More than a thousand years ago, Mohra's art spread to the Himalayas in the present-day states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakand...
Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon is one of the sons of Shiva and Parvati (with Skanda). He symbolizes wealth, wisdom, luck. Ganesha is considered by his most fervent disciples as the supreme God, beyond the gods of Trimurti...
The Chola were originally installed in Tanjore (in present-day Tamil Nadu) from the 9th to the 11th century, then the capital moved to Gangaikondacholapuram, a royal city built at the time of the heyday of the Cholas under the reign of Rajendra I to celebrate the victory over the Pala of Bengal.
As early as Chandragupta II The Great, the religious and cultural foundations are established: this period is marked by a great refinement: the power in place ...
Parvati, is a complex deity, as is Shiva. She is both benevolent and terrifying (in the form of Durga and Kali).
Shiva is a complex deity, rich in teachings and symbols: he is ambivalent. Shiva is both terrifying and beneficial...
The primary function of Lakshmi is her quality of fertility: it is this that allows the manifestation to emerge, to be and to deploy. It is therefore the underlying, latent matrix.It is the foundation, the base of all things, without it, nothing can develop.
The active principle, the Shakti, the creative energy, is manifested by the feminine side of the Hindu divinity: for Brahma, it is Saraswati: she is both his daughter and his wife.
Vishnu is the one who preserves, protects, maintains life. He is the guarantor of the order that allows everyone to flourish. Attentive, benevolent, he dispenses justice, ensures peace and can also prove to be a formidable warrior if necessary.
« For Hindus, the Absolute exists either in a static, unmanifested form, above all, which is called "nirguna brahman" (Brahman without any attributes), or in a dynamic form, "saguna brahman" (Brahman with qualifications) which appears to us as the Creator God, Ishvara, and manifests itself in the three forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva «.(Arnaud Desjardins)
It is fascinating to watch the Dokra artists at work: this technique requires a great deal of know-how (which is transmitted from generation to generation), great skill and dexterity.
Today's Hinduism is strongly impregnated with the original Vedas but its practice has greatly evolved, many currents and schools have been created. The influence of Buddhism and Jainism is not negligible.
"The first good is health, the second beauty" Plato. Here, I would like to talk about the underestimated importance of art in professional and daily life.
The Hindu gods are countless, there are said to be more than 300 million of them! How to find them, how to recognize them?
The mounts (Vahana) of the Hindu gods are among the most striking elements of sacred statues in India. The swan of Brahma or Saraswati, the rat of Ganesh, the bull of Shiva, the eagle of Vishnu ...
The attributes that accompany the deities provide us with a lot of very precious information: they are there to help the disciple on his journey and serve as factors of constant reminder.
Attributes, whether they are associated with a particular god or have a general value, describe qualities, powers. Some attributes have several functions, such as the conch, which can be used both as a weapon and as a symbol.
Besides the postures and mudras and many other aspects that we find on statues, paintings ... the attributes will give us precious elements for understanding the message delivered by the Hindu deities.
In addition to the postures and mudras that give at first glance a deep meaning of Hindu or Buddhist sculpture, many other aspects will help us to understand its meaning.
Mudras or gestures involve the entire arm: elbow, hand and fingers. The general postures of the deities give at first glance a very powerful indication of the meaning of an Indian and Buddhist statue. The hand gestures will give us other precious indications and help to deepen the teaching given.