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This book beautifully captures the spiritual essence of Arunachala, the sacred hill revered as Lord Shiva himself. With stunning visuals and rich insights, it explores its history, festivals, and divine significance.
“The importance of Tiruvannamalai is beautifully I encapsulated in the words of the Arunachala Mahatmya “”The supreme knowledge (Self-knowledge), the import of Vedanta, which cannot be attained without great difficulty, can easily be attained by anyone who sees the form of this hill from wherever it is visible or who even thinks of it with the mind from afar.”” This profound statement underscores the spiritual significance of Arunachala, a place that Sri Bhagavan Ramana held dear. Every verse of his Sri Arunachala Aksharamanamalai ends with the name Arunachala, reflecting his deep reverence and the powerful spiritual presence of this holy hill.<)P> Arunachala is truly the heart of the world, a secret kshetra where Lord Shiva himself abides. Unlike other holy places such as Kailasha, Kashi, and Chidambaram, which are sacred as the abodes of Lord Shiva, Arunachala is revered as Shiva himself. This hill of light stands as a living manifestation of divine energy, drawing devotees from all corners of the globe.
It gives me great pleasure to write the foreword to this wonderful pictorial book, authored by Dr. Ketu Raachandrasekhar and Vijay Sundararaman lyer, and published by Universal Publishing, on Tiruvannamalai, a divine kshetra that holds a special place in the hearts of devotees worldwide. This book is a visual and informational treasure trove, meticulously compiled to capture the essence of Arunachala, the sacred hill that is revered as a manifestation of Lord Shiva himself.
The captivating visuals in this book bring to life the rich culture of fire worship and the divine manifestation of Shiva as the Agni Linga, one of the Pancha Bhuta Sthalas. Each image is accompanied by comprehensive information that details the history of the temple, its intricate layout, the various important festivals celebrated throughout the year, and several other details not known to all.
A significant highlight of this book is the role of the Nagarathar Chettiar Community, who have been instrumental in the renovation and upkeep of the temple traditions for several hundred years. Their dedication and contributions continue to preserve the sanctity and heritage of this sacred site.
We hope this book serves as a source of inspiration and devotion, allowing readers to experience the divine presence of Arunachala through its pages. May the sacred hill of Arunachala continue to illuminate the path of spiritual seekers.”
The book details the significance of the toranas arched portals or festoons in ancient and medieval architecture of South and South-east Asia, with special emphasis on Indian representation. The text is richly illustrated with photographs and line drawings from remote sites, museums and archival collections.
The present work discusses in depth the subject of toraªas (arched portals or festoons) in the ancient and medieval architecture of South- and South-east Asia, with special emphasis on Indian representations. Their antiquity and rationale; their continued presence in association with stupas, caves, temples, mosques, cities, forts, and palaces; their myriad forms and transformations; and their aesthetic and symbolic relationship to the structure in question are analyzed stage-by-stage in this book. The rich corpus of toraªas included here has been critically and comparatively analyzed in relation to traditional practice, as well as in the light of the medieval architectural treatises, historical records, and other literary sources. The approach is micro in the sense of being focused on a specific architectural element but macro in its regional and temporal span. In addition, the exposition reveals the grammar as well as the manifold visual formulations of the toraªa as representative of the basic principles of traditional Indian architectural ornament: integral to the structure, functionally apt, aesthetically significant, and visually evocative, with sound and sophisticated design principles. The text is richly illustrated, bringing together material scattered over several well-known as well as remote sites, museums, and archival collections. Whereas a major part of this book details the journey of the toraªa in ancient and medieval India, the section on early beginnings also includes references from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the final chapter surveys, with a view to compare, parallel yet distinct expressions in Cambodia, Thailand, Champa, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Towards a New Age of Nonviolence is a compilation of scholarly articles on Gandhi – his philosophy of nonviolence (ahimsa) and nonviolent action (satyagraha) – are the themes encompassing the volume. In a materialistic world of today, people hold guns and grudges, and for the slightest glitch, they pronounce wars that do not end. The fearful consequence of this would lead to human extinction very soon. In such a detrimental and precarious scenario, the only way out is to embrace the Gandhian way of living.
