Diya graphics and illustrations and Sketch

These are simple coloured graphics of a diya or deepak or deep and are small earthen lamps used in festivals across India. It is an essential part of any religious ritual and Diwali or Deepawali is a Festival of Lights. During this festivals it is a tradition to light as many of these tiny lights as possible, as a kind of decoration of the house.

Fire itself has significance in all religions, and these diyas or lamps in Hinduism are symbols of purification and truth and upliftment.

All of these images are simple graphics of a multi-colored clay diya or small clay lamp. This one is a colourful illustration of a clay lamp

A waxy effect and look given to the diya image, using the plastic wrap function of Photoshop.

A painted and colored illustration of a clay lamp or diya, giving a slightly diffused effect.

A glowing outline of a diya on a black background. A glowing line drawing.

A black and white sketch of the same diya or lighted clay lamp.

Related Images: More religion oreinted graphis: Swastika graphics from India
Or Flowers with special effects useful for simple header images

Or check out all the posts under the different labels below this post.

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Christmas Tree Silhouette

This is a silhouette of a christmas tree with decorations and lights

(Silhouettes on this blog are all drawn by me and based on photos shot by me but this Xmas tree silhouette is drawn by me but based on a photograph from the web. )



Related Images or graphics: Church Silhouettes

Dassera or Dasara flowers

During this important religious festival of India, special type of yellow flowers are used to decorate homes, places of worship, for poojas and vehicles. This festival is to celebrate the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. Symbolically it is a triumph of Good over Evil. Flowers are very important in Hindusim. They are used extensively in rituals and pujas. Yellow and orange flowers are preferred. Marigold is commonly used to weave into garlands.

These photographs show how flower garlands are used to celebrate this festival. Here people have gathered the evening before to pick up some marigold garlands for use.

It is standard practice for all Hindus to decorate the entrances of their homes with the dasara flowers.

Vehicles and tools of the trade are given a lot of importance.

A picture of a car with a marigold garland.

A two-wheeler with a marigold garland.

Here is a shopkeeper opening his shop after decorating it with garlands of orange flowers.

Fake flowers are often used. Doorways and entrances are decorated with synthetic garlands, and these are often kept on the doorways long after the festival is over.

Another example of what is called a "toran." This is a decorated garland, often synthetic, which is often used these days. One can keep it on the doorway indefinitely unlike flower garlands which have to be removed.

Related Images: Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights

For images of Ganesh Idols lit up with decorative electric and psychedelic lights see this post: Ganpati at Night or try this one: Ganesh Pandal decorations on the streets  

More related Images: Priest performing a Pooja or Hanuman Temple

For religious symbols from Hinduism: Swastika graphics from India or Paduka or Guru's feet or or Shiva Pindi or Lingam

Dahi Handi Pyramid

Dahi Handi is played on Krishna Janmashtami (to celebrate Lord Krishna's birth). It is a popular sport in Mumbai and Thane. Legend has it that Lord Krishna used to steal butter and curd (dahi) when he was a child. This situation is recreated by the Govindas or  Balgopals (players) who make a human pyramid to break an earthen pot (matki or handi) which is tied high in the air at public squares or in the open streets. Large sums of money are kept as a reward for breaking the handi, and the prizes go into millions of rupees.

A photograph of Govindas going to a site to compete.

These are images of a Spanish troupe practicing Dahi Handi in Thane this year. They are here to learn and to teach as well. In this first image they have started building the human pyramid. A large crowd has gathered to watch them.

The Spanish group (Castellers de Villafranca) which holds a world record for building a 10-level human pyramid, is poised to take part in the dahi-handi events in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai this year. The 240-member team is led by Miquel Ferret has been invited by people here. They will compete with the locals for the prize. There are plans to promote dahi-handi as a tourism event by the Maharashtra government.

The human pyramid is slowly building up.

A five-level pyramid is ready with children as young as five at the top of this human pyramid. Interestingly, they are wearing helmets (in orange) which not many of our locals do.

All set to climb down from the pyramid they have  built in a matter of minutes.

Related Images: Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights

For images of Ganesh Idols lit up with decorative electric and psychedelic lights see this post: Ganpati at Night or try this one: Ganesh Pandal decorations on the streets  

More related Images: Priest performing a Pooja or Hanuman Temple

For religious symbols from Hinduism: Swastika graphics from India or Paduka or Guru's feet or or Shiva Pindi or Lingam

Ganpati at Night

These are photographs of Ganesh idols at pandals by the various Ganpati mandals. These are Ganesha decorations at night with different types of lighting
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The pandals are decorated with a mandap or canopy and decorated by fancy psychedelic electric lights at night. People go from pandal to pandal, looking at the pretty decorated Ganesh idols. Whole cities are lighted up, particularly Pune. All these pictures are taken in Pune. While these decorations are pretty and entertaining, one wonders how much money is spent at these pandals. People in surrounding areas donate the money, either willingly or unwillingly.

At this pandal the ganesh idol on the stage is bathed in red light. This light changes colour every half a minute, bathing the idol in colours like yellow, blue and red. A man and his small son look on fascinated. This is great entertainment for the man on the street!

Not just people on the street, the middle classes also love the lighted up Ganpatis! In this picture, a man is taking a photo of the Ganesh idol at the lighted up pandal. These colours keep changing.

