known for its temple to the sun god,
built during the eighth century. The
temple ruins are in a mountain meadow,
offering spectacular views of the sur-
rounding mountains.
Marut
Class of minor deitiesconsidered to be
the companions of Indra, god of the
storm. The Maruts are described as hav-
ing a flashing color, armed with golden
weapons symbolic of lightning, and
roaring like lions.
Marwari
Northern Indian trading community
named after its place of origin, the
Marwar region surrounding Jodhpur in
Rajasthan. The Marwaris have spread
all over northern India; many of them
have become extremely wealthy. The
Marwaris are stereotyped as ruthless
and cutthroat in their business prac-
tices, yet at the same time, they are
munificent in donations to religious
causes, reflecting traditional religious
piety. The most successful Marwari fam-
ilies, such as the Birlas, still control large
parts of the Indian economy. Marwari
support and patronage is an important
consideration for all northern Indian
political parties.
Masi
Eleventh month in the Tamil year, cor-
responding to the northern Indian
month of Kumbha (the zodiacal sign
of Aquarius), usually falling within
February and March. The existence of
several different calendars is a sign of
the continuing importance of regional
cultural patterns. One way that the
Tamils retain their culture is by preserv-
ing their traditional calendar. Tamil
is one of the few regional languages
in India with an ancient, well-
established literary tradition. See also
Tamil months, Tamil Nadu, and
Tamil language.
Materialist
The name for a philosophical school
espousing the belief that the individ-
ual and the physical body are identi-
cal. The body is composed of certain
physical elements, so with the death
of the body, the individual ceases to
exist. Since the materialists believed
there is no life after death, they also
believed there is no reason to engage
in religious activities in the hope of a
better afterlife. The materialist
believes that one should live well,
enjoy life to the fullest, and then die.
This viewpoint was first espoused by
Ajita Keshakambalin, who was a con-
temporary of the Buddha. Its later
adherents were called both Lokayata
(“worldly”) and Charvaka (after the
supposed founder). The materialists
were universally reviled by the other
philosophical schools, all of whom
considered their rejection of religious
life dangerous. One of their philo-
sophical theories, and a sign of their
rootedness in concrete experience,
was their position on the pramanas,
the means by which human beings
can gain true and accurate knowledge.
Most schools admitted at least three
such pramanas—perception (prat-
yaksha), inference (anumana), and
authoritative testimony (shabda). In
contrast, the materialists accepted
only perception, denying the validity
of the other two. Emphasis is placed
on experience and the belief that
what is directly before one’s eyes is
indisputable.Math
(often translated as “monastery”) A
dwelling place for ascetics; usually a
large, well-settled dwelling for a number
of ascetics belonging to an established
order. The four most famous maths are
believed to have been established by the
philosopher Shankaracharya: the Jyotir
Math in the Himalayan town of
Joshimath; the Govardhan Mathin the
city of Puri, on the Bay of Bengal; theMarut