The book comprises 14 articles on Gandhi and his values, its relevance to industrial age, views on nonviolence, economics of gram swaraj, significance of peace and tolerance in an era of explosive technology and his spiritual and ethical doctrine in the context of current global conflicts. The book is sure, a must read for everyone who wants to see a better world.
The essays here, challenging the boundaries and assumptions of mainstream art history, question many preconceived notions about meaning in representations artistic and art historical. Emphasizing on specific visual cultures within the dynamics of historical processes, they raise critical issues of art production, circulation and consumption and attempt to rescue traditional arts from a past that is hermetically sealed off from the present.
Mainstream art historical writing on Indian art has remained focused on identifying and defining stylistic schools, understanding evolutionary patterns and regional styles as well as understanding iconographic and narrative conventions and structures. The wide-ranging essays in this volume challenge the boundaries and assumptions of mainstream art history. Moving away from an art history structured by an art object-centered approach, this book gestures at a framework-oriented approach that calls attention to the political, social, economic structures that undergird art. It is an attempt to reformulate the discipline in a manner that can explain the field of the visual in a way that goes well beyond the explanatory capacity of conventional modes of studying Indian art. These essays question preconceived notions about meaning in representations artistic and art historical. They contest earlier claims about the objectivity of scholarship in general and history writing in particular as much as they critique the valorization of a purely individuated, subjective art criticism. In its attempt to historicize the practice of art, the book examines the economic, political and social implications of art that enable the re-situation of Art History among social science disciplines. The emphasis is on the study of specific visual cultures within the dynamics of historical processes. These essays raise critical issues of art production, circulation and consumption as well as production of meaning. Traditional arts have been studied from a critical perspective that extricates them from a past that is hermetically sealed off from the present. The opposition of High Art and non-art (read popular or mass visual culture) has been challenged. Breaking outside the ambit of high art, studies in the book extend from popular, mass-produced art to MTV imagery to digital art.
This book offers a novel interpretation of conflict deriving from basic principles for dealing with fundamental differences. It suggests a qualitatively new technique that can bypass historical impasses and usher in a stable peace.
Truth has been a contested concept between men of religion, philosophers and ideologues, generating conflicting social-economic-political paradigms. The Towering Wave, a literary work by philosopher B.K Mallik first published in 1953, explores these clashing alternatives while seeking answers to problems of conflict and existential uncertainty. Mallik lived through two world wars in Oxford which had raised uncomfortable questions about the assumptions underlying European self-understanding and led to new attempts to configure a post-colonial international order. These form the background to the questions raised in this book.
Mallik offers a novel interpretation of conflict deriving from basic principles for dealing with fundamental differences. He suggests a qualitatively new technique that can bypass historical impasses and usher in a stable peace.
This anthology explores the lived experiences and positioning of women in diverse Indian social, religious and cultural contexts. It deals with issues varying from the intricacies of the gender concepts embedded in contemporary traditionmodernity debates to detailed consideration of women currents of thought, action and life and the problem of understanding that they throw up.
The anthology Tradition and Modernity: Essays on Women of India includes essays ranging from the philosophical and analytical to the descriptive and the explorative and the experimental perspectives. It explores the lived experiences and positioning of women in diverse Indian social, religious and cultural contexts. The essays deal with issues varying from the intricacies of the gender concepts embedded in contemporary traditionmodernity debates to detailed consideration of women currents of thought, action and life and the problem of understanding that they throw up.
While a majority of the papers rightly reflect on the unequal and oppressive situation of the women in highly patriarchal and hierarchical settings, yet there are quite a few which sensitively touch upon the theme of human spirit and the beauty of love and relationships between man and woman in the midst of caste and gender hierarchies. There is reflection on the theme of the growing awareness about the women, environment and development, particularly the relationship between violence of nature and women.
