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The jackfruit (<i>Artocarpus heterophyllus</i>), also known as jack tree, fenne, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae) native to southwest India. It is well suited to tropical lowlands, and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching as much as 35 kg (80 lb) in weight, 90 cm (35 in) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter. A mature jackfruit tree can produce about 100 to 200 fruits in a year. The jackfruit is a multiple fruit, composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and it is the fleshy petals that are eaten.
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree <i>Mangifera indica</i> which is believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Mangoes have been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times.
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree <i>Mangifera indica</i> which is believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Mangoes have been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times.
Samuel Augustus Mitchell (1790-1868) was an American geographer born in Connecticut. He first worked as a teacher before eventually focusing his time on publishing geographical maps and textbooks, a subject he had become involved in after realising that what geographical resources available to teachers were of poor quality. He moved to Philadelphia in either 1829 or 1830, where he founded his company, publishing materials that covered all genres of geography.
The East Indies, sometimes known simply as the Indies, are the lands of South and Southeast Asia, though usually refer to just the islands of Southeast Asia, primarily the Indonesian and Philippine Archipelagos. The inhabitants of the region are rarely ever called East Indians, and comprise a wide variety of cultural and religious diversity, with no single ethnic group.<br/><br/> Many of these islands were Dutch colonies, and the area was known as the Dutch East Indies for around 300 years before Indonesian independence, while those under Spanish occupation were titled the Spanish East Indies until the American conquest. Sometimes French-occupied Indochina and the former British territories of Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore are included within the East Indies (the latter three as the British East Indies), as well as former Portuguese East Timor.
Bananas have been around a long time, at least in the Old World of Asia, Africa and Europe. Quite where they originated remains uncertain. Some authorities favour West Africa, since the name 'banana' is believed to have come from Guinea, via Spanish and Portuguese. In all probability, though, bananas - and their equally useful green cousins, plantains - originated in Asia, possibly in the Middle East.<br/><br/> Certainly bananas are noted with approval in early Greek, Latin and Arab literature, and the name plantain is believed to derive from the Latin planta, 'a spreading sucker or shoot'. Alexander the Great saw - and no doubt tasted - bananas on his expedition to India in the third century BCE, and they are mentioned in Chinese lists of Tang Dynasty exotica as pleasant fruits of nan-yang, or Southeast Asia, more than thirteen hundred years ago.
Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.<br/><br/> A Tamil concept, Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for Chidambaram, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram.
India: 'Shiva Bearing the Descent of the Ganges River'. Watercolour folio from a Hindi manuscript by the saint Narayan, c. 1740. Shiva bearing the descent of the Ganges River as Parvati and Bhagiratha and the bull Nandi look on. Told and retold in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and several Puranas, the story begins with a sage, Kapila, whose intense meditation has been disturbed by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara. Livid at being disturbed, Kapila sears them with his angry gaze, reduces them to ashes, and dispatches them to the netherworld.
Bananas have been around a long time, at least in the Old World of Asia, Africa and Europe. Quite where they originated remains uncertain. Some authorities favour West Africa, since the name 'banana' is believed to have come from Guinea, via Spanish and Portuguese. In all probability, though, bananas - and their equally useful green cousins, plantains - originated in Asia, possibly in the Middle East.<br/><br/> Certainly bananas are noted with approval in early Greek, Latin and Arab literature, and the name plantain is believed to derive from the Latin planta, 'a spreading sucker or shoot'. Alexander the Great saw - and no doubt tasted - bananas on his expedition to India in the third century BCE, and they are mentioned in Chinese lists of Tang Dynasty exotica as pleasant fruits of nan-yang, or Southeast Asia, more than thirteen hundred years ago.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years.<br/><br/> She is India's only female prime minister to date. She is the world's all time longest serving female Prime Minister.
Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation. <br/><br/> A Tamil concept, Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for Chidambaram, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram. <br/><br/> The sculpture is usually made in bronze, with Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames, lifting his left leg (and in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing over a demon or dwarf (Apasmara) who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture. <br/><br/> The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the Lasya (the gentle form of dance), associated with the creation of the world, and the Tandava (the violent and dangerous dance), associated with the destruction of weary worldviews - weary perspectives and lifestyles. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.
United Kingdom: Map of the World showing the British Empire highlighted in red, London, 1886. The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power.
