[Author's Note: It has since been pointed out to me by an associate whom I trust that this is, in fact, more likely a Surya yantra. I had presumed that the Solar theonymics were due to the association of the Goddess Form with the Sun. The post is left up, otherwise as it is, for … Continue reading Sri Bhuvanesvari Yantra
Mata
Dhumavati As Bride At The Dawn Of Creation – A Visage Less Commonly Depicted
Today is Friday - Devi's Day And so therefore, in-line with last week : fine Dhumavati (A)Art-i post. As you can see, #CorvidGang is well represented here - apt for the Goddess Whose Animal Is The Crow Interestingly, this particular Dhumavati depiction is in red - and various accouterments one ought expect for a Bride. … Continue reading Dhumavati As Bride At The Dawn Of Creation – A Visage Less Commonly Depicted
Glorious Modern Hindu Art Of Devi As Flame-Speaker Of The Universe’s Inception And Unfurling Course
It is Friday - Devi's Day - And so therefore, Devi-otional (A)Art(i) posting ! Absolutely beautiful rendering by Shuvankar Biswas - which does that rarest of things … takes the established theological/iconographic/mythological conceptry and brings it together to create something which seems 'new' yet resonates with the effortless weight of ages! What do I mean … Continue reading Glorious Modern Hindu Art Of Devi As Flame-Speaker Of The Universe’s Inception And Unfurling Course
The Shooting Goddess Of Order And Growth – The War-Effort Of The Natural World [An Extract from ‘The Queen of Serpents – The Serpentine Figure Of The Indo-European Earth Mother’]
The term - and, indeed, theonym - in question is 'Hora', best known in its plural formulation - 'Horae' (from the same root as modern English 'Hour', 'Year', etc.). In Greek usage, this refers to a set of Goddesses Who both regulate the passing of the seasons and various elements of righteous conduct - in … Continue reading The Shooting Goddess Of Order And Growth – The War-Effort Of The Natural World [An Extract from ‘The Queen of Serpents – The Serpentine Figure Of The Indo-European Earth Mother’]
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
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
KaalRatri – The Seventh Night of NavRatri; The Seventh of the NavaDurgas
“You often hear it said – “Time is on our side”. Well … This is Time. She is On My Side.” The Sixth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as KaalRatri – the Blackest Night, the Night of Death, The Iron Night, The ‘Stillness’ of Time – and the ‘Destroyer of Darkness’, the Annihilator: … Continue reading KaalRatri – The Seventh Night of NavRatri; The Seventh of the NavaDurgas
Katyayani – The 6th NavaDurga, The Sixth Night Of NavRatri
The Sixth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Katyayani – Mahishasura Mardini Herself, the Devastator of the Demon. And, not at all coincidentally, one of my favourite of the NavaDurga Forms. In many ways, the tale of Ma Katyayani may be considered emblematic of so much of the Durgan mythic corpus – insofar … Continue reading Katyayani – The 6th NavaDurga, The Sixth Night Of NavRatri
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