When the gods will go green? A week back, Durga Puja celebrations were in full flow. All there was beating of drums, music, lightning, colourful pandals and parikramas. And in another couple of weeks, the king of all festivals ‘Diwali’ will be knocking your door. The country has a gamut of festivals to celebrate and every festival turns out to be a grand occasion to splurge. But unfortunately, many of these festivals are posing a serious threat to environment. The onset of making these idols from non-biodegradable materials has contributed significantly towards this threat and has not only choked the rivers but also put aquatic life at danger. Besides, piles of holy trivia comprising idols of God/Goddesses, tones of rotting flowers, polythene …show more content…
However, the growing economic cost of such practices lead to the tradition of immersion and keeping in mind that these idols dissolve into water the idols of clay came into existence. In fact, these clay idols were not even baked to facilitate the process of mixing with water. But with the arrival of cheap plastic alternatives including the plaster of paris and chemical paints, the age-old practice of eco-friendly clay and straw has taken a backseat. Add to this, the decoration on the idols has also turned jazzier with our Gods/Goddess being decorated with non-biodegradable and toxic materials like zari, plastic, mercury, led …show more content…
In spite of knowing that safe drinking water is a problem across all the developing nations, people of India have been polluting these precious treasures at an alarming rate. According to a study, every year close to 1.5 lacs of idols of lord Ganesha are immersed in the sea-shore of Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi and nearly 50,000 idols of Goddess Durga are immersed in the river Ganga in West Bengal. However, the examination of water before and after immersion shows that the concentration of toxic substances like calcium, magnesium along with metals like lead and mercury (which particularly affect neurological development) increases considerably. According to a survey by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board and the Indian Toxicology Research Institute, each gram of colour used for painting consists of a high quantity of lead – ranging from 6-10 micrograms. To top it up, the Plaster of Paris (which contains calcium sulphate hemihydrates and is created by heating Gypsum to around 150 degree C) does not get dissolved fast (gets transformed into Gypsum on contact with water and accumulate at the bottom) thereby, reducing the level of oxygen in the water. The garlands and plastic materials thrown into the river also choke the aquatic life. Various researches suggest that the pH level of water also increases tremendously after immersion. This is
In all societies, the practices associated with religion, burial and death have given archaeology and history detailed information concerning the nature of a society. It is through the study of symbology in particular that we are able to discern the significance of the Minoan religion as it represents various aspects of their religious beliefs and display the impact it has on their everyday lives. Key symbols like the birds, bulls, horns of consecration and double axe can be seen throughout the island of Crete as well as on votive offerings given to their gods from their worshippers.
There has been evidence of over two hundred human sacrifices in just one general area of Mesoamerica. Not just in an area of a city – but a “building”. Many pyramids, temples, and art forms such as sculptures were made and used just for the purpose of sacrifices and blood-letting rituals. Such violent rituals are shown in art and architecture to show the effect of symbols on the humans of Ancient Mesoamerica. The question that will be uncovered is, how far did the Mesoamericans go? To what extend do symbols effect Mesoamerican art and architecture? These effects could of course lead to the stronger subjects, specifically human sacrifices. The extent of symbols on the architecture and art therefore is reflected as the extent it had on ancient Mesoamericans. It will first be evaluated how Architecture is made to reflect their beliefs on the lives of their gods. Second, how architecture and art can depict symbols will be revealed, and lastly it will be discussed how architecture and art shows the effect of symbols on ancient human lives and interactions. Finding these things will answer the research question by revealing how much effort believers would make to please their symbols, how Mesoamericans believe their gods to be, and how far they would go with tradition or rituals.
Manufactured for sale and small sculptures made of wood. But from the brilliant skill of the ancient carvers no trace. Tragically, the elderly die last, remembering the old myths and legends.
It was quite an experience to dive into the cultures of ancient southern and central american societies such as the Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations. As i traveled through this large exhibit I couldn't help but notice how seriously these civilizations took craftsmanship. I believe it was fully because many of these small items that were featured on display such as ceremonial, stools, masks, vases etc...were extremely detailed and well made. Not to mention that the majority of the sacred/ritual objects were forged of gold and jade; two extremely vital elements to the function of their societies. They believed elements such as these were the waste of the gods but, to them they were perceived as gifts due to their rarity and visual aesthetics. Gold was specifically exclaimed to be from the sun god named Kinich
One day while channel surfing I discovered a documentary on Holi. At the time I was too young to understand the full beauty of Holi but the bright colors peaked my interest and has stayed in the back of my mind since. It seemed that the festival was like color personified. Holi, also known as Holika, is a colorful festival celebrated in Northern India during the end of February or early March and lasts a day. During this time people dance and sing as they cover one another with colorful powders and colored water. During Holi, all are equals as everyone celebrates the triumph of good over equal just like in the “Legend of Holika and Prahalad”. Holi is a festival that is not only appealing to the eye but to the heart as well as it ties people together through legend and love.