Bananas have been around a long time, at least in the Old World of Asia, Africa and Europe. Quite where they originated remains uncertain. Some authorities favour West Africa, since the name 'banana' is believed to have come from Guinea, via Spanish and Portuguese. In all probability, though, bananas - and their equally useful green cousins, plantains - originated in Asia, possibly in the Middle East.<br/><br/>Certainly bananas are noted with approval in early Greek, Latin and Arab literature, and the name plantain is believed to derive from the Latin planta, 'a spreading sucker or shoot'. Alexander the Great saw - and no doubt tasted - bananas on his expedition to India in the third century BCE, and they are mentioned in Chinese lists of Tang Dynasty exotica as pleasant fruits of nan-yang, or Southeast Asia, more than thirteen hundred years ago.
Bananas have been around a long time, at least in the Old World of Asia, Africa and Europe. Quite where they originated remains uncertain. Some authorities favour West Africa, since the name 'banana' is believed to have come from Guinea, via Spanish and Portuguese. In all probability, though, bananas - and their equally useful green cousins, plantains - originated in Asia, possibly in the Middle East.<br/><br/>Certainly bananas are noted with approval in early Greek, Latin and Arab literature, and the name plantain is believed to derive from the Latin planta, 'a spreading sucker or shoot'. Alexander the Great saw - and no doubt tasted - bananas on his expedition to India in the third century BCE, and they are mentioned in Chinese lists of Tang Dynasty exotica as pleasant fruits of nan-yang, or Southeast Asia, more than thirteen hundred years ago.
The Manusya-loka map represents the world according to the cosmological traditions of Jainism, an ancient religion of India. Human couples are seen in pavilions at different levels, with rivers and world-girdling oceans (blue rings) separating them.<br/><br/> The central continent - Jambudvipa, the island of the rose apple tree - has rivers and six mountains represented by rows with triangles, together with Mount Meru at centre represented by a yellow circle.
Very little Islamic painting has been preserved from the Delhi Sultanate before the establishment of the Mughals in 1526.<br/><br/> This painting comes from a manuscript made by an artist who was clearly influenced by the Jain art of western India. Both the intense colours and the depiction of figures differ from those found in other Islamic painting.<br/><br/> Rustam is portrayed without his customary leopard helmet and tiger kaftan. His opponent, the Turk Alkus, is portrayed with the whites of his eyes showing as he dies.
Map of Hindostan from Pinkerton's Modern Atlas, mid-19th century
'Thugs' (literally 'thag', or practitioners of 'thaggi') deceived and strangled travellers: painting by an Indian artist, for Captain James Paton, Assistant to the Resident at Lucknow, 1829-1840.<br/><br/> Thuggee (from Hindi ṭhag ‘thief’, verb, thugna, to deceive, from Sanskrit sthaga ‘cunning’, ‘sly’, ‘fraudulent’, ‘dishonest’, ‘scoundrel') is the term for a particular kind of murder and robbery of travellers in South Asia and particularly in India.<br/><br/> Thuggee trace their origin to the battle of Kali against Raktabija; however, their foundation myth departs from Brahminical versions of the Puranas. Thuggee consider themselves to be children of Kali, created out of her sweat. This is similar to the way Kali was created from aggression and willingness to fight Durga.<br/><br/> According to some sources, especially old colonial sources, Thuggee believe they have a positive role, saving humans' lives. Without Thuggee's sacred service, Kali might destroy all human kind.
Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.<br/><br/> A Tamil concept, Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for Chidambaram, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram.<br/><br/> The sculpture is usually made in bronze, with Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames, lifting his left leg (and in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing over a demon or dwarf (Apasmara) who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture.<br/><br/> The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the Lasya (the gentle form of dance), associated with the creation of the world, and the Tandava (the violent and dangerous dance), associated with the destruction of weary worldviews - weary perspectives and lifestyles. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. She is India's only female prime minister to date. She is the world's all time longest serving female Prime Minister.
Charles Thomas Scowen (11 March 1852 - 24 November 1948) was a British photographer active during the late nineteenth century, primarily from 1871-1890. He worked out of Sri Lanka and British India with his own established studio, Scowen & Co. His first studio was in Kandy, but he had opened a second in Colombo by the 1890s. His photos were famed for their lighting, strong compositional qualities and technically superior printing.
Charles Thomas Scowen (11 March 1852 - 24 November 1948) was a British photographer active during the late nineteenth century, primarily from 1871-1890. He worked out of Sri Lanka and British India with his own established studio, Scowen & Co. His first studio was in Kandy, but he had opened a second in Colombo by the 1890s. His photos were famed for their lighting, strong compositional qualities and technically superior printing.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. She is India's only female prime minister to date. She is the world's all time longest serving female Prime Minister.
Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the physical and metaphysical Universe (loka) and its constituents (such as living, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism, which includes the canonical Jain texts, commentaries and the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks.<br/><br/> Of all the dvipa (islands) Jambudvipa is very significant because it is in the center of the whole universe. Jambudwip is surrounded by a very high and broad wall. The wall is supposed to be made from precious gold, diamonds and such other jewels. Even the grill work is done by gold and diamonds. There are four mighty gates, protected by deities.<br/><br/> Jambudvipa continent has six mighty mountains, dividing the continent into seven zones (kshetra).
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. She is India's only female prime minister to date. She is the world's all time longest serving female Prime Minister.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. She is India's only female prime minister to date. She is the world's all time longest serving female Prime Minister.
A dragon (thu‘ban), from a copy of ‘Ajā’ib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharā’ib al-mawjūdāt (Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing) by al-Qazwīnī (d. 1283/682).<br/><br/> Neither the copyist nor illustrator is named, and the copy is undated. The nature of paper, script, ink, illumination, and illustrations suggest that it was produced in provincial Mughal India, possibly the Punjab, in the 17th century.
The Dutch East India Company, or VOC, was a chartered company granted a monopoly by the Dutch government to carry out colonial activities in Asia. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock. It was also arguably the world's first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, coin money and establish colonies.<br/><br/> The VOC was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East Indies (Indonesia) for the Dutch in the lucrative spice trade, which until that point was dominated by the Portuguese. It also traded with India and established ports, factories and warehouses there.<br/><br/> Between 1602 and 1796, the VOC sent almost a million Europeans to work in the Asia trade on 4,785 ships, and netted more than 2.5 million tons of Asian trade goods.
India/Portugal: 'Death of Sultan Bahadur in front of Diu during negotiations with the Portuguese, 1537'. Painting from the 'Akbarnama', late 16th century.<br/><br/> Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah (c. 1506-1537), born Bahadur Khan, was a Sultan of the Muzaffarid Dynasty who ruled over the Gujarat Sultanate in India. Fighting off his brothers to succeed his father, he expanded his kingdoms through military expeditions, but came under attack from the growing Mughal Empire. Gujarat fell in 1532, but Bahadur regained his kingdom in 1536 with Portuguese aid. He was subsequently killed by the Portuguese a year later when trying to renege on his alliance, murdered on a Portuguese ship during negotiations.
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia.<br/><br/> Cannabis has long been used for fibre (hemp), for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from Cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fibre. To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some hemp strains have been developed which contain minimal levels of THC (Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol), one of the psychoactive molecules that produces the 'high' associated with marijuana.<br/><br/> The psychoactive product consists of dried flowers of plants selectively bred to produce high levels of THC and other psychoactive chemicals. Various extracts including hashish and hash oil are also produced from the plant.
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes pacifism and a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme being is called Jina (Conqueror or Victor). Jainism is also referred to as Shraman (self-reliant) Dharma or the religion of Nirgantha (who does not have attachments and aversions) by ancient texts. Jainism is commonly referred to as Jain Dharma in Hindi and Samanam in Tamil.<br/><br/> Jain doctrine teaches that Jainism has always existed and will always exist, although historians date the foundation of organized or the present form of Jainism to sometime between the 9th and the 6th centuries BC. It has been hypothesized that like several traditions in Hinduism, proto-Jainism may have had its roots in the Indus valley civilization, reflecting native spirituality prior to the Indo-Aryan migration into India. In the modern world, it is a small but influential religious minority with as many as 4.2 million followers in India,and successful growing immigrant communities in North America, Western Europe, the Far East, Australia and elsewhere.
Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the physical and metaphysical Universe (loka) and its constituents (such as living, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism, which includes the canonical Jain texts, commentaries and the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks.<br/><br/> Of all the dvipa (islands) Jambudvipa is very significant because it is in the center of the whole universe. Jambudwip is surrounded by a very high and broad wall. The wall is supposed to be made from precious gold, diamonds and such other jewels. Even the grill work is done by gold and diamonds. There are four mighty gates, protected by deities.<br/><br/> Jambudvipa continent has six mighty mountains, dividing the continent into seven zones (kshetra).
Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead), situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> In 1927, a seated male figure, 17.5 cm tall, was found in a building with unusually ornamental brickwork and a wall-niche. Though there is no evidence that priests or monarchs ruled the city, archeologists dubbed this dignified figure a 'Priest-King', and, like the 'Dancing Girl', it has become symbolic of the Indus valley civilization.<br/><br/> The bearded sculpture wears a fillet around the head, an armband, and a cloak decorated with trefoil patterns that were originally filled with red pigment.<br/><br/> The two ends of the fillet fall along the back, and though the hair is carefully combed towards the back of the head, no bun is present. The flat back of the head may have held a separately carved bun, as is traditional on the other seated figures, or it could have held a more elaborate horn and plumed headdress.<br/><br/> Two holes beneath the highly stylized ears suggest that a necklace or other head ornament was attached to the sculpture. The left shoulder is covered with a cloak decorated with trefoil, double circle and single circle designs that were originally filled with red pigment. Drill holes in the center of each circle indicate they were made with a specialized drill and then touched up with a chisel.<br/><br/> The eyes are deeply incised and may have held inlay. The upper lip is shaved, and a short combed beard frames the face. The large crack in the face may be due to weathering, or it may be a result of the original firing of this object.
