Category: India

Here is an invitation to a trip to India, to discover its millennial culture:

Gandhi or the Dalai Lama have made history, Bollywood cinema is among the best in the world, Forest Man and Mass-Education actively participate in the defense of the environment.

I also talk to you about its popular gods such as Shiva and Ganesh, the banyan, the sacred tree, and Indian symbols such as the swastika, the Om, the lotus…

Learn a few words of Sanskrit, discover the benefits of yoga, mudras, and Ayurveda and open your chakras to reach the supreme wisdom of Hindu mystics!

Shiva Nataraja, Lord of dance

The hindu god Shiva is known under numerous names and forms.

Nataraja The Cosmic Dancer

One of its forms is Shiva Nataraja. It embodies the cosmic dancer who rhythms the entire universe, alternating phases of creation and destruction.

In Sanskrit, “nata” means “dance” and “raja” stands for “king”.

In India, dance is considered as a means to reach ecstasy and unite with the heavenly. Shiva Nataraja is the dance god and it is worshiped by Hindu’s musicians and dancers.

Nataraja Temple

The Nataraja temple is located in Chidambaram (60km south of Pondicherry) and is entirely dedicated to Shiva. On the stone of the temple is carved Bharata Natyam poses, south Indian sacred classical dance, directly inspired by Shiv sacred dance. The legend goes that this temple was built on the spot where Shiva performed the tandâva in front of the Dârukavana forest’s elders.

The Dance of Happiness

The tandâva is “the bliss dance” that endlessly creates and re-creates the universe. This cosmic dance symbolizes the world’s periodic renewal.

To Hindus, dance is older than the world itself because its Shiva’s dance that created the world. To dance is also the grandest way to please the gods. When dancing, one lets their inspiration and creativity and reconcile with the universe’s vibrations.

To Conclude

This facet of Shiva shows its tireless energy – which can be passive or active, static or dynamic with an internal or external focus because what is happening in the universe can also be experienced in the intimacy of one’s being and Nataraja is the cosmic dancer, it is also the god that dance in the hearts of men.

Take a look at our Nataraja statue h ere

What is the symbolism behind the elephant?

The Elephant is mainly known as a gigantic animal, but it is actually a pacifistic animal with a keen intellect.

Unfortunately counted nowadays as an endangered species because of poaching, deforestation and industrialization.

A distinction is to be made between the African elephant and the Asian elephant.

The Asian elephant’s height reach, in average, below 3 meters and weigh less than 3 tons. Its ears are small and its tusks are often short or even nonexistent and its trunkpossess a sole finger. The African elephant however, can be up to 3,5 meters and weigh up to 4 or 5 tons! It ears are so big that they can cool him off or frighten its opponent. Its tusk is long and hefty and its trunk possess two fingers.

The Asian elephant has been domesticated for more than 4,500 years firstly to travel or animal traction. Nowadays, the elephant is mainly seen in the tourism industry. It is the biggest land-based animal on earth.

What is the symbolism behind the elephant?

The Elephant is mainly known as agigantic animal, but it is actually a pacifistic animal with a keen intellect.

Unfortunately counted nowadays as an endangered species because of poaching, deforestation and industrialization.

A distinction is to be made between the African elephant and the Asian elephant.
The Asian elephant’s height reach, in average, below 3 meters and weigh less than 3 tons. Its ears are small and its tusks are often short or even nonexistent and its trunkpossess a sole finger. The African elephant however, can be up to 3,5 meters and weigh up to 4 or 5 tons! It ears are so big that they can cool him off or frighten its opponent. Its tusk is long and hefty and its trunk possess two fingers.

The symbolism behind the elephant always has been “superior wisdom”. The animal is also associated with the idea of having a good memory, longevity (can reach 86 years of age !!), wealth, strength and goodwill.

In India, the elephant impersonates the world’s four pillars which it carries on its back.

In Hindu philosophy, Ganesh, god of wisdom and students’ patron. The son of Shiva one of the main deity worshiped in India and the god of Cosmos.

The elephant is also often found in religious ceremonies where it occupies a special place.

You will find on Arasia’s blog numerous articles about elephants, drapery, statues, ornamentation etc., right here !

Bollywoods

Born of the contraction between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Hollywood, Bollywood refers to an Indian cinematographic genre born in the begging of the twentieth century.

History

Indian cinema began in 1899.

In 1913, D.G. Phalke directed the first feature film in Indian cinema, a silent film recounting the legend of King Harishchandra.

The advent of sound in 1931 would lead to the blossoming of the quintessential Indian genre: the musical comedy.

Bollywood films

As its name suggests, the capital of Indian cinema is Mumbai and Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world.

The Bollywood films are characterized by their duration of about 2 to 3 hours (with an intermission), outdoor shoots which is one of the trademarks of the genre, and colorful choreographies, sometimes soliciting hundreds of dancers with impeccable technique (see our article on mudras here). Choreographies are allied to atypical songs that were traditionally, in Hindi and started to be mixed with English with more Western rhythms thereafter.

In India, cinema is family-oriented (hence the absence of explicit scenes), dedicated to entertainment, and combines drama, romance, comedy, action, music and dance.

A distinct artistic genre

It is much more than an art or an industry, it is a culture, an important part in the life of many Indians, who identify with the characters, their adventures and the values they carry.

Bollywood actors are very versatile and their talent is sometimes underestimated by the Western cinema because the intrigues are considered kitsch.

Hindi movies have managed to spread to the rest of the world not only through the diaspora and “neighboring countries” such as Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Middle East but alsotrough Westerners, that areand more are interested in this cinematic genre. Some Bollywood actors succeed in exporting to Hollywood: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, DeepikaPadukone, Priyanka Chopra…

To Conclude

At Arasia, we have a slight preference for the films: Ram-Leela, Devdas, As Long as I Live, Fanaa and UmraoJaan.

ArasiaShop sells many articles with a Bollywood theme such as bindies, statues of Indian deities (here), Indian scarves (here).

sources :

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2012/08/06/03004-20120806ARTFIG00401-bollywood-ce-cinema-qui-unit-l-inde.php

http://shakiraqs.e-monsite.com/pages/bollywood/qu-est-ce-que-bollywood.html

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood#Sc.C3.A9nario

Thank you to Stéphanie Teko Malonda for this article 🙂

Other Uses of Soap Nuts

Concoction of soap nuts:

Boil 1 liter of water with 10 or 20 soap nuts for 5 to 10 minutes, let cool for a few hours, and filter. Keep it in a cool ambiance for several days.
It is optional to add a preservative (lemon, tea tree essential oil or grapefruit seed extract)

You can use this concoction as a no foam shampoo : your hair will be shiny and easier to style!

You can use this concoction as a natural mild soap to wash your animals (dog, horse).

A highly concentrated concoction will give you a natural form of soap which is regenerating and non-aggressive, and that you can use to hand wash your clothes or your body.

You can use it as a universal cleaner due to its purifying and disinfecting properties.

You can use also use it to protect your plants, to moisten and water your plants. Your garden will thank you!

The fruit core is often used in the manufacture of handcrafted jewelry.

The Sapindus mukorossi is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to cure skin diseases.

You can find more information and buy soap nuts on my online shop Arasia.