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In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


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Dhvaja

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Dhvaja literally means ‘that which stands tall’.

‘Dhvaja’ is a flag or a banner fixed on a post and is a common feature in the temples. The post is called ‘dhvajastambha’ and the flag itself is a metallic plate either made of copper or brass.The dhvajas made of cloth are hoisted in temples temporarily on special occasions like brahmotsava and rathotsava. Some of the saṁnyāsins also carry a dhvaja on their staffs.

Symbols on Dhvaja[edit]

Dhvaja contains the figure of the vāhana (carrier mount) of the main deity in the temple. For instance:

  • If it is a temple of Śiva, the figure on the banner will be that of a bull (Nandi).
  • If it is a temple of Devī, the figure on the banner will be that of a lion.
  • If it is a temple of Viṣṇu, the figure on the banner will be that of a Garuḍa (eagle).

References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Apurva Mahendra Bhangdia, Deval Sancheti

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