The tradition of Mundan, also known as Chudakarana or Chaula in India, is a very important ceremony for Hindus that involves shaving a child’s hair for the first time. This rite of passage, one of the sixteen samskaras (sacraments) of Hinduism, has deep spiritual, cultural and even health significance.
On the road between Pondicherry and Thanjavur, in Tamil Nadu, stands the Chidambaram Temple, a place where sacredness takes an unexpected form. Shiva is celebrated here as Nataraja, the Lord of the Cosmic Dance, who embodies ether. This peculiarity is the prelude to the temple’s great secret: an empty space inviting us to seek the …
Dussehra, which translates to “the tenth day,” is a Hindu festival celebrated with great fervour throughout India. It symbolises the victory of good over evil. This day marks the end of Navaratri, the “nine-night” period also dedicated to the worship of the goddess Durga and her nine forms. In the Deogarh region, near Rajsamand in …
While wandering through the rural landscape of Tamil Nadu, you may have already come across this astonishing string of smiling horses, lined up proudly around a sacred tree: these are the votive images of the temples dedicated to Ayyanar, the protective deity of villages, whose worship dates back to pre-Vedic times.
Since the battle of Sirohi, the close ties that have been established between the Rajputs and the Raïka Rabaris are no longer in doubt. The latter, simple camel breeders at the base, have repeatedly sacrificed their lives fighting alongside the Maharajas. It is therefore not surprising that this pastoral community is highly respected by the …
The ‘lingam’ or ‘Shiva-lingam’ is one of India’s most emblematic hindu representation, and one of the most powerful. Some theories trace the lingam back to the ancient fertility cults probably due to its phallic form. But though it is easy to jump to conclusions, it is a mistake to think of the Shiva lingam in purely sexual terms; The …
Shakti means ‘power’ or ‘energy’. It is a fundamental concept in Hinduism, which is often associated with the feminine principal and personified by Devi, Hinduism’s primordial goddess. The Shakti is venerated all over India and devotion culminates during the 9-day festival of Navaratri.
