| Most viewed - Deities |
Amriteshwar Bhairav 795 viewsPainted by: Late Sh. Kailash Nath Fotedar
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Kshir Bhawani, Tula Mulla 714 viewsPainted by: Late Sh. Kailash Nath Fotedar
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Nandikeshwara Bhairava602 viewsA painting by Omkarnath Sadhu, Srinagar, Kmr.
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Goddess Jyoti602 viewsJyoti means "light" and Goddess Jyoti (see color plate 1) repre-sents the power of the Ultimate Reality (Brahman) that illuminates our minds and gives shape and form to all created things and beings of the world.
According to the Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1, the five great elements (Panchamahãbhutas)earth, water, fire, air and spaceemanate from Brahman.32 These five elements, together with the omnipresent cosmic consciousness of Brahman, constitute all created things and beings in the universe. In Hindu mythology, this creative process is symbolized by the family of Lord Shiva. The members of this divine family are Lord Shiva, His spouse the Divine Mother, their two sons Ganesha and Skanda, and their daughter Jyoti. Lord Shiva represents the cosmic consciousness, the Divine Mother denotes the creative energy, Ganesha symbolizes the elements of earth and water, Skanda represents the element of fire, and Jyoti symbolizes the two elements of air and space. Since fire uses air and burns in space, in Hindu mythology Jyoti is always associated with Skanda and is known more as Skanda's sister than as Ganesha's sister. She is worshipped in Her formless (arupa) aspect in all temples where Lord Skanda is worshipped.
According to Tantra Yoga, Jyoti is the aroused kundalini shakti (latent energy) that resides in the ajna chakra (energy center between the eyebrows in the forehead) and is experienced as light in deep meditation.32 In Her popular images, Jyoti is represented as a young girl, dressed in bright clothes. The brightness of Her attire symbolizes the light of knowledge that dispels the darkness of ignorance. Wherever a lamp is lit, Jyoti shines. By worshipping Jyoti, a Hindu seeks God's blessings to acquire intelligence and wisdom (jnãna), attain love for all of God's creatures and secure divine guidance for spiritual progress, leading to spiritual perfection.
Since Jyoti is present in all beings as the light of consciousness, social service and reverence for all forms of life are the hallmarks of Jyoti worship. Jyoti shrines have been erected at many temples, including Houston Sri Meenakshi Temple, New York Maha Vallabh Ganapati Temple, and Los Angeles Sri Venkateswara Temple. Source: Hindu Dharma by Bansi Pandit
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Zyeshta Devi 530 views
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Sharada - Goddess of Learning 515 viewsGoddess of Learning SHARADA, the Presiding Deity of SHARADA PEETH (Kashmir). Annual festival GAURI TRITIYA falls on Magha Shukla Tritya, usually in the month of February. On this day family Guru presents a picture of Sharada to the children and blesses them. Painting by Bhushan Kaul.
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Tripursundari 477 viewsPhotograph of the oil painting by Sh. M. N. Dhar.Original in the precincts of KHANÄBARNI- a sacred place like Kshirbhawani in Devsar,Tehsil Kulgam Distt.Anantnag(Kashmir)
The photo and this text was sent to me by my brother Anupam Kaul from Kulgam in 1980.
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Sharika Bhagwati474 viewsSharika Bhagwati, artistic version in Kashmiri Panditani attire,
Kashmir Sabha, Kolkata contribution
Source: vitasta.org
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Anandeeshwar Bhairav 429 views
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Tripurasundari 401 viewsPhoto Courtesy: Sh. Virendra Qazi
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Lord Subramanya - Kãrttikeya388 viewsLord Subramanya symbolizes a perfect individual who has realized the Self (i.e. attained union with God). Hindus worship Lord Subramanya to acquire worldly as well as spiritual prosperity. In mythology, Lord Subramanya, also called by other names such as Kãrttikeya, Murugan, Kumãra, Skanda, and Shanmukha, is the second son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Pãrvati, their other son is Lord Ganesha and their daughter is Jyoti.
In His popular images, Lord Subramanya is depicted in the human form possessing six faces. He holds a spear in His hand. A peacock is shown next to the Lord. This symbolism associated with Lord Subramanya illustrates the following spiritual theme:
Blue color symbolizes infinity. The blue background in the image of the Lord (see color plate 3) denotes that the spiritual essence in all human beings is the Infinite Reality in the form of ãtman.
The six faces of the Lord (for simplicity the color plate shows only one face) signify that the Infinite Reality manifests Itself as God-in-man through the six instruments comprised of the mind and its associated five sense organs-sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
A spear in the hands of Lord Subramanya symbolizes His power to destroy the enemies of man, such as lust, greed, fear, anger, pride, and hatred.
A peacock feels extremely delighted to see its colorful feathers spread out beautifully when it dances. A blue peacock next to the Lord conveys the idea that man should be very delighted to know that he is essentially ãtman-symbolized by the blue color of the peacock-and is not limited by the body and mind.
Some images show the peacock holding a live snake in its grip. Just as a snake carries poison for its protection, the ego carries the mind for its survival. The peacock holding the snake captive, but not killing it, conveys the idea that man does not have to destroy the ego, but must control it so that its energies can be channeled to discover the Supreme Self. Source: Hindu Dharma by Bansi Pandit
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Radha ta Krishan raas khelan. Kashmiri painting382 views
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