Hymn to Tripurasundarī (Hindu deity).

Unlock the secrets of one of India's most fascinating historical sites with this detailed guide to the inscriptions at Sravana Belgola. Featuring expert analysis and interpretation by archaeologist and epigraphist B. Lewis Rice, as well as detailed photographs and maps, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Indian history, religion, and architecture. The Archaeological Survey of Mysore is a leading authority on Indian historical sites and is known for its meticulous research and documentation. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The present book is divided into eight Chapters including introduction and conclusion. Chapter Ist deals with the introductory aspects of the book in which attempts have been made to show Sun-Worship in India in different periods of cultural history, besides the methodological issues of the study. Chapter IInd highlights origin and history of Deo-Sun-Shrine on the basis of analysis of folkloric traditions. Chapter IIIrd reveals the religious activities of the shrine over the period of a year. Chapter IVth presents the origin, history and performance of Chhath-Vrata, a very famous Sun-festival. Chapter Vth describes the Chhath-Geet (song) collected for the study. The analysis of Chhath-Geet (song) indicates the manner purpose, motive and belief behind the performance of Chhath-Vrata. Chapter VIth is devoted to the study of Chhath-Mela and arrangement in which attempts have been made to classify visitors, hotels, shops, means of recreation and facilities provided by the administration to the visitors. Chapter VIIth explains the management and maintenance of the shrine in which roles played by administration, priest family, inhabitants of local area and devotees coming from different parts of our country have been dealt with. The last Chapter presents summary and main findings of the study. It also brings out the suggestions of devotees for solving their various problems and also for the beautification of the place Deo.

Few other Hindu gods guide a regional consciousness, pervade walks of everyday life and define a collective psyche the way Lord Jagannath does in Odisha and its contiguous areas. Jagannath is metonymic of Odisha and the Odia way of life, arguably much more than any other god for a particular geography or its peoples. While not derecognising the historical and the spiritual aspects of Jagannath, Bonding with the Lord attempts to look at the deployment of Jagannath in contemporary cultural practices involving the sensorium in the widest sense. The project of a cultural Jagannath not only materialises him in people's everyday practices but also democratises scholarship on him. The expansion of the scope of research on Jagannath to cultural expressions in a more encompassing way rather than confining to 'elitist' religious/literary sources makes him an everyday presence and significantly enhances his sphere of influence. Jagannath's 'tribal' origin, his association with Buddhism and Jainism and his avatari status make him an all-encompassing, multilayered symbol and a treasure trove for multiple interpretations.