga also has three eyes. These represent the desire, action, and knowledge or the moon, the sun, and fire. Hindus turn to Durga to have their miseries will be taken away. The believers are said to be protected from the evils of the world. The Goddess Durga protects it's believers from fear. She is the mother of the universe.

= = =Shiva=
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This piece of artwork is Shiva as the Lord of Dance or also called Nataraja. It was made during the Chola period(880-1279) or 11th century. The goddess Shiva is one of many Hindu gods. In this artwork she is in the golden hall of Chidambaram, or the center of the universe, in the presence of the gods. The halo around her is a flaming ring representing the universes boundaries. In this dance Shiva taught that she is the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. Shiva's lower right hand makes the gesture abhaya, which represents her removing fear and protecting the earth. Shiva's upper right hand, or the damaru holds the drum that created sound. Shiva's upper left hand holds Agni or the fire that she consumes for food. Shiva's right foot is trampling a dwarf and her left foot is raised in a gesture called the gaja hasta which is refuge for troubled souls. The whole dance symbolizes the balance of destruction and creation in the universe.

= = =Vishnu= This piece of art is showing Vishnu with two heads on either side of his human head, a boar's head on the right, and a lion's head on the left. These heads both symbolize two of Vishnu's incarnations, of which there is a total of ten. His tenth incarnation is as of yet unknown, for he will come as that incarnation when the world is thrown into a great peril of the present day. About the statue the small figure on the left symbolizes war debates, which was once balanced on the right side by a figure that was the human incarnation of Vishnu's war mace. Also, based on some of the characteristics of the statue, some believe that it may not be one of Vishnu at all, but rather a god similar to him, but from a different religion, originally sprung from Hinduism, the religion Vaishnavism. Vishnu himself is the god of Preservation and Restoration. He usually resides in a deep sleep, and comes from this sleep when the world is in great danger, and in need of preserving and restoring. = = =Chola Temples=
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 * one of the beautiful Chola, Another absolutely beautiful Chola temple, a close up look of a Chola temple from the 11th-12th**
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The Chola Empire was the most powerful empire in southern India for more than 200 years. From the A.D. 100's to the A.D. 700's. It was a very militaristic society that gained much money, culture, land, and power from conquest. The kings of the Chola Empire were looked up to like gods and were believed to have been descended from the sun. With influence from the nearby Pallava Empire they began to construct beautiful temples to honor their kings. They built numerous temples throughout their kingdom such as the Brihadeshvara Temple in earlier times. The Siva temple of Thanjavurr was completed around 1009 and was a memorial to the king Rajaraja, it was the largest and tallest of all Indian temples of its time. The temple for king Rajendra; The Temple of Gangaikondacholapuram was built to exceed its kings Rajaraja's temple. Completed around 1030, only two decades after the temple at Thanjavur and in a similar style. This suggests that the Chola Empire was much more powerful during these times. The last notable Chola ruler was king Kulottunga I, who reigned from 1070 to 1118. After him the empire declined. The Pandyas finally defeated the Cholas in 1279. The Great Living Temples of Chola represent the different advances that the Chola Empire had in its many years of existence. They symbolize new creativity, as well as brilliant achievements in art such as painting, bronze casting, architecture, and sculpture. This is shown through the statues guarding the entrance and the remarkably beautiful bronze artwork inside. The Chola temples inspired future designs, not only in South India, but also in Sout-east Asia. In addition, the statue of Shiva inside one of the temples suggests that they can also be a religious setting.


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