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Course: Art of Asia > Unit 1
Lesson 1: Hindu art and culture, an introduction- Roots of Hinduism
- Beliefs of Hinduism
- Principal texts of Hinduism
- Hindu temples
- Hinduism and the practice of faith
- Hindu deities
- Principal deities of Hinduism
- The Hindu deity Shiva
- Hindu deity Vishnu
- The Hindu deities Vishnu and Krishna
- The Hindu deity Ganesha
- Hindu deity Durga victorious over the buffalo demon
- Festival of the Goddess Durga
- Brahmani
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Festival of the Goddess Durga
Learn about a vibrant festival in India for the Hindu deity Durga, and discover related artworks in the Asian Art Museum's collection. For more information on Durga visit education.asianart.org. Created by Asian Art Museum.
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- Can you post more videos on india?(8 votes)
- There are more in the Playlist. I am happy that you are interested in studying Indian Culture :) Proud to be an Indian.(6 votes)
- do people find remains or the statues while boating?(3 votes)
- the statues dissolve in the water and the clay sets on the bottom of the river(2 votes)
- do people find remains or the statues while boating?(2 votes)
- No as the statues are underwater, a.k.a submerged(2 votes)
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- Is my name A.K.A Ishana a Durga name right?(0 votes)
- Is Durga similar or the same as Kali?(0 votes)
- durga is kali when she is angry,
yes(1 vote)
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- Wouldn't throwing the depictions of Durga cause pollution or poison the fish?(0 votes)
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Video transcript
(throaty chanting) - [Narrator] Images of the
goddess appear throughout India. She can appear on her own or
as the consort of male deity. The goddess represents primal forces of nature, energy, and fertility. She can appear wrathful or compassionate. One of the most popular
forms of the goddess is known as Durga. - Durga is highly revered in Bengal. And Bengalis all over
India, even if they're away from their homes,
come the month of October, when it is time for Durga Puja, or the festival of the goddess, Durga, there will be 10 days of celebration. (high-pitched wailing music) - [Narrator] Statues
of the goddess, Durga, are hand-crafted with clay
on a superstructure of straw. They are brightly painted and
dressed with fine fabrics. The statues are displayed,
a competition is held, and prizes are awarded. Durga rides on a lion, and
her many arms brandish weapons given to her by the male gods who were unable to defeat a demon. - [Bobby] The moment
that we see in the statue invariably is that Durga
mounting or standing on the lion. Often, there is a human figure emerging whose chest has been
pierced by this trident held in Durga's, one of her hands. When she is destroying the forces of evil, she is not doing with any
kind of personal animosity. She is doing it as an act
where justice must prevail over injustice, where right
must prevail over wrongdoing. (crowd yelling) - [Narrator] At the end of the festival, the statues are taken to a nearby river and immersed in the waters. (crowd yelling) - [Bobby] She is returned
back to the Earth because she was constructed with clay, and the clay, once again,
returns to the Earth. But, it's not unusual to
find grown people crying, really, really, grieving. And, they'll be kind of
beseeching the mother to come back again next year. (crowd chattering) (Indian music) (crowd yelling and cheering)