Principles of Hindu Worship

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Principles of Hindu Worship

• Images and Temples

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How is a Hindu temple distinct?

• Appearance
• Layout
• Function
• North and South styles

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Meaning of images

• Seeing and being seen
• Darsan
• Power and merit transmitted through the gaze
• Images, places, people
• Give and take darsan
• I am going for darsan

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Active, seeing deity

• Deity allows self to be seen
• sight here is more like touch
• Kathenotheism
• the worship of one god at a time

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Images and temples

• Rise of Hindu iconic image with temple building
• In east, central and south India from 8th c
  onwards
• Development of sculptural technique outside
• and elaboration of image inside
• e.g. dancing Siva (Siva Nataraja)

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Image, thought and worship

• Image is a way to stimulate
• reflection
• meditation
• Image IS the deity
• devotionalist Hinduism
• god is like a person
• devotee gives honor and pleasure to deity

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Silpashastras

• Clear rules for the making of images
• Ritual, not simply practical
• Governs construction of temples also
• mandala base
• profusion of images on exterior
• inside like a cave/womb

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Khajuraho

• Of original 80 temples, 20 survive
• Most famous
• Kandariya Mahadeo
• Siva

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