Further art and artefact representation for Vijayadashami - a fragmentary Durga MahishasuraMardini depiction from Tapa Sardar in modern-day Afghanistan near Ghazni; then part of Zabul. Even though most of the statue is now missing (all that is blue or green in the reconstruction), it's still impressive! Especially considering that head, alone, is about 64 cm … Continue reading Durga Near Ghazni – A “Buddhist” Representation Afghanistan’s Hindu Past – Arte-Facts #10
Jai Mata DI !
The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]
Jai Mata Di ! Facing of the Dhari Devi (Kali) murti ['Living Image'] in Uttarakhand. Now, the Temple there is … interesting, because of what happened there in 2013. That year, Her Shrine was due to be relocated in order to make way for a hydroelectric dam - following a Supreme Court decision which overruled … Continue reading The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]
Foe-Slayer Claims Our Eulogy – Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vak
Every so often, we come across a Hymnal that really really deserves a broader audience. In this case, RV VIII 100 - which details a rather lesser-known element to the Slaying of Vritra by Indra. Namely, the salient role of Vak Devi (Saraswati) in this conflict. It therefore seemed most appropriate to prepare a brief … Continue reading Foe-Slayer Claims Our Eulogy – Understanding RigVeda VIII 100: Indra, Vak
The Radiant Queen of the Heavens – On Scythian Tabiti As Template For The Greater Indo-European Solar Goddess [Part 4 – The Moon, Mirrored, And Her Daughters]
A further support for the 'inversion' possibility is granted via looking at the actual mythology of the main Greek figure - Selene. As aforementioned, Selene is usually identified as one of the Daughters of Hyperion and Theia, although with two other possibilities which occasionally come up - the paternity of Pallas (a name that does … Continue reading The Radiant Queen of the Heavens – On Scythian Tabiti As Template For The Greater Indo-European Solar Goddess [Part 4 – The Moon, Mirrored, And Her Daughters]
The Radiant Queen of the Heavens – On Scythian Tabiti As Template For The Greater Indo-European Solar Goddess [Part 3 – The Wide Shining One And The Eye Of The Bright Sky]
The point of all of this, has been to attempt to sketch out in broad (solar-ray-diant, perhaps via illumination, provided you don't look too directly at it) brush-strokes a sort of typology for the situation. One wherein we can clearly see that the Sky Father's Consort may have been 'replicated' and referred to in various … Continue reading The Radiant Queen of the Heavens – On Scythian Tabiti As Template For The Greater Indo-European Solar Goddess [Part 3 – The Wide Shining One And The Eye Of The Bright Sky]
The Corona Muralis of Cybele, Parvati Durga, Freyja Frigg Haglfaldini
It is Friday - Therefore, Devi Durga Devotional (A)Art(I); and, as has become my custom, a perhaps unexpected representation which helps us to illustrate something a little less well known about the Goddess. Now, something I genuinely love about our work is the manner in which the same Gods appear across the Indo-European-isphere - in … Continue reading The Corona Muralis of Cybele, Parvati Durga, Freyja Frigg Haglfaldini
Glorious Modern Art For An Ancient Hindu Hymnal
Friday Evening Devi-otional (A)Art(I) Posting This is some truly excellent art which helps to illustrate evocatively a rather core series of principles to Shakta theology and cosmogony; which are also extolled in the course of my favourite of the RigVedic Hymnals - the renowned DeviSukta [RV X 125]. Note that it is the Hand of … Continue reading Glorious Modern Art For An Ancient Hindu Hymnal
SiddhiDhatri – The Final Night – Ninth of the NavaDurgas
The Ninth and Last of the Nine Nights of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as SiddhiDhatri - often rendered in translation as the 'Bestower of Boons', or words to that effect. And yet, while this is indeed a reasonable direct translation of SiddhiDhatri ('Siddhi' having amongst its meanings a 'Boon', often in the sense of … Continue reading SiddhiDhatri – The Final Night – Ninth of the NavaDurgas
MahaGauri – The Eighth Night of NavRatri – Eighth of the NavaDurgas
The Eight Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as MahaGauri – The Great White One. Now, as readers of yesterday’s piece – on KaalRatri – will be patently aware, this stands in seemingly stark contrast to the previous Night’s Aspect of MataJI, Who is the great(est) Black one. And yet, as it happens, a … Continue reading MahaGauri – The Eighth Night of NavRatri – Eighth of the NavaDurgas
SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri
The Fifth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as SkandaMata – the Mother of Skanda (Kartikeya), one of the foremost of our War Gods. He takes after His Mother in that regard 😀 Of course, before situating SkandaMata within the overarching context of the NavaRatri Cycle, it is necessary to briefly introduce Lord Skanda, … Continue reading SkandaMata – 5th of the NavaDurgas, 5th Night of NavRatri
arya-akasha 