Contemporary pilgrimage incorporates a whole range of culturally or nationalistic motivated journeys and despite a general decline in religious practice in the Western world, pilgrimage has witnessed a revival in recent decades. American pilgrimages are more unique because we don’t have as much history, so I will focus more of my paper on these. I will use the source Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions to discuss how different tourist attractions in America are sacred and have cultural value. Many of these attractions are natural wonders which is similar to how Hardwar’s religious identity is inextricably tied to the river Ganges. Many of my sources discuss how America has a wide range of religions as well as many people who don’t identify with any particular religion but who still consider themselves spiritual. There are numerous different types of pilgrimages in America that religious and nonreligious people frequent. An example of these types of pilgrimage from the book “Choosing Our Religion” is a labyrinth which was popularized in the United States in the 1990s. People will go on journeys from one labyrinth to the next all over the country to practice walking meditation and spirituality. The labyrinths are typically modeled on medieval designs that were meant to provide a localized experience of pilgrimage to the Holy
...eing more than beautiful objects for display, but rather the real meaning of these objects on a bigger scale, or in its entire contents, that keeps the cosmos the same, is a hard point to clearly. Sam Gill does a great job explaining these points through using examples such as the Navajo Sand paintings and the Seneca False Mask (and many others). These objects created by the Nonliterate societies are in fact beautiful, but the reason behind its creation and the process of its creation is also beautiful. The entire contents in which these objects are found is beautiful and it is amazing how the sand paintings and the masks help to keep the cosmic order. Therefore, these rituals that produce objects of beauty makes the Native American's reality and when we understand this, then we can begin to understand the art, or the left-over pieces from rituals, in their entirety.
...ecause of my actions during Christmas, by putting up lights I can relate to the colourful display of lamps during the Diwali season. Although I am personally a Christian I believe this assignment has helped me in being better connected to Diwali as well as Christmas. By broadening my information on the background stories of both holidays I am now able to compensate the true meaning of Diwali and Christmas. The story of Diwali is relatable to Christmas, and so it helped me find the balance between both stories significance through God. I also have a better connection with the topic of Hinduism as I fully engulfed myself into one of their main holidays. Through preparation, lights, and background stories, both holidays are incredibly comparable. Diwali and Christmas demonstrate a similar structure overall, providing both holidays with relatable features.
...excuse for materialism. Companies use holidays as a get rich quick operations, manipulating the ideas of giving. "Today, the holiday [Valentines] is big business: According to market research firm IBIS World, Valentine's Day sales reached $17.6 billion last year; this year's sales are expected to total $18.6 billion" ( Siepel). Every year holidays seem to get more important to our economy and our own pockets and people forget to ask the questions of true importance. The questions that will lead to the truth. Behind every holiday there is a reason and a long past of stories and fictitious tales, and looking at them in the lime light shows the true nature of humans. The choice to accept the dark past and continue with the jolly festivals must be made. Knowing the truth of these holidays has lead to an insight on the past and can influence todays choices.
rocks. These statues are known as “Moai”. The tragedy of commons is an economic problem. It occurs
Read aarti peacefully by slowly ringing the bell. At the end of puja, distribute the holy prasad to family members and neighbors. Then you can light the candles, diyas and fire crackers around your houses. People perform the puja of Goddess Lakshmi for their Good Luck. The goddess of wealth is worshipped daily but specially at the occasion of Diwali on the full moon night.
Shivaratri festival is the great night of God Shiva celebrates by the Hindu pilgrims. People do bonfire, light votive lamp, smoking marijuana and dancing the whole night. The next day devotees take ritual baths on the holy river Bagmati. The whole night’s pilgrims are excited with campfire and taste bhang cake
We live in a world full of different religions and all of them have, for the most part, a lot of similarities between them. Some of said similarities include beliefs or practices, art, statuary and architecture or buildings such as temples or churches. They serve as reminders of teachings or beliefs and also a place to gather and worship. The architecture or structures are so revered by the people who build them that they themselves become intricate works of art. Another form in use is statues. Most religions use some form of statuary as shrines to visit or pray to, also as a representation of the image portrayed by their chosen religion. A religion with a strong representation of this practice is Buddhism. Today, Buddhism is recognized as one of the world’s major religions.
Every religion or culture in the world has its own way to define and celebrate its new year. For example, the Chinese have the Imlek year and they celebrate it as “Gong Xi Fat Choy,” which means, “Chinese New Year gift.” The Muslims have their Muharam year and they go to Masjid to pray. In Indonesia, Nyepi is a religious observance for Hindus and it is a very unique ceremony. Nyepi is derived from the word sepi, which means silent. I still remember how quiet it was in Bali on the day of Nyepi, since there are no activities on that particular day. Bali is the main island where people go to celebrate Nyepi, because 80% of the population is Hindu. However, other Hindus who do not live in Bali still commemorate Nyepi. Out of all the places in Indonesia, Bali is the only place where people do not participate in activities throughout the day. The Balinese Hindus do not celebrate the New Year with a lavish party; instead, they celebrate the coming of the New Year with meditation that starts before sunrise and lasts until sunset (Putu, 2002).
Despite the long standing tradition of consuming dog meat to deflect the heat of the summer in Southern China, the Yulin Dog Meat festival only began in 2009 where 10000 dogs are slaughtered for this barbarous festival. This brutal event has been condemned by people across the globe. This essay will discuss this issue through the various theoretical perspectives and explain how Ethnocentrism is demonstrated.