These electric lights keep changing colour and design.

The same Ganpati as above, but this time the lights have changed to yellow and orange and the pattern is different. People have gathered around, hypnotized by the changing and moving electric lights.

The next two pictures are of the same Ganesh Pandal, the psychedelic  lights changing their hue and pattern every second. People also worship the Ganesh.

People stand around for a long time, watching these sights.

The next two images are of the same ganesh pandal. The lights keep moving and changing their colours.

A comparatively simpler Ganpati pandal, with psychedelic lights.

Related Images: Ganpati or Ganesh sketches or Ganesh Pandal decorations on the streets
More related photos: Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights or a Priest performing a Pooja or Hanuman Temple
For religious symbols from Hinduism: Swastika graphics from India or Paduka or Guru's feet or or Shiva Pindi or Lingam

Ganesh Pandal decorations on the streets

Telling stories from mythology is one of the themes of the Ganesh pandals. During the Ganesh festival a lot of Ganpati pandals come up on the streets in Maharashtra. These stage stories from the mythological books of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The pandals compete with each other to provide the best show and electric lighting and moving figures are common. (For Ganesh pandals lit up at night with figures of the Ganesh idol, check this post: Ganpati at Night)

People flock to see these pandals, which often block traffic. These pandals also come up during the time of Dassera, a religious festival which comes before the main festival of Diwali. The Dassera pandals come up in other parts of India as well as Maharashtra. All these photographs have been taken on the streets of Pune.

This is a demon or rakshas. He could be considered akin to the devil. He is portrayed in these pandals as part of a story where he is destroyed by the gods and goddesses.

Animals and their worship is a part and parcel of the Hindu religion. Hinduism does not see animals as inferior beings and gives them a high status, equal to that of humans. This is probably why wildlife has survived in India and not in the western world. Animals are revered, because it was recognized that they are a part of an eco system and necessary and useful for the world to survive. This is a part of Hinduism that I love and respect.

Elephants were used in war and cattle used for the milk products. Early Hindus recognized the importance of these animals and also that of other animals.

This is a demon that is being conquered by one of the Gods.

Spectators come from all over the town to watch the pandals. Visiting the pandals during the evenings and night is common as they are lighted up.

It is a way for children to learn the stories from the great mythology surrounding Hinduism. A way for the young to see the stories come alive.

Related Images: Ganpati or Ganesh sketches and for images of Ganesh Idols lit up with decorative electric and psychedelic lights see this post: Ganpati at Night

Or : Temple Silhouettes or Temple Outlines and Sketches or Ganesh or Ganpati Silhouettes
More related Images: Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights or Priest performing a Pooja or Hanuman Temple
For religious symbols from Hinduism: Swastika graphics from India or Paduka or Guru's feet or or Shiva Pindi or Lingam

Children and teenagers playing Holi with colours

Here are some photographs of people playing Holi. Urban kids and teens playing Holi with balloons, colored water and pichkaris. At one time the people of Maharashtra played Holi on the day of Rang Panchami, which comes five days after the day of Holi. Today they play on the day of Holi, like in North India. Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month. For more on the significance of Holi try this link.

These are images of children and teenagers spraying coloured water on each other. There are buckets filled with coloured water. The clothes of the children are dirty, muddy and coloured.

A group of children spray coloured water on each other. Others prepare their pichkaris to spray the water. Today natural colors are rarely used as it was in the olden days. The chemical colours are harmful for the skin and body.

Children love throwing colours on each other. It is all fun and games, but then ignorance is bliss.

Here a few children are mixing some thick colour in the palms of their hands. This is often applied to people's faces and can cause a rash or other allergic reaction. Almost all of the blues and greens are chemical colors but are rubbed on to the face regardless. For some reason parents do not caution their children.

Playing with water is the best. But then most teens will look down on it. Here you can see the faces of the boys smeared with chemical colours. There have been cases where blindness has been caused due to the use of these colours.

In this picture the older boy is helping the younger one to fill a plastic pichkari with water or colour.

Related Images:  Children playing Holi in semi-rural India

Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights

These are a few photographs of Indian cities during the festival of Diwali. Diwali is the most important festival in India. It is the Festival of Lights, although nowadays people have turned it into a festival of noise by bursting crackers. The lights make the cities look bright, colourful, happy and quite beautiful.

The first picture shows tall buildings in the distance, all lit up with electric lights of different colors. In the foreground you can see a brightly lit crossing and some residential buildings.

This is another photograph of an apartment building shining with Diwali lights of different hues and decorations.

The two buildings below show the lighted apartment buildings aglow with Diwali lighting. The apartments which are empty have no lights. A fair amount of detail can be seen in the photos, including parked cars and two-wheelers.

In this photo you can see the firecrackers light up the city in the distance. In the foreground firecrackers are being burst as well, in the apartment complex. The dark area in the middle has trees, and therefore no lights.

Or check out Diwali Air Pollution image.

For images of Ganesh Idols lit up with decorative electric and psychedelic lights see this post: Ganpati at Night or try this one: Ganesh Pandal decorations on the streets  

More related Images: Priest performing a Pooja or Hanuman Temple

For religious symbols from Hinduism: Swastika graphics from India or Paduka or Guru's feet or or Shiva Pindi or Lingam

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