Friday, November 28

India, Mumbai and Hinduism

During these days media are full of news about the Mumbai terror tragedy. Photos of the fire at Taj Mahal Palace (photo) and the bloodshed in the city previously called Bombay, is all over the world. In Newspapers, TV-channels and Internet a very, very small part of this huge country, city and culture is presented.
Bhārat Gaṇarājya (India) is a country, but I would rather think of her as a continent of 28 states. All very different. There are living about 1,15 billion people in India, and about a third can be classified as upper middle class, or very rich citizens. The first known permanent settlements in the continent appeared over 9,000 years ago and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation, dating back to 3300 BCE in western India. (May be the Nordic civilisation originated from this part of the world.)
Mumbai has an estimated population of 20 million. I have only been to Mumbai once and stayed at the old (left) part of the great hotel.I believe Kama Sutra is well known by my visitors, and this miniature (painting on ivory) which I got while staying there, is a masterpiece.
If you want to learn more about Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies I can recommend a book by Abbe J A. Dubois, or Sage Vatsyayana´s Kama Sutra, but a more easy introduction to Hinduism can be found in this book:The author Shakunthala Jagannathan, has written a simple but comprehensive book about the oldest living religion in the world. The book can help you to understand the root of the civilisation and be a guide through visits to Hindu temples and monuments around in India. Copiously illustrated the book covers the various aspects of Hinduism, its mail scriptures, tenets and beliefs and its social and cultural ethos.
(Just in case you plan for a visit, after the present turmoils are over.)

8 comments:

Ivar Østtun said...

Det er tragisk det som skjer der borte.

En ellers opplysende og interessant post. Igjen.
Ha en problemfri helg :-)

Unknown said...

Dramatiske tilstander. Leste nettopp at en TV-reporter er skutt.

Lærerikt det du skriver. Ved å lese blogger blir man stadig klokere. Takk for "undervisningen"!

Unknown said...

Ja det er forferdelig det som skjer der nede i Mumbai. Har sett en del på TV2 nyheter i dag.
Hvis du er oppe ved 8 tiden så får du med deg soloppgangen Arne :)
Så du hadde fått med deg nedgangen litt lengre ned her.

Ha en flott helg i byen.

Pernille said...

Huff, grusomme ting som skjer der borte! Tror det er vaskelig for oss å skjønne helt hva som skjer!

Så flott at du tar det opp her! Veldig interrisant!

Ha ei koselig adventshelg i storbyen:)

Maria Verivaki said...

tragic is all i can say about what happened in mumbai, but this should not stop people from visiting now that the siege is over, it was just a case of bad luck

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

Although I've personally no wish nor intention of going to Mumbai the activity of the "terrorists" - as they are termed - has no bearing on that. Mumbai will survive as Manchester did after the IRA bomb - the tragedy of Mumbai of course is the loss of life suffered there this week.

9na said...

Veldig interessant blogpost. Dette er litt mer å tygge på enn blomster og stearinlysinnlegg. Takk.

Anne said...

Utrolig tragiske ting som skjer.
man siter måpende forran tv skjermen og følger med, uvirkelig og skremmende!!

Ha en flott 1.advent.