Hindu Rites and Rituals

Hindu Rites and Rituals PDF Author: K V Singh
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 9385890042
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Get Book Here

Book Description
Why is the tulsi considered sacred? What is the significance of namaste? Why do Hindus light a lamp before performing a ritual? Why is it forbidden to sleep facing the south? Why do Hindus chant 'shanti' three times after performing a rite? Millions of Hindus the world over grow up observing rites, rituals and religious practices that lie at the heart of Hinduism, but which they don't know the significance of. Often the age-old customs, whose relevance is lost to modern times, are dismissed as meaningless superstitions. The truth, however, is that these practices reveal the philosophical and scientific approach to life that has characterized Hindu thought since ancient times; it is important to revive their original meanings today. This handy book tells the fascinating stories and explains the science behind the Hindu rites and rituals that we sometimes follow blindly. It is essential reading for anyone interested in India's cultural tradition.

Hindu Rites and Rituals

Hindu Rites and Rituals PDF Author: K V Singh
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 9385890042
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 220

Get Book Here

Book Description
Why is the tulsi considered sacred? What is the significance of namaste? Why do Hindus light a lamp before performing a ritual? Why is it forbidden to sleep facing the south? Why do Hindus chant 'shanti' three times after performing a rite? Millions of Hindus the world over grow up observing rites, rituals and religious practices that lie at the heart of Hinduism, but which they don't know the significance of. Often the age-old customs, whose relevance is lost to modern times, are dismissed as meaningless superstitions. The truth, however, is that these practices reveal the philosophical and scientific approach to life that has characterized Hindu thought since ancient times; it is important to revive their original meanings today. This handy book tells the fascinating stories and explains the science behind the Hindu rites and rituals that we sometimes follow blindly. It is essential reading for anyone interested in India's cultural tradition.

Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions

Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions PDF Author: Prem P. Bhalla
Publisher: Pustak Mahal
ISBN: 812230902X
Category : Hinduism
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Get Book Here

Book Description
Rites, rituals and customs play a major role in the life of every person, irrespective of religious affiliations.Right from the time of birth, till a person's passing away and even after it, rites and rituals follow a Hindu, much like a shadow. This book outlines all these practices from the sunrise to the sunset years. It makes for an enlightening reading for Hindus as well as non-Hindus.

Rites of the God-King

Rites of the God-King PDF Author: Marko Geslani
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190862882
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Get Book Here

Book Description
Rites of the God-King offers a critical revision of mainstream Hinduism from the perspective of the life of a single ritual from medieval India. Drawing theoretical connections to modern ethnographies, it raises questions about the nature of kingship and priesthood, image-worship, and ritual change.

Homo Ritualis

Homo Ritualis PDF Author: Axel Michaels
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019026263X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 395

Get Book Here

Book Description
Are the richness and diversity of rituals and celebrations in South Asia unique? Can we speak of a homo ritualis when it comes to India or Hinduism? Are Indians or Hindus more involved in rituals than other people? If so, what makes them special? Homo Ritualis is the first book to present a Hindu theory of rituals. Based on extensive textual studies and field-work in Nepal and India, Axel Michaels argues that ritual is a distinctive way of acting, which, as in the theater, can be distinguished from other forms of action. The book analyzes ritual in these cultural-specific and religious contexts, taking into account how indigenous terms and theories affect and contribute to current ritual theory. It describes and investigates various forms of Hindu rituals and festivals, such as life-cycle rituals, the Vedic sacrifice, vows processions, and the worship of deities (puja). It also examines conceptual components of (Hindu) rituals such as framing, formality, modality, and theories of meaning.

The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual

The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual PDF Author: Michael Willis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781107460164
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 390

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this groundbreaking study, Michael Willis examines how the gods of early Hinduism came to be established in temples, how their cults were organized, and how the ruling elite supported their worship. Examining the emergence of these key historical developments in the fourth and fifth centuries, Willis combines Sanskrit textual evidence with archaeological data from inscriptions, sculptures, temples, and sacred sites. The centre-piece of this study is Udayagiri in central India, the only surviving imperial site of the Gupta dynasty. Through a judicious use of landscape archaeology and archaeo-astronomy, Willis reconstructs how Udayagiri was connected to the Festival of the Rainy Season and the Royal Consecration. Under Gupta patronage, these rituals were integrated into the cult of Vishnu, a deity regarded as the source of creation and of cosmic time. As special devotees of Vishnu, the Gupta kings used Udayagiri to advertise their unique devotional relationship with him. Through his meticulous study of the site, its sculptures and its inscriptions, Willis shows how the Guptas presented themselves as universal sovereigns and how they advanced new systems of religious patronage that shaped the world of medieval India.

