Haridwar Essay

The Two Great Indian Epics The Indian mythology consists of two great ancient epics The Mahabharata and The Ramayana. The Mahabharata was authored by Veda Vyasa known so as he had also compiled the four Vedas. Ramayana was authored by Valmiki. Both epics revolve around the concept of dharma and in both epics the protagonist is an avatar of Vishnu. Bhagavad Gita: What Krishna told Arjuna Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important texts in Hinduism as in it, god speaks directly to man.

“Ramayana” literally means the “journey or advancing of Rama”, who is one of the several incarnations of the supreme god Vishnu. In this epic, Rama’s step-mother exiles him to the forest for fourteen years only to go with his brother, Lakshmana, and wife, Sita. He was announced to be king just the day before, but the evil

TALLEST MOUNTAINS IN THE WORLD. John Muir, in his book “The Mountains of California” talks about mountains and the Glory Mountains can bring in human life. He says, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn.” As a matter of fact, they are great thing that grace our mother nature and fills our lives with extraordinary vigor, glorifying the nations where they erect as the pride of those very nations.

He was a figure of extreme importance and was revered during the Edo period. He was believed to be a Gongen, which is a person who is a human incarnation of Buddha. When he died, he was deified as Tōshō Daigongen that means “Great Gongen, Light of the East” [3]. This was an important step in the solidification and legitimization of the Tokugawa shogunate’s rule. By deifying Ieyasu they associated the shogun with God and by extension their regime.

In position [17] is Taishaku Tenno – the Heavenly King Shakra, [帝释天]. He is the most prominent god of the Rigveda and is also known as Shakra Devanam Indra. He is the most powerful Lord of the Devas of Kamadhatu (world of desires). He serves as one of the main tutelary gods of Buddhism, together with Bonten (Brahma), he is also one of the twelve gods said to protect the world (Frederic L 1995). Originally Shakra is the god of thunder, lightning and rain in Indian mythology he was later incorporated into Buddhism as a protective deity.

It is interesting to note that the pillar at Sarnath (fig. 2) is a combination of major Hinayana symbols used to depict Buddha. It is the most celebrated of the Ashokan pillars erected at Sarnath, the site of Buddha’s First Sermon where he shared the Four Noble Truths (the dharma or the law). Currently, the pillar remains where it was originally sunk into the ground, but the capital is now on display at the Sarnath Museum. It is this pillar that was adopted as the national emblem of India.

Taj Mahal One of the most extraordinary places in India to visit is the most beautiful Taj Mahal. This icon is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the building is marble white and is situated in the Indian city called Agra. This beautiful building was specially made by the emperor Shah Jahan and has the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal alongside many more. Lake Palace The Lake Palace would be found in the city of Udaipur, India. The lake is situated on Lake Pichola and was built as “a royal summer Palace,” and was designed and built in the 18th century.