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Archive for December, 2009
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
Born 1836
Died 1918
A spiritual leader dear to Hindu and Muslim devotees throughout India and in diaspora communities as far flung as the United States and the Caribbean. The name Sai Baba comes from sai, a Persian word used by Muslims to denote a holy person, and baba, Hindi for father. Though it is generally agreed that Sai Baba was born in 1836, his early years are a mystery. Most accounts mention his birth as a Hindu Brahmin and his subsequent adoption by a Sufi fakir, or mendicant. Later in life he claimed to have had a Hindu guru. Sai Baba arrived in Shirdi, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, about 1858 and remained there until his death in 1918.
At first denounced by the villagers of Shirdi as a madman, by the turn of the century Sai Baba had a considerable following of Hindus and Muslims, attracted by his compelling teachings and his performance of miracles, which often involved the granting of wishes and the healing of the sick. He wore a Muslim cap and for the better part of his life lived in an abandoned mosque in Shirdi, where he daily kept a fire burning, a practice reminiscent of some Sufi orders. Yet he named this mosque Dvarakamai, a decidedly Hindu name, and is said to have had substantial knowledge of the Purāṇas, the Bhagavad Gītā, and various branches of Hindu philosophy. Sai Baba’s teachings often took the form of paradoxical parables and displayed both his disdain for the rigid formalism that Hinduism and Islam could fall prey to and his empathy for the poor and diseased. Shirdi is a major pilgrimage site, and other spiritual figures like Upasani Baba and Meher Baba.
Please check out shopnamaste.com for Sai Baba statues in our fiber category.
By: Britannica Encyclopedia
Posted in Hinduism | 3 Comments »
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
During Mughal period, the art of kundan work reached Rajasthan from Delhi. Later on, craftsmen from the different part of the country migrated to the place and made Rajasthan a hub of Kundankari. Rulers and feudal lords gave patronage to the art and it developed into perfection. Today, Kundankari is known the world over, with Rajasthan serving as its epicenter. Kundankari is basically done on gold and silver jewelry. The beauty of kundan work lies in the precise setting of stones into kundan and the overall look of the ornament.
Traditional kundan jewellery has stones encrusted on one side and colorful and intricate meenakari on the reverse. The entire technique of Kundankari lies in the skillful setting of gems and stones in gold, which is rarely solid. Holes are cut for the gems, engraving is carried out and the pieces are enameled. The core of the ornament is made out of lac, a natural resin. Later, lac is inserted into the hollow parts and is then visible from the front, through the holes left for the gems. Highly refined gold or kundan is used to cover the lac and gems are then pushed into the kundan.
To increase the strength of the joints and to give it a smooth finish, more kundan is applied. Kundankari is such a specialized work that it is carried by a group of craftsmen, each carrying out a specific task. The chiterias make the basic design, the ghaarias are responsible for engraving and making holes, meenakari or enameling is done by the enameller and the goldsmith takes care of the Kundan or gold. The jadiyas or stone setters, set stones such as jade, agate, garnet, emerald, rock crystal, topaz, amethyst, and spinel into kundan.
Please check out shopnamaste.com for exquisite kundan jewelry sets.
By: Cultural India
Posted in Indian Jewelry | 1 Comment »
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Compared to other religious festivals, Christmas is quite a small festival in India due to the number that are Christians (2.3%) compared to people who belong to other religions. Having said this the population of India is over 1 Billion, so there are over 25 million Christians in India!
One of the largest Christian Communities, in India, is in Bombay. A lot of the Christians in Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) are Roman Catholics.
Midnight mass is a very important service for Christians in India, especially Catholics. The whole family will walk to the mass and this will be followed by a massive feast of different delicacies, (mostly curries) and the giving and receiving of presents. Churches in India are decorated with Poinsettia flowers and candles for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass service.
Many different languages are spoken in India. In Hindi and Urdu Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Bade Din ki Mubarak’; in Sanskrit it’s ‘Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa’; in Bengali ‘Barodiner shubhechha janai’; in Tamil it’s ‘Christhu Jayanthi Nalvaalthukal’ and in Konkani it’s ‘Khushal Borit Natala’. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.
Instead of having traditional Christmas Trees, a banana or mango tree is decorated. Sometimes people use mango leaves to decorate their homes.
In Southern India, Christians often put small oil burning clay lamps on the flat roofs of their homes to show their neighbours that Jesus is the light of the world.
Christians in Mumbai often display a manger in a front window, (there’s great competition in making the nativity scene). Also families go to great lengths to hang giant paper lanterns, in the shape of stars, between the houses so that the stars float above you as you walk down the road. Every household also makes sure that they have a stock of home made sweets ready to visitors.
In north-west India, the tribal Christians of the Bhil folk, go out night after night for a week at Christmas to sing their own carols the whole night through. They go to surrounding villages singing to people and telling the Christmas story.
In India, Father Christmas or Santa Claus delivers presents to children from a horse and cart. He’s known as ‘Christmas Baba’ in Hindi and ‘Christmas Thaathaa’ in Tamil.
Buy your special someone a gift from shopnamaste.com this year.
By: Why Christmas
Posted in Other | 2 Comments »
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
The Victorian style furniture draws its influence from the Victoria era that brought us a style of furniture, which was highly decorative and elaborate. The Victorian style arose quite naturally in western society. Initially, they had a tendency to keep each room for a particular purpose. The rooms that were likely to be seen by visitors were decorated with a view to impress. Known for their male dominated society, the downstairs rooms were heavy and masculine in their taste, whereas the upstairs rooms were usually lighter and more feminine. For those of you who have a soft corner for the Victorian style furniture, you would be delighted to know that it is back with a big bang.
Now, it is possible to furnish your home with Victorian touch that will recreate the warmth and feel of that era. However, the style has undergone some transformations, to give it a more contemporary look. During the Victorian times, lot of emphasis was laid on heavy ornamental Renaissance furnishings. Mahogany, oak, faux and bamboo are the most commonly used materials. You can be sure that Victorian furniture reproduction fill your home with some classic designs that will be eye catching and take you back to a royal era. Given below are some benefits of having Victorian bedroom furniture.
Features Of Victorian Bedroom Furniture
·The Victorian Bedroom Furniture set mostly includes a large bed, two nightstands for either side of the bed, a pretty vanity and a large wardrobe to store clothing, which are elegantly designed.
·The Chairs available are in two sizes, the Gentleman’s chair being bigger to accommodate and of course, a smaller ladies chair.
·Victorian furniture gives your bedroom a touch of class and if you are a big fan of romance and the classics, then it suites your bedroom well.
·Victorian furniture in your bedroom makes you appreciate beauty, and at the same time gives you a sense of comfort.
·Victorian furniture still exists, proving it timeless essence, even after undergoing various changes both in terms of style and fashion.
·Victorian furniture in your bedroom features very decorative design and makes use of gold accents and highlights that provides a very classy and elegant look.
·Victorian furniture is quite old and gives a very antique look to your bedroom.
·Victorian furniture is sure to become the focal point and centre of attraction of any room, because it is very heavy.
·The intricate carvings on the arms and legs of these furniture pieces make it unique and a design to appreciate.
·Fabrics are used as an alternative for wallpaper, mainly because they keep the home warm and cozy, during the cold. Victorian patterns and colors tend to be dark, rich and bold.
·The Victorian touch would definitely give your room a wealthy and luxurious look.
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By: iloveindia
Posted in Home decorating | 2 Comments »
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