This collection of writings will appeal to readers of all hues as well as students and scholars of culture and religion, in particular of India, gender equality, democracy and difference and feminist theory.
This work is a dedicated effort at defining rasa and post-structuralist theories in clear and graphical terms while focusing on intercultural application of these theories by applying rasa to canonical English poems and post-structuralism Western theories to classical Sanskrit works.
Rasa, the Indian literary theory, and the post-structuralism, the Western literary theory, constitute two important areas of study in literary criticism and literature. This volume tries to define rasa and post-structuralist theories in clear and graphical terms. It focuses on inter-cultural application of these two classical theories. This involves the attempt to apply the Indian literary theory of rasa to canonical English poems including those of the epic stature like Dantes Divine Comedy and John Miltons Paradise Lost. It also applies the Western literary theory of post-structuralism, those of Derrida, Lacan and Foucault, to canonical works of Sanskrit poetry like Bhartrharis Shringarashataka, Shudrakas Mrcchakatika, Dandins Dashakumaracarita and Mudrarakshasa of Vishakhadatta among others.
The comparative study that involves a deep and engrossing study of various situations in the epics and other works, unfolds the uniqueness of the latter. It reveals the similarities in the two theories such as their goal of generation of value, quite realistically. It discusses the distinction in the rasa and post-structuralist formations, such as the idea of communication being one of the important principles of the conceptualisation of form and structure of rasa, while the art of communication is not so evolved in post-structuralism.
The structure of the study is planned in a sequential order to enable readers to easily understand the theories and their application. The book is bound to be useful to scholars and students of Indology, particularly Indian literature and literary criticism, and those interested in cross-cultural studies in this field.
This English version of Vicaracandrodaya elucidates the basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta as a dialogue between a guru and his disciple. A true knowledge seeker who studies this text under a brahmanistha guru will get to know the secrete knowledge of Vedanta. Also, it is a ready reference to the basic concepts in Pancadasi of Vidyaranya and Vicarasagara of Niscaladasa.
A prakarana in old Hindi (one of the regional mixed dialects), Vicaracandrodaya elucidates the basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta in the form of questions and answers. Pandit Pitambar, the author of the text, presents this work as a dialogue between a guru and his disciple. This book is an English translation of Vicaracandrodaya, by S. Bhuvaneshwari. It is spread across 249 questions and their answers, and takes the reader into the essence of the entire Vedantashastra. It also has a Laghu-vedanta-kosha explaining the basic Vedantic terms and a chapter as index providing quick reference to the basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta.
The author enunciates that a true knowledge seeker who studies this text under a brahmanishtha guru will get to know the secrete knowledge of Vedanta. And this knowledge will dispel darkness from his mind as the rising moon dispels darkness from the world. However, he insists that it should be studied from a guru with shraddha as Vedanta cannot be grasped without the guidance of an enlightened teacher. Also, this book serves as a ready reference to the basic concepts as discussed in Pancadashi of Vidyaranya and Vicarasagara of Nishcaladasa.
This volume is both a guide to the beginners in Vedanta and a text for nididhyasana. It will benefit all the people who dwell in the domain of Vedanta.
This English version of Vicaracandrodaya elucidates the basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta as a dialogue between a guru and his disciple. A true knowledge seeker who studies this text under a brahmanistha guru will get to know the secrete knowledge of Vedanta. Also, it is a ready reference to the basic concepts in Pancadasi of Vidyaranya and Vicarasagara of Niscaladasa.
A prakarana in old Hindi (one of the regional mixed dialects), Vicaracandrodaya elucidates the basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta in the form of questions and answers. Pandit Pitambar, the author of the text, presents this work as a dialogue between a guru and his disciple. This book is an English translation of Vicaracandrodaya, by S. Bhuvaneshwari. It is spread across 249 questions and their answers, and takes the reader into the essence of the entire Vedantashastra. It also has a Laghu-vedanta-kosha explaining the basic Vedantic terms and a chapter as index providing quick reference to the basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta.
