This book presents a number of independent articles held together by thethematic string of art as part of ritual worship and spiritual striving intraditions of devotional religion in India. Emphasis is laid on music and finearts in the Vaisnava temples of Vraja, with recurring reference to the art of sanjhi which counts among the unique and nowadays very rare treasures of theIndian cultural heritage.

The lotus flower is a symbol of strength. It grows from the muddy waters and arises at the sunrise, untouched by the darkness and the soil from which is rose. The deeper the mud, the more beautiful the flower grows. It learns life lessons and becomes self-aware. The more resilient we become by growing through our experiences, the more beautiful we turn out to be. These are the spiritual reflections of a lotus turned poet about life, friendship, heartbreak, and love.

Why do present day women take an interest in a “middle age” religion? Buddhism like Christianity was founded by a male teacher and was organised, transmitted and interpreted by men. This book is “a protocol of an encounter”. A contemporary woman has read the teachings of the Buddha “against the grain” and has found some first answers and many more questions. In order for a religion to stay “alive” it has to be rediscovered by every generation anew. Just to follow tradition is not enough. Whenever women take interest in a traditional religion – be it Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism or Islam – they are given a double task: We are looking for a contemporary expression of an old teaching. Many contemporary male Buddhists from the West and some from Asia are working on this task. Women have to read patriarchal teachings critically “with the eyes of a woman”. The Heart of the Lotus presents central teachings of Buddhism and describes traps we fall into, if we don not consider our cultural background and our biological sex and social gender. It takes up typical questions women are asking and presents first results: concepts and exercices which can support contemporary women (and men) on their path to inner and outer freedom.

The Jain Temples At Dilwara In Mount Abu Evoke A Sense Of Awe For Their Sculptural Artistry. Unnamed Artists Who Had, For Years Created Exquisite Pieces In Ivory, Now Worked With Marble, Sculpting Ceilings And Domes, Columns And Walls, Creating Works Of Unparalled Beauty. They Carried Forward, And Deepened A Rich Tradition Of Temple Building In India, With Their Plethora Of Images From Indian Myths And Legends. Numerous Gods And Goddesses, Yaksas And Yaksis, Dancers And Musicians, Apsaras And Nagins, As Well As Flowers And Trees-Mythic And Real-Adore Every Nook And Corner Of These Temples. The Most Outstanding Feature Of These Temples Are The Thousand-Petalled Lotuses That Decorate The Domes In The Rangmandaps, Signifying A Very Highly Evolved Technical And Artistic Achievement.Some 200 Kms Away And 500 Years Later, In Ranakpur, The Adisvara Temple Is An Achievement Of A Different Kind. It Is Renowned For Its Architectural Splendour; A Thousand Columns That Define Its Wondrous Spaces Are All Unique, As No Two Are Alike.Using These Temples For A Photographic And A Reflective Study, Professor Sehdev Kumar Explores The Artistic Nuances Of These Temples In The Context Of The Rich Tradition Of Temple Architecture And Iconography In India.

Shortly after the Buddha passed into nirvana, a water fairy from the Lake of the Hidden Treasure witnesses the birth of an Indian hero, Padmasambhava, who is born in a giant lotus in the middle of her lake. He incarnates to help carry on the Buddhas teachings. Something happens that inspires her to follow him on all his adventures, and she is able to tell his story from her unique perspective. King Ja discovers Padmasambhava, known affectionately as Pema, and carries him back to his palace, believing that his prayers for a son have been finally answered. A twist of fate leads Pema to the terrifying Chilly Grove Cemetery, where he develops his meditation skills and transcends many physical challenges. When the water fairy convinces him to revisit his birthplace at the Lake of the Hidden Treasure, Pema returns to teach the fairies and gnomes the secret to true happiness. Pemas loving kindness magnetizes the nature spirits to serve him devotedly, and with their magic, they assist him in his quest to spread Buddhas message to the people of India and Tibet. The fairy shares Pemas adventures with Mandarava, Emperor Ashok, Vajrakilaya, Yeshe Tsogyal, Emperor Trisong Deutsen, and the nature spirits of Tibet. Pema is a Buddhist saint who befriends the nature spirits with his sincere reverence for the unseen work they do in balancing the earth, air, water, fire, and space within Mother Nature. He is aware that good-hearted humans must guide the spirits of nature by giving them loving attentionor else undivine forces can take them over and create chaos. The water fairy tells the significant events of Padmasambhavas life with the vivid detail of one who flew wherever he walked, and she shares his profound wisdom with charming simplicity.