Blogs by Manisha Sarade

Lord Shiva is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism, known as the destroyer or transformer of the universe. He is often depicted in Hindu art and mythology as a powerful yogi or ascetic, and his worship is an important part of Hinduism. Lord Shiva is typically depicted as a hermit or wandering ascetic who has renounced all worldly possessions and pleasures. He represents the path of asceticism, meditation, and self-realization. He is also known as a deity who is easily pleased by devotion and prayer, and is often worshipped with chants, mantras, and offerings of flowers and fruits.

People congregated in huge numbers to listen to the Buddha speak, multiplying the number of his followers inside and outside the Sangha. However, after the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha, the nature of Buddhist followership changed. The religion traveled to lands beyond the Indian subcontinent among people who had heard of the Buddha and his divine lessons and were eager to walk the path. These newly enrolled members of the Sangha needed to visualize the celestial persona of the Buddha; they needed to “see” the form to reach the formless. Symbols for the Buddha- the wheel of Dhamma, the Bodhi tree, and the empty throne were not enough for them. Thus to fulfill the devotional requirements of the followers, Buddhism began creating a category of artworks, mostly depicting Buddha in different stages of his life and various states.

Buddhist art portrays most faithfully all the significant stages in the history of Buddhism. Statues of the Buddha have always been historically important artistic, religious, and social symbols. Every notion of Buddhism, whether its iconographic features, literary evidence or deities of different types, have a perfect description and a reason behind. The symbols serve as signs of Buddha's teachings, good fortune, inner peace, and the motivating force that should be present in every human being. The messages learnt through them have been taught in different parts of the world for many centuries, but still continue to serve as a source of strength and motivation.

The lotus is an iconic flower, originating in Southern Asia, which has claimed a place as a prominent symbol in ancient history, remaining as such today. It is through a combination of religious and symbolic connotations, nutritional and medicinal applications, and sheer aesthetics and laudability in its natural life cycle that have facilitated the lotus’s significance. While there are many species of lotus flowers across Asia, the Hindus’ Sacred Lotus is scientifically known as the Nelumbo nucifera. This perennial flower grows in the muddy waters of shallow pools throughout Asia. It possesses a unique nanostructure of its leaves which provides an uncanny self-cleaning ability, allowing the flowers to emerge from the mud without tarnish.

Kamala (“she of the lotus”), is the last in the list of the Ten Mahavidyas (great revelations or manifestations), who are a group of Tantric goddesses. Kamala’s place as the last of the Mahavidyas is not addressed in the literature. Although it may be taken as signifying a lesser importance than the others, Kamala is one of the most widely worshipped outside of her relationship with the Mahavidyas. She is portrayed as auspicious and beautiful, with a lovely golden complexion. She is seated in a lotus posture upon a lotus flower. She has four hands—two holding lotuses and two held in signs of granting blessings and giving assurance. Iconography of Kamala illustrates her being bathed in nectar by two (sometimes four) large elephants. Kamala is represented in a similar manner to the very popular goddess Sri-Lakshmi, as Kamala and Sri-Lakshmi are considered to be the same goddess.

While the classic drape is always a favourite for women, sarees have been constantly given a touch of modern flavours, such as the traditional cotton and silk saree is now found in a variety of jute, nylon, rayon, georgette, chiffon, satin and also blended fabrics. Both classic and modern or fusion drapes find a place in every woman’s wardrobe. And with the online purchasing, love for this quintessential piece has grown even more. However, some sarees remain unnoticed by women who desire to flaunt the traditional attires. Hence, we have come up with ten regional sarees of India that you can add in your wardrobe and create a collection that showcases the brilliance of Indian craftsmanship.

“The murtis which God has given for worship by his command are of eight types [of materials]. God himself personally enters those murtis and resides within them. A devotee of God who worships those murtis should maintain the same respect for them as he does for the manifest form of God.”