The Vivāha, the Hindu Marriage Saṁskāras

The Vivāha, the Hindu Marriage Saṁskāras PDF Author: Bhaiyārām Śarmā
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120811324
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ceremonial rites and rituals occupy a place of utmost importance in the life of a devout Hindu. In fact, there are no vital actions- brith, initiation, marriage, death etc- which can be allowed to be performed without its appropriate rite or samskara. The number of samskaras has been fluctuating but was finally fixed at sixteen. Marriage is the most important and elaborate out of these sixteen samskaras. Manu enjoins that rituals should be performed in the case of virgin for legalizing the marriage, legitimatizing children and avoiding public scandal. The mantras used in the nuptial rites being in Sanskrit are beyond the comprehension of not only the average Hindu but even the common priests entrusted with the duty of conducting the rituals. To overcome this difficulty the present book was originally prepared in Hindu and is now translated into English with the mantras etc. Romanized for the benefit of those who do not have adequate knowledge of Hindi, for example especially those whose forefathers had migrated to remote countries during the last one hundred years or so.

Hinduism - Ritual, Reason and Beyond

Hinduism - Ritual, Reason and Beyond PDF Author: Ashok Mishra
Publisher: StoryMirror Infotech Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 9388698134
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 538

Get Book Here

Book Description
The book is journey through 5000 years of evolution of Hinduism, and is outcome of seven years of study to understand the roots of Hinduism. Tracing the genesis of Hinduism to pre-Indus Valley period, the book explains Hindu, Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma, before it takes one through Hinduism’s oldest scriptures - the four Vedas, the four components of each Veda, and what they contain. How all original translations of Vedic texts were done by Western Sanskrit scholars, and why their works have left scope for doubt about the fidelity of translations. The yajnas (yagya) like Ashvamedha, Rajsooya, Vajpeya, etc., about which we only hear on TV serials and talk shows, have been demystified. The reader will be taken aback reading the sheer size and scale of Soma yajna, described step by step, in great detail. Hinduism’s journey to the Age of Reason, the Upanishads, its encounter with Buddhism, and its transformation into idol worshipping society with many gods and a multitude of stories about its millions of gods is lucidly explained. Puranas, what they contain and what was the reason they were created, has been described and explained next. Hinduism's journey to its modern form - idol worship, the modern puja, detailed description of puja and Sanskaras like Vivaha, their detailed description, the meaning of each action and how they are conducted, the gift to the priest, types of idols, their consecration, all are explained to help a reader understand the why and the how of what we do as a Hindu. The book concludes with a discussion of - Do mantras have power? & Do rituals have meaning?

Bereavement and Final Samskara (Antyeshti) in Hindu Tradition: Psychology of Bereavement, Last Rites in Hinduism, Religious Ceremonies During Mourning

Bereavement and Final Samskara (Antyeshti) in Hindu Tradition: Psychology of Bereavement, Last Rites in Hinduism, Religious Ceremonies During Mourning PDF Author: Sri Dhira Chaitanya
Publisher: Sri Dhira Chaitanya
ISBN: 9780977700813
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 124

Get Book Here

Book Description
Bereavement and Final Rites in Hindu Tradition. Religious ceremonies during mourning period. Vedic insights into Life, death and God in Hinduism.

The Upanayana

The Upanayana PDF Author: Ram Chandra Prasad
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120812406
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 208

Get Book Here

Book Description
Upanayana is one of the sixteen samskaras or purificatory rites in which a boy is invested with the sacred thread and thus endowedwith second or spiritual birth and qualified to learn the Veda by heart. In this ceremony the boy goes to an Acarya well-versed in the Vedas with a view to be initiated into Vedic studies or a Guru draws a boy towards himself and initiates him into one of the three twice-born classes. From the day the initiation ceremony takes place the young celibate commits himself to a life of austerity and abstinence; he chooses to lead a life rigorously disciplined by vows and disciplinary rules.

Index to History of Dharmaśāstra by Pandurang Vaman Kane

Index to History of Dharmaśāstra by Pandurang Vaman Kane PDF Author: Krishan Lal Khera
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book Description
Description: This is an index on the subject of purification to History of Dharmasastra, written by Prof. P.V. Kane. This work was chosen because it is encyclopaedic and generally acknowledged to be the definitive work on Hinduism. The topic of purification is the major theme of this index. Related topics such as sin, penance, and expiation, etc. are also covered. The idea of purification remains at the core of rituals such as marriage, birth, death and upanayana. These themes are integral parts of Hindu rituals and liturgy and affect the social ethics of Hindus. This index consists of two parts. Part One is arranged according to topic and Part Two is arranged by the author or source. Prof. Kane's work is a classic work on Hindu law and religion and its index would be just as useful to scholars and laymen alike. Contents Preface Part I : Arranged According to Topic Part II : Arranged According to Author or Source