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A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance.
From the French guirlande, itself from the Italian ghirlanda, a braid. [1]
In countries of the Indian subcontinent, such as India and Pakistan, people may place garland around the necks of guests of honour, as a way of showing respect to them. [3] Garlands are worn by the bridegroom in South Asian weddings. [4]
Garlands were historically purely secular at first, sought for their fragrance and beauty and used for decorating houses, roads, and streets. [5] It is eventually applied to Hindu deities as an important and traditional role in every festival where these garlands are made using different fragrant flowers (often jasmine) and leaves. [6] Both fragrant and non-fragrant flowers and religiously-significant leaves are used to make garlands to worship Hindu deities. Some popular flowers include:
Apart from these, leaves and grasses like arugampul, maruvakam, davanam, maachi, paneer leaves, lavancha are also used for making garlands. Fruit, vegetables, and sometimes even currency notes are also used for garlands, given as thanksgiving.
Wedding ceremonies in India include the bride and groom wearing a wedding garland. On other occasions, garlands are given as a sign of respect to an individual person or to a divine image.
A gajra is a flower garland which women in India and Bangladesh wear in their hair during traditional festivals. It is commonly made with jasmine. It can be worn around a bun, as well as in braids. Women usually wear these when they wear sarees. Sometimes, they are pinned in the hair with other flowers, such as roses.
In ancient times, Tamil kings employed people to manufacture garlands daily for a particular deity. These garlands were not available for public consumption.
In contemporary times, each Hindu temple in southern India has a nandavanam (flower garden) where flowers and trees for garlands are grown. Large Shiva temples like Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur, and Arunachaleswara Temple, and those found in Thiruvannamalai still preserve such nandavanams for supplying flowers for daily rituals.
Stone inscriptions of Rajaraja I at Thanjavur gives details of patronage bestowed by royals to the conservation of nadavanams that belonged to the "Big Temple". [7]
Marigold and nitya kalyani garlands are used only for corpses in burial rituals. At social functions, garlands are used to denote the host.
At Srirangam Ranganathar temple, only garlands made by temple sattharars (brahmacaris employed for garland-making) are used to adorn the deity Ranganatha. Garland and flowers from outside the temple grounds are forbidden. Sattarars have several disciplinary rules for many aspects of their profession, some of which include:
While making garlands, the sattarars keep flowers and other materials on a table in order to keep them away from the feet, which are traditionally viewed as unclean and unfit for use in a religious context. Material is always kept above hip level.
South Indian garlands are of different types. Some of them are as follows:
Each Hindu deity has a unique garland:
The tradition of garlanding statues as a sign of respect extends to respected non-divine beings, including ancient King Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II and the innovative colonial administrator Mark Cubbon. [8] [9]
A reference to a garland is found in the Nepalese national anthem, Sayaun Thunga Phulka. The first line reads, "Woven from hundreds of flowers, we are one garland that's Nepali."
In Christian countries, garlands are often used as Christmas decorations, such as being wrapped around a Christmas tree. [10]
 | This section contains a list of miscellaneous information.(November 2020) |
In the Shaivism and Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, the goddess Tara is the second of the ten Mahavidyas. She is considered a form of Adishakti, the tantric manifestation of Parvati. Her three most famous forms are Ekajaṭā, Ugratara, and Nīlasarasvatī. Her most famous centre of worship is the temple and the cremation ground of Tarapith in West Bengal, India.
A lei is a garland or wreath common in The Pacific Islands of Polynesia and also in Asia (Philippines). More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. Lei of various styles are given as gifts to honour people throughout the Pacific, being presented, for example, to visiting dignitaries, graduates, or to loved ones who are departing.
Nerium oleander, commonly known as oleander or rosebay, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium, belonging to subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is so widely cultivated that no precise region of origin has been identified, though it is usually associated with the Mediterranean Basin.
Andal, also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the Alvar saints, she was affiliated with the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Scholars believe her to have been active in the 8th-century CE, with some suggesting 7th century CE.
Koodalmanikyam Temple is a Hindu temple in Irinjalakuda Municipality, Thrissur district, Kerala, India. The temple comprises a main structure, a walled compound with citadels, and four ponds around the main structure one of which is within the walls. Koodalmanikyam Temple is the only ancient temple in India dedicated to the worship of Bharata, of Rama, however the idol is that of god Vishnu. "Sangameshwara" is another name associated with the deity at Koodalmanikyam. The temple is one of four in Kerala that form a set called "nalambalam", each temple dedicated to one of the four brothers in the epic Ramayana: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
The lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is an aquatic plant that plays a central role in the art of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
Jasminum sambac is a species of jasmine with a native range from Bhutan to India It is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is naturalised in many scattered locales: Mauritius, Madagascar, the Maldives, Christmas Island, Chiapas, Central America, southern Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Lesser Antilles.
Daphnis nerii, the oleander hawk-moth or army green moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Phuang malai or malai are a Thai form of floral garland. They are often given as offerings or kept for good luck.
