The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

Left Hand Tantra A variation of the tantra; the rituals for this “left hand” variety include con- sciously violating taboos on n ...

Linga (“mark,” “sign”) Aside from the word’s literal meaning as any emblematic sign, linga is also the name for the pillar- shap ...

Allama Prabhuand Mahadeviyakka. The community’s founding members were driven by the hunger for God and were impatient with anyth ...

group had a monopoly. The Lohars’ hereditary occupation was black- smithing and iron working. Lohari Festival falling on the nig ...

over one’s body, or for any other uses for which holding and pouring water are necessary. Lothal Ancient city and archeological ...

new moon can be highly auspicious, as on the occasion of a Somavati Amavasya (new moon falling on Monday). Several major festiva ...

M Madhava (from madhu“sweet”) Epithet of the god Krishna, signifying the sweetness that he brings to the lives of his devotees ( ...

Radha(who is a symbol for the human soul.) This particular mode is seen as the most intense and demanding because of its emotion ...

Madmaheshvar Temple and sacred site (tirtha) in the Garhwalregion of theHimalayas, about twenty miles north of the village of Uk ...

sixteenth century, southern India was ruled by the Nayak dynasty, with the capital at Madurai. Much of the Minakshi temple was b ...

live a strict and disciplined religious life. This includes a morning bath, followed by gift-giving (dana) and worship; eatinga ...

born blind, and thus the rights to the throne fall to his younger brother Pandu. Pandu later abdicates his throne because of a c ...

Yudhishthira eventually enters the divine realm. The complete epic is more complex than this summary. One of the features of the ...

his time. Although the Ashtadhyayi is considered a masterpiece, it appears to invite more detailed commentary because it is writ ...

(Saptapuri), it also has other important religious sites. Historically, Ujjain is said to have been the capital of King Vikramad ...

a Mandaleshvar’s disciple is thus seen as boosting his teacher’s prestige to an even more rarefied state. Mahamandapa The mahama ...

entrance-hall, which was separated from the main sanctuary (garbhagrha) by a short vestibule named the antarala. Mahamantra A th ...

legacy of suspicion and mistrust of the Mahanubhavs, perhaps rooted in their anti-authoritarian history. For further information ...

Mahar Traditional Indian society was a collec- tion of endogamous subgroups (in which marriage is decreed by law to occur only b ...

physiological and spiritual benefits of meditation and providing people (for a fee) with a mantraor sacred sound that would brin ...