The gaur (Bos gaurus), also called Indian bison, is the largest extant bovine and is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986, as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% during the last three generations. Population trends are stable in well-protected areas, and are rebuilding in a few areas which had been neglected.<br/><br/> The gaur is the tallest species of wild cattle. The Malayan gaur is called <i>seladang</i>, and the Burmese gaur is called <i>pyoung.</i>
Ganesha (Sanskrit: Gaṇeśa, also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati (Sanskrit: gaṇapati), Vinayaka (Sanskrit: Vināyaka), and in Tamil as Pillaiyar, is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped deities of the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India to Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him particularly easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.<br/><br/> Ganesha emerged a distinct deity in clearly recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.
Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead), situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> A bronze statuette dubbed the 'Dancing Girl', 10.8 cm high and some 4,500 years old, was found in Mohenjo-daro in 1926. In 1973, British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler described the item as his favorite statuette:<br/><br/> 'There is her little Balochi-style face with pouting lips and insolent look in the eyes. She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but she stands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. A girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world'.<br/><br/> John Marshall, another archeologist at Mohenjo-daro, described the figure as 'a young girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightly forward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet'.<br/><br/> The archaeologist Gregory Possehl said of the statuette, 'We may not be certain that she was a dancer, but she was good at what she did and she knew it'.
Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead), situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> A bronze statuette dubbed the 'Dancing Girl', 10.8 cm high and some 4,500 years old, was found in Mohenjo-daro in 1926. In 1973, British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler described the item as his favorite statuette:<br/><br/> 'There is her little Balochi-style face with pouting lips and insolent look in the eyes. She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but she stands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. A girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world'.<br/><br/> John Marshall, another archeologist at Mohenjo-daro, described the figure as 'a young girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightly forward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet'.<br/><br/> The archaeologist Gregory Possehl said of the statuette, 'We may not be certain that she was a dancer, but she was good at what she did and she knew it'.
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BCE – 75 CE). Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century.<br/><br/> Stucco as well as stone was widely used by sculptors in Gandhara for the decoration of monastic and cult buildings. Stucco provided the artist with a medium of great plasticity, enabling a high degree of expresivness to be given to the sculpture. Sculpting in stucco was popular wherever Buddhism spread from Gandhara - India, Afghanistan, Central Asia and China.
Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.<br/><br/> A Tamil concept, Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for Chidambaram, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram.<br/><br/> The sculpture is usually made in bronze, with Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames, lifting his left leg (and in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing over a demon or dwarf (Apasmara) who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture.<br/><br/> The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the Lasya (the gentle form of dance), associated with the creation of the world, and the Tandava (the violent and dangerous dance), associated with the destruction of weary worldviews - weary perspectives and lifestyles. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.
Nataraja or Nataraj ('The Lord - or King - of Dance'; Tamil: Kooththan) is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation.<br/><br/> A Tamil concept, Shiva was first depicted as Nataraja in the famous Chola bronzes and sculptures of Chidambaram. The dance of Shiva in Tillai, the traditional name for Chidambaram, forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja. He is also known as 'Sabesan' in Tamil which means 'The Lord who dances on a dais'. The form is present in most Shiva temples in South India, and is the main deity in the famous temple at Chidambaram.<br/><br/> The sculpture is usually made in bronze, with Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames, lifting his left leg (and in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing over a demon or dwarf (Apasmara) who symbolizes ignorance. It is a well known sculptural symbol in India and popularly used as a symbol of Indian culture.<br/><br/> The two most common forms of Shiva's dance are the Lasya (the gentle form of dance), associated with the creation of the world, and the Tandava (the violent and dangerous dance), associated with the destruction of weary worldviews - weary perspectives and lifestyles. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.
Ganesha (Sanskrit: Gaṇeśa, also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati (Sanskrit: gaṇapati), Vinayaka (Sanskrit: Vināyaka), and in Tamil as Pillaiyar, is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped deities of the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India to Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him particularly easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom.<br/><br/> Ganesha emerged a distinct deity in clearly recognizable form in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.