Cascabela thevetia is a poisonous plant native throughout Mexico and in Central America, and cultivated widely as an ornamental. It is a relative of Nerium oleander, giving it a common name yellow oleander.
Jasmine is considered the queen of flowers and is called the "Belle of India" or the "Queen of fragrance" as it is exquisitely scented to soothe and refresh. In different parts of India it is called by different names—Mogra, Motia, Chameli, Malli puvvu, Jaati, Mulla, Mallige, Juhi, Mogra or Moonlight in the grove. It is reported that there are 300 varieties of jasmine. It is also stated that jasmine crossed the seas—from Asia to Europe, landing first along the Mediterranean Sea, conquering Greece and Turkey, reaching Western Europe through Spain, then France and Italy and finally landing in England in the latter part of the 17th century..
The Sreevallabha Temple is an orthodox Hindu temple dedicated to Sreevallabha, a form of Vishnu. It is located in the city of Thiruvalla, India.
Nabakalebara also spelled as Navakalevara is the ritualistic recreation of the wooden icons of four Hindu deities at Jagannath Temple, Puri. The ritual is performed during the 8th, 12th, or 19th year after the previous Nabakalebara.
Bengaluru Karaga is an annual festival celebrated in the Tigalare Pete, primarily by the Vahnikula Kshatriya or Thigala community. Based on story of their heritage, they built temples for Draupadi and Dharmaraya (Yudhishthira). Adishakti Draupadi is the community Deity of the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the foremost communities in Karanataka state. The Dharmaraya Swamy Temple itself is more than 800 years old. It was built by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas, one of the city's oldest communities that was into agriculture and horticulture. The Karaga festival is generally led by the Vahnikula Kshatriyas. Karaga is one of the many traditions of worshiping Adisakti Draupadi Devi. Karaga pooja and festivals have been celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since ages. Its practice is in use in some parts of Kolar district and Bangalore in the state of Karnataka. It is learnt that there are forty lakh people belonging to the Vahnikula Kshatriya community living throughout the state: Hoskote, Malur, Kolar, Bengaluru and Anekal taluks have high populations of the Vahnikula Kshatriya community in both urban and rural areas. Basically, this community depends upon agricultural and horticultural activities.
Hindu art encompasses the artistic traditions and styles culturally connected to Hinduism and have a long history of religious association with Hindu scriptures, rituals and worship.
Worship in Hinduism is an act of religious devotion usually directed to one or more Hindu deities, invoking a sense of Bhakti or devotional love. This term is probably a central one in Hinduism, but a direct translation from the Sanskrit to English is difficult. Worship in Hinduism takes many forms, and its expression vary depending on geographical, linguistic, and cultural factors. Hindu worship is not limited to a particular place and Hindus perform worship in temples and within the home. It often incorporates personal reflection, music, dance, poetry, rituals, and ceremonies. Worship in Hinduism serves various purposes, including seeking blessings, guidance, or specific outcomes, as well as fostering a sense of inner peace and spiritual growth. It can also be an expression of devotion (bhakti) to the deity. The aim is to lead a pure life in order to progress spiritually and eventually attain liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirth.
Panchaka is a Hindu festival; the last five days of the month of Kartika are traditionally known as the Bhishma Panchaka or the Vaka Panchaka. According to the epic poem Jagamohana Ramayana, written by Balarama Dasa, it is said that if one is capable, one should fast from certain foods on the Bhishma Panchaka for the pleasure of the Vishnu. The Padma Purana say that one pleases Vishnu and makes spiritual advancement.
Muruga Nayanar or Muruka Nayanar is the 15th Nayanar saint. Traditional hagiographies like Periya Puranam and Thiruthondar Thogai describe him as a great devotee of the Hindu god Shiva. He is described to have lived an ascetic life, filled with austerity and selfless devotion to Shiva, spending his time in collecting flowers from woodlands and decorating the Shiva Lingam with garlands and coronets.
Vaikuntha Chaturdashi is a Hindu holy day, which is observed on chaturdashi, the 14th lunar day of the waxing moon fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartika (November–December). The day is sacred to the deities Vishnu and Shiva. They are worshipped individually or together in different temples in Varanasi, Rishikesh, Gaya, and Maharashtra.
Over the millennia of its development, Hinduism has adopted several iconic symbols, forming part of Hindu iconography, that are imbued with spiritual meaning based on either the scriptures or cultural traditions. The exact significance accorded to any of the icons varies with region, period and denomination of the followers. Over time some of the symbols, for instance the Swastika has come to have wider association while others like Om are recognized as unique representations of Hinduism. Other aspects of Hindu iconography are covered by the terms murti, for icons and mudra for gestures and positions of the hands and body.
It was the first time since independence that Cubbon has been honoured thus. The group strongly feels Cubbon deserves it; they credit him with being one of the architects of Bangalore and Mysore.
Collector K.S. Palanisamy led the district administration officials in paying respects to 'Perumpidugu' Mutharayar by garlanding the statue at Othakadai Junction in the morning.
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