financial support behind the Indian
National Congress, the political party
led by Mohandas Gandhiwhich strug-
gled to gain Indian independence. Since
the day it was built the temple has been
open to people of all castes and commu-
nities, upholding the denial of untouch-
ability that was one of Gandhi’s most
important crusades.
Lakulisha
(2nd c.?) Legendary founder of the
Pashupata religious community, a
group of renunciant ascetics whose
patron deity was the god Shiva.
Lakulisha appears to have been an
important influence in the development
of other Shaivite ascetics, such as the
Kapalikasand the Kalamukhas. He has
been identified as an incarnation of
Shiva. Many statues have been identi-
fied as Lakulisha’s image; he is portrayed
as a naked yogiwith a staff in one hand
and a citron in the other, with penis
erect, either standing or sitting in the
lotus posture (padmasana). For further
information see David Lorenzen, The
Kapalikas and the Kalamukhas, 1972.
Lal Ded
Another name for the Kashmiri poet-
saint Lalleshvari. See Lalleshvari.
Lalitaditya
(8th c.) One of the few kings of the
Kashmirregion who was able to affect
the politics of the northern Indian plain,
partially due to the fragmented state of
the Hindu kingdoms there. Lalitaditya’s
armies pushed into the GangesRiver
valley, successfully halting the advance
of the Arab forces in the Punjabregion.
His successors were unable to retain
these gains.
Lallavakyani
(“Lalla’s Sayings”) Corpus of poetry
ascribed to the Kashmiri poet-saint
Lalleshvari, a devotee (bhakta) of the
god Shiva. The poems in this collection
allude to the difficult circumstances of
her early life, and the domestic prob-
lems that induced her to leave her mari-
tal home. They also describe her
encompassing devotion to Shiva, whom
she describes as the only true source of
happiness. These poems have been
translated into English, but all the edi-
tions are quite old: see Sir George
Grierson and Lionel D. Barnett, Lalla
Vakyani, 1920; and R. C. Temple, The
Word of Lalla,the Prophetess, 1924.Lalleshvari
(14th c.) Devotional (bhakti) poet-saint
also known as Lal Ded, who is one of the
most popular poets in Kashmir.
Lalleshvari was a devotee (bhakta) of
the god Shiva; her songs focus on her
devotion to him. Like many other
female devotional exemplars, she had a
difficult time integrating her marriage
with her commitment to her chosen
deity. According to tradition, her mother-
in-law treated her quite cruelly. Her
husband is described as an unfeeling
man who neither objected to the abuse
nor comforted his wife. After about
twelve years of suffering she left home to
wander as a religious seeker. To symbol-
ize her renunciation of all attachments
and earthly values, including feminine
modesty, Lalleshvari wandered nude.
During her wanderings she composed
and sang songs of devotion to Shiva,
which are still popular today.Lanka
In the Ramayana, the earlier of the two
great Indian epics, Lanka is the kingdom
of the demon-king Ravana. Although
Lanka is sometimes identified with the
modern island of Sri Lanka, and though
southern Indian sites such as
Rameshvaram have been identified
with events in the Ramayana, the epic’s
descriptions should be read as mythic
and narrative accounts, rather than a
geographical primer. The divine archi-
tect Vishvakarmahad originally built
Lanka for Kuberathe minor deity, butLanka