Traveling around India and Nepal, we saw many temples and shrines dedicated to different deities. Within the legends and stories depicted on these religious monuments, Krishna was a main character. In my research about Krishna, I learned why this is so and how he is such a role model to millions of Hindu people. Krishna is the most powerful incarnation of Vishnu, the godhead of the Hindu deities. Krishna is seen as the essence of humanity, representing compassion, protection, tenderness, and love. Different people view Krishna in different ways, some as a complete incarnation of God, and some as a mortal incarnation of Vishnu. Either way, Krishna is extremely influential and celebrated in Hindu culture. I found the different ideas and mythology about Krishna to be very representative of Hinduism as a whole, since it’s such an old and widely spanning religion. Many different ideas about this figure have been thrown around, and although the details about him may differ from person to person, the general idea of him is the same. When reading the Bhagavad Gita, I also picked up on many elements of Hinduism that I had seen when exploring the native culture. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna talks about mindfulness and living in the moment that you’re experiencing. When visiting religious sites, I often felt a sense of peace and awareness from the people paying homage there. People often seemed to take time out of their day to visit one of the numerous temples in the area, and when they were there they seemed to be completely present. I also saw the idea of dharma being acted out, which details doing your duty. When visiting the palace of the Kumari, I noticed that not only was the Kumari performing her duty, but so were the family who had been in charge of upkeep of the palace for decades and those who served as caretakers for the Kumari.
While my cultural presentation was on Lord Krishna, many of the other cultural presentations provided context on the culture that Krishna resides in. Presented in chronological order, information about Lord Krishna was able to give insight into other aspects of Indian culture and historical figures. Starting with the Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro, we learned about the start of civilization in the Indus River Valley. This small but mighty statue showcases that not only was this civilization able to create tools to survive, they also created art, religious figurines, or even games. It’s heavily debated what the dancing girl is supposed to represent, as she could be carrying an offering for a god, dancing, or simply putting her hands on her hips in an act of defiance and strength. Either way, she is a relic of a community that was able to survive in the harsh landscapes of the Ladakh region, something I could barely do for a week. She is also evidence of the fact that women play an important role in Indian, Tibetan, and Nepali culture. From the Kumari to the countless female Hindu deities, women have shown themselves to hold power, elegance, and wisdom, even though today there are disparities in the way women and men are treated in these societies.
Indian culture places a big emphasis on philosophy and thought, which was seen through presentations about Gargi Vachaknavi, the Buddha, and Satyen Bose. These figures come from different time periods in Indian history, but all have large cultural significance. Gargi Vachaknavi was a great sage and philosopher, said to have been the wisest of her time. She demonstrated wisdom and strength in the King’s philosophical debate. The Buddha is the most known of these thinkers, being the figurehead of Buddhism. Understanding the basics of Buddha’s life and philosophy made different practices and art pieces that I had seen around Buddhist temples and monasteries come to life. Satyen Bose was a mathematician and physicist who studied theoretical physics and helped develop many important scientific theories. He is a strong example of the fact that India has produced very intelligent scientific figures, not only just religious philosophers.
There is a countless number of things I could say about everything I learned about the culture in India and Nepal. All of the stories, legends, and histories contribute to a rich, vibrant, and bustling culture - one that I'm very lucky to say that I got to experience.
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