The author enunciates that a true knowledge seeker who studies this text under a brahmanishtha guru will get to know the secrete knowledge of Vedanta. And this knowledge will dispel darkness from his mind as the rising moon dispels darkness from the world. However, he insists that it should be studied from a guru with shraddha as Vedanta cannot be grasped without the guidance of an enlightened teacher. Also, this book serves as a ready reference to the basic concepts as discussed in Pancadashi of Vidyaranya and Vicarasagara of Nishcaladasa.
This volume is both a guide to the beginners in Vedanta and a text for nididhyasana. It will benefit all the people who dwell in the domain of Vedanta.
This work presents a study of the twelve principal Upanisads, thus unfolding the spirit and substance of Upanishadic thought. It offers the text of the Upanisads in Devanagari and its translation in English along with detailed notes incorporating the commentaries of prominent spirit-ual thinkers and teachers including Sankaracarya and Sankarananda.
The Upanishads are perhaps one of the oldest philosophical treatises concerned with the mystery of the Absolute. This work (in three volumes) presents a study of the twelve principal Upanishads , thus unfolding the spirit and substance of Upanishadic thought. Written in a lucid style, it offers the text of the Upanishads in Devanagari and its translation in English along with detailed noted incorporating the commentaries of prominent spiritual thinkers and teachers including Shankaracarya and Shankaranand. The authors, scholars who have put in years of intense study on the subject, here offer a fresh approach and new insights into the philosophy of absolute unity as taught by the Upanishads and its quest for answers to abstruse questions like the origin of the universe, the nature of deity and the soul, and connection of mind and matter. The volumes are a must for scholars of Indian philosophy as well as students, and especially those genuine aspirants who wish to achieve moksha by the process of yoga for moksha is not possible without understanding the meaning of the Upanishads.
The book deals with the occult sciences that address the mysteries of the mind and attempt to understand the laws of nature and master them. Using perspectives of researchers and practitioners of these sciences, the book studies the basis and practice of telepathy, clairvoyance, psychometry, hypnotism, paranormal phenomenon, astral travelling and dreams.
The book deals with some of the occult sciences that attempt to address the mysteries of the mind and understand the laws of nature and master them. Using perspectives and ideas of researchers and practitioners of these sciences, the book, with an easy-to-follow text, studies the basis and practice of telepathy, clairvoyance, psychometry, hypnotism, paranormal phenomenon, astral traveling and dreams. Citing experiments conducted in the past and giving a history of the evolution of the practice of each discipline, it discusses the nature of these sciences and the relevance of each in promoting creativity and developing skills and spiritual and mental advancement in general. It goes in detail into what thought is and what specific thoughts, dreams and superstitions indicate and use of certain materials like ESP cards, mirrors and crystals in the practice of the occult sciences. The volume will prove indispensable to psychologists, psychiatrists and neurologists, practitioners of these sciences and lay readers interested in the subject.
The book deals with the occult sciences that address the mysteries of the mind and attempt to understand the laws of nature and master them. Using perspectives of researchers and practitioners of these sciences, the book studies the basis and practice of telepathy, clairvoyance, psychometry, hypnotism, paranormal phenomenon, astral travelling and dreams.
The book deals with some of the occult sciences that attempt to address the mysteries of the mind and understand the laws of nature and master them. Using perspectives and ideas of researchers and practitioners of these sciences, the book, with an easy-to-follow text, studies the basis and practice of telepathy, clairvoyance, psychometry, hypnotism, paranormal phenomenon, astral traveling and dreams. Citing experiments conducted in the past and giving a history of the evolution of the practice of each discipline, it discusses the nature of these sciences and the relevance of each in promoting creativity and developing skills and spiritual and mental advancement in general. It goes in detail into what thought is and what specific thoughts, dreams and superstitions indicate and use of certain materials like ESP cards, mirrors and crystals in the practice of the occult sciences. The volume will prove indispensable to psychologists, psychiatrists and neurologists, practitioners of these sciences and lay readers interested in the subject.
