the pillar-shaped image that is his
symbolic form, and the Ghrneshvar
linga is one of the twelve jyotirlingas, a
network of sites deemed especially
sacred to Shiva, and at which Shiva is
uniquely present.
Vena
In Hindu mythology, a wicked king
who prohibits all religious rites and gift-
giving except those dedicated to him. He
is finally killed by a group of outraged
sages, who through their magicpowers
transform blades of sacred kushagrass
into spears. After Vena has been killed,
the problem of the royal succession arises.
The sages first churn from his thigh a
small, malformed, dark-skinned man
named Nishada, who is believed to be
the ancestor of the tribal people known
as the Nishadas. Nishada takes upon
himself all Vena’s manifold sins, thus
purging them from Vena. After Vena has
been cleansed, the sages churn his right
hand, from which emerges a radiant and
shining boy, who is King Prthu.
Venkateshvara
(“the Lord of Venkata [Hill]”) Presiding
deityof the Venkateshvara temple near
the town of Tirupati in the state of
Andhra Pradesh; the temple is north
and east of Madras. Venkateshvara is a
local deity who has been assimilated
into the larger pantheon as a form of the
god Vishnu. The temple is in the
Tirumalai hills, a cluster of seven hills
believed to represent the seven cobra
hoods of Shesha, the mythic serpent
who serves as Vishnu’s couch.
Venkateshvara’s image is unusual, in
that his forehead is covered with a plate.
The two branches of the Shrivaishnava
community, the Tengalais and the
Vadagalais, each wear distinctive sec-
tarian markings, and this plate conceals
these markings on the image and thus
allows both communities to claim him
as their own.
Venkateshvara is also famous for
having the single richest temple in
India. People come to Tirupati from all
over the country, largely because of the
popular belief that any wish made in the
deity’s presence will invariably be granted.
Aside from significant monetary
offerings, it is also very common for pil-
grims to have their heads shaved, as a
sign of their visit and to make an offer-
ing of the hair, as well. In the time since
independence the temple’s wealth has
been administered by a trust, which has
been particularly attentive in fostering
publishing, educational institutions,
and in helping to build Hindu temples
outside India.Venu
(“bamboo”) A bamboo flute, which is
an important instrument in Indian
classical music. In Hindu iconography,
it is the characteristic instrument of
the god Krishna, who used its sweet
sounds to summon his devotees
(bhakta) to him, to spend their
nights dancing on the shores of the
Yamuna River.Venus
In Hindu astrology (jyotisha), a planet
associated with love and pleasure. It is
considered a strong planet, with pro-
nounced benevolent qualities, although
like all the other planets, its powers will
vary according to context. Venus pre-
sides over Friday, and its positive quali-
ties make this an auspicious day.Veshara
One of the three developed styles in
medieval Hindu temple architecture,
the others being the Nagara and the
Dravida. The Veshara style is primarily
found in western India and the Deccan
and was the least significant and wide-
spread of the three styles. Whereas the
Nagara style was characterized by verti-
cal uplift achieved by a temple’s towers
(shikharas), and the Dravida style by
lower temples covering enormous tracts
of ground, the Veshara style’s most iden-
tifiable feature is a barrel roof above theVeshara