There is little known about the history of Indian mathematics; this is due to a small number of authentic records containing their mathematics. The first known mathematics was preserved in the city Mohenjo Daro, during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization is thought to have been settled around 2,500 B.C.E. Mathematics was found everywhere in Mohenjo Daro, from its advanced architecture to its methods of measurement, counting and weighing items. The Indus Valley Civilization rivaled the other great ancient civilizations of its time in both knowledge and architecture styles. Examples of their architectural advancements were their tiled bathrooms, brick buildings, and temples, which all required a high level of geometrical understanding.

During the time of the medieval period (500CE to 1500CE), many bhakti or devotional groups in Hinduism develop. Several of these bhakti movements focus on the worship of Visnu, Siva and Devi. The notion of bhakti can be described as a “loving devotion to God”. The concept can also be defined as something that “signifies the self surrender of human beings to a personal god of love, who is also to be worshipped with love and adoration”. One of its common features is having a strong sense of emotionalism. In addition, many of the practices that are associated with bhakti are “choral singing [as] a form of worship” along with “processing with drums and cymbals”.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is to be considered one of the most profound figures in India’s history, probably the most celebrated mystic of all times. Unlike many people who centre their lives primarily around their outward actions and extrinsic influences, Sri Ramakrishna lived only for spirituality and his innermost thoughts. Solange Lemaitre remarks that, “his life is the muted accompaniment of the purely inner story of an exceptional soul and its spiritual steps towards the Absolute”. Over the years, Ramakrishna received great fame and admiration for his effortless ability to enter into samadhi [this is one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga; a spiritual state when one’s ego disappears, for more information, see Nikhilananda, his deep beliefs rooted in the Hindu tradition, and his teachings on acceptance and charity.

Sita, the divine character of the Ramayana, is revered as a goddess of purity, courage, and sacred feminine will. Born from the Earth, she chooses exile, faces abduction, defends her honor, and ultimately returns to her source. Far from passive, Sita asserts her agency at every turn—challenging injustice and redefining devotion. Her story, deeply symbolic and emotionally powerful, continues to inspire spiritual seekers, devotees, and scholars across the world.

Jamdani is a time-consuming and labour-intensive form of weaving because of the richness of its motifs, which are created directly on the loom using the discontinuous weft technique. Weaving is thriving today due to the fabric’s popularity for making saris, the principal dress of Bengali women at home and abroad. The Jamdani sari is a symbol of identity, dignity and self-recognition and provides wearers with a sense of cultural identity and social cohesion. A few master weavers are recognized as bearers of the traditional Jamdani motifs and weaving techniques, and transmit the knowledge and skills to disciples. However, Jamdani weaving is principally transmitted by parents to children in home workshops. Weavers – together with spinners, dyers, loom-dressers and practitioners of a number of other supporting crafts – form a closely knit community with a strong sense of unity, identity and continuity.

Lord Krishna and Yashoda Maiya’s bond is one of the most cherished themes in Hindu devotion. Rooted in the concept of Vatsalya Bhava—seeing God as one’s own child—these stories show how divine love mirrors the ideals of a perfect mother-son relationship. From Krishna’s miraculous birth to his playful childhood in Gokul, each tale reflects dharma, compassion, and joy, inspiring devotees to embrace unconditional love and duty in their own lives.

Prevalent in ancient and contemporary art alike, marble artworks have a prominent place in many major art movements and are among some of the most famous sculptures in the world. For millennia, artists have opted for marble, a metamorphic rock, due to its soft, easy-to-carve composition and the translucence of its surface. In ancient Mesopotamia, marble was used to create crude models of animals (both naturalistic and anthropomorphic) and figures, though other mediums like limestone, diorite, and terra-cotta were used more frequently. Similarly, ancient Egyptians artistically employed a wide variety of stone. While limestone and granite were their mediums of choice, they occasionally used marble to craft figures of pharaohs, gods, and guardians for temples and tombs.