Temple chariot/ter/ratha Kapaleeswarar temple, the chariot festival Processional chariots (ratha in Sanskrit, ter in Tamil) are an integral part of temples and public life in South-India. It is therefore normal to find in the kolam repertoire a rich collection of chariot designs dedicated to the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon.
Shivaratri festival Shivaratri, the night of Shiva — part 2 In his most subtle form, he is equal to the undifferentiated Absolute, and when he voluntarily creates, it is together with Shakti, his equally powerful feminine counterpart. In a cosmic dimension, Shiva the Absolute, takes the form of a phallic-shaped lingam.
Shivaratri festival Shivaratri, the night of Shiva — part 1 Of the three major divinities of the Hindu pantheon, Shiva’s role is to act as the Destroyer of the universe. But unlike Vishnu, he does not incarnate each time the world is threatened but instead assumes several disguises: a beggar, a criminal, a hunter, a holy yogi, or a benevolent guru.
God Ganesha/Pillaiyar Pillaiyar, the Remover of obstacles Ganesha, the elephant-headed god known as Pillaiyar in Tamil, is probably the best known Indian god in the West. He’s known for his jolliness and round belly, a sign of his love for sweets. It is believed that he wrote the great epic the Mahabharata, dictated to him by the sage Vyasa.
