Symposia & Conferences
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2422
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Symbolism of Elephants in Buddhism and Hinduism(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Aslam, N.; Bukhari, M.F.Elephants have been utilized in different cultural and religious depictions since the Stone Age. They are depicted on petroglyphs and inside caves and also represented through different methods of art and craft as well as sculptures, architecture, ivory crafts and ivory paintings. In different mythologies the elephant is a sacred animal. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the elephant has been a strong special power that has spiritual significance. In Hindu mythology, one acts as the custom vehicle of Lord Indra who is considered as the God of heaven and additionally Ganesha was offered his head by the elephant when he was once beheaded by his own angry father. Hence the elephant has the honour and respect and is therefore celebrated and worshipped by the Hindus of India. In Buddhism many symbols represent the Buddha, and in Buddhist iconography a white elephant is an albino elephant. The white color is a sign of purity and holiness in Buddhism. The elephant is commonly known for its power and wisdom, and white elephants also have the all these characteristics. Queen Maya the mother of Buddha also claimed that in a dream a white elephant flew in the air and inserted his trunk in her right side resulting in the birth of Buddha. The symbols of Buddhism means “Om Mani Padme Hum”. The lotus flower, dharma wheel, stupa and white elephant are common symbols which represent the presence of Buddha.Item Representation of Elephant in Hoysala Temples: with Reference to Hoysaleshwara Temple of Halebidu(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Chavan, S.M.The temples built between 11th and 14th centuries by the Hoysala rulers exhibit intricate sculptures and freezes in stone as a part of its architecture. Being extremely stylistic, they belong to Karnataka a state in the southern part of India. Some of the temples of this period include the temples at Belavadi, Amruthapura, Hosaholalu, Mosale, Arasikere etc. Some of the important ones are marked as Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebid and the Keshava Temple at Somanathpura. The temples dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu the two main deities of the Hindu pantheon placed in the sanctum sanctorum with a circumambulatory passage, the outer portion unfolds on a unique plan with projections and recesses in the external walls. The temple walls are richly covered with intricately carved sculptures with themes of different forms of the Hindu gods and goddesses, along with stylised animal figures and exquisitely decorative patterns of flora and fauna. The Hoysaleswara temple is well known for its sculptures that run all along the outer wall, starting with a dancing image of the elephant god Ganesha on the left side of the south entrance and ending with another image of Ganesha on the right hand side of the north entrance. There are also good examples of the elephants sculpted on the walls, represented as the vehicle of Indra and as the demon Gajasura who is slayed by Shiva. Other interesting representations of the elephant are elephant flanked by the steps of parapets that lead to the temple as also represented as part of the freezes of the temple walls. The present paper proposes to study the elephant images presented in the Hoysaleshwara temple of Halebidu, along with its characteristic form, and it would also analyse the symbolic representations.Item ‘Asian Elephants’ in ‘Madhubani’ Paintings: Legends, Mythology and Iconography(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Yegnaswamy, J.“Madhubani” is an ancient folk art of the Mithila region in Bihar, India. Until the year 1960, only the families undertook the art of Madhubani painting, as the skills were transferred exclusively from mothers to daughters. By tradition the Madhubani paintings (chitrakari) were composed and painted solely by women, and their subjects involved folk songs, tales, social and religious belief. Besides such narrative themes, the Madhubani paintings also included emblematic expressions that associated cultural and religious beliefs with Mother Nature. Accordingly several birds, water animals, and certain quadrupeds are depicted with symbolic expression in Madhubani paintings. In this context, the quadruped elephant had been an admired subject, depicted as a fertility symbol, insignia of power for its immense strength, and also as a status symbol for its huge physical structure. The subsequent spread of Hindu Classical (puranic) mythologies introduced several elephant related Hindu deities such as Indra, Indrani, and Ganesha into the Madhubani folk tradition that were absorbed in Madhubani visual compositions. Thus, in the Mithila tradition the Madhubani paintings containing images of elephant are measured auspicious used significantly for certain social and religious events. This paper will shed light on the aspects of local legends and mythology behind the depiction of elephant in Madhubani canvas paintings (patachithrakari), and the iconographic elements absorbed by Madhubani artists. Besides this, the style, use of material and colors, techniques and the aesthetic values applied by Madhubani artists using the ‘Asian elephant’ as a visual subject in their painting will also be discussed with selected visual examples incorporated in this paper.Item A Monograph on the Elephant-headed God Ganesha: The Mythological Concept and Distinct Iconography(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Dutta, S.Ganesha is one of the most important deities of the Hindu pantheon. Worshipping him at the beginning of all the rituals has made him popular than many other divinities. He is widely revered as the ‘remover of obstacles’. He is worshipped all over India and commands such a distinguished position that it is essential to worship him before the commencement of every act considered good life, whether religious, social, cultural, academic or commercial. Ganapati is worshipped by both Vaishnavas (devotees of Vishnu) and Saivites (devotees of Shiva). Ganesha is the God of Good Luck and Auspiciousness and is the Dispeller of problems and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the God of wisdom, wealth, health, celibacy, fertility and happiness. The rise of Ganapatya sect was a significant departure from the traditional Saivism and it coincided with the rise of tantric form of worship in ancient India some time during the post Gupta period. Ganesha appears as a distinct deity in a clearly recognizable form beginning in the 4th to 5th centuries A.D., during the Gupta Period. Today, Ganesha is one of the most worshipped divinities in India. The devotion of Ganesha is widely diffused and it extends to Jains, Buddhists and others beyond India. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits, and explain his distinct iconography. There are various names, forms and incarnations of Ganesha in many Puranas. The idols and temples of Ganesha are found all over the world. The present paper will discuss the mythological concept of his birth and distinct symbolism of Ganesha cited in the Puranas.