primary deityis the powerful and dan-
gerous goddess Kali, although like most
Hindu temples it also has images of
most of the deities in the pantheon.
Dakshineshwar’s importance comes not
from its age—the primary image was
consecrated in 1855, and it is thus a rel-
atively recent site—but through its
association with the Bengali saint
Ramakrishna, who lived there for most
of his life.
Dalit
(“oppressed”) Modern name for the
social groups that have the lowest social
status, groups that in earlier times
would have been called Harijan or
untouchable. This term is significant
because it is the name used by low-
status groups to designate themselves as
members of a disadvantaged group.
Adoption and popularization of this
term reflects their growing awareness of
the situation, and their greater assertive-
ness in demanding their legal and con-
stitutional rights. In certain parts of the
country, particularly in the state of
Maharashtra, the Dalits have formed a
militant organization called the Dalit
Panthers, modeled after the Black
Panthers in America.
Damaru
Hourglass-shaped hand drum, which
has membranes stretched over the top
and bottom of the hourglass, and at the
middle, two strings with a bead at the
end. The drum is played by holding it by
its narrow middle and rotating the hand
back and forth so that the beads strike
the drumheads. The pace of the rhythm
(tala) is determined by the speed of
hand movement. In Hindu iconography,
this drum is almost invariably associated
with the god Shiva. In his form as
Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, the
drum signifies the rhythm by which
Shiva undertakes the creation of the
universe. Another iconic motif is to
show the damaru hanging from Shiva’s
trident. In modern times this drum is
often carried by ascetics, either because
of its association with Shiva, its portabil-
ity, or both. See also iconic image.Damayanti
In Hindu mythology, the daughterof the
king of Vidarbha and the wife of King
Nala. The story of Nala and Damayanti
appears as a story within the
Mahabharata, the later of the two great
Hindu epics. It is recounted to the five
Pandavabrothers, the epic’s protago-
nists, during a twelve-year exile in the
forest as a way to keep up their spirits by
telling how others had transcended
misfortune.
In the story, when Damayanti comes
of marriageable age, her father sends
invitations to the kings of the earth,
announcing her svayamvara, a rite in
which Damayanti will choose her own
husband. The kings of the earth come to
the svayamvara to seek her hand, as do
the gods (devas) themselves. Yet
Damayanti has already decided, with
the help of a swan who has praised King
Nala to her, to choose Nala. The gods try
to foil this by taking on physical bodies
identical to Nala, so that Damayanti will
not be able to tell the difference between
them. As a last resort, Damayanti makes
an act of truth, a ritual action whose
efficacy is based on the power of truth
itself. In her act of truth, Damayanti
declares that she has never loved any-
one but Nala, and directs the gods to
resume their true forms to prove that
this statement is true. The gods immedi-
ately do as she commands, compelled
by the power of truth. Nala and
Damayanti are married, and as a reward
for her fidelity the gods give Nala various
divine gifts. Hearing of the marriage, two
of the rejected suitors curse Nala to lose
his kingdom, and like all curses in
Indian mythology, this eventually comes
to pass. Because of the curse, Nala and
Damayanti are separated and suffer
long tribulations, including Nala having
his body magically changed so that no
one would be able to recognize him. In
the end Damayanti recognizes him byDalit