Is Geet (the show) becoming too westernized? - Page 11

Originally posted by: bDgT

In our art forms:

Raja Ravi Varma's paintings combined the sacred and the seductive: passive Mandodari suffering her unfaithful husband; unhappy, abandoned Shakunthala; Draupadi in a state of utter despair; coquettish Menaka seducing the sage Vishwamitra; and the many portraits of beautiful, winsome women, identifiable female types of his time. So do you call this "westernized"

Originally posted by: JanakiRaghunath

Actually, I do. As much as I appreciate the skill of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings, I do not approve of how he painted some of the woman.

Sorry if it's such a crime to think that.

Nothing is a crime IF we leave our moral high ground and moral posturing!

In the Kushan period in the second and third AD, the exact point in time when Indian art adopted the fully nude image as its representation of the female form, which modern examples tell us is degrading to women is also the moment at which women achieve their greatest authority (at Mathura) in religious activity, judged by the inscriptions from Mathura women form nearly a third of Buddhist donors, and probably nearly half of Jain donors.

By contrast in Gandhara, to the north, and in the same period, when the images are more modest, apparently less dangerous to women, they are absent from public religious activity. [Source: Indian History]

So that is a great example that women's sexuality was exposed at those times.

Regarding male and female being intimate, if they are not married, when exactly did marriage become sanctified and become an institution. Certainly not in the Vedic age that you quote from the Rig Veda.

Also the Ardhanarishwara is about the union of Shiva and Parvati to come as one like Yin and Yang.

Does our temple architecture not depict intimacy? Are all those people sanctified by marriage?

Originally posted by: bDgT

In the Kushan period in the second and third AD, the exact point in time when Indian art adopted the fully nude image as its representation of the female form, which modern examples tell us is degrading to women is also the moment at which women achieve their greatest authority (at Mathura) in religious activity, judged by the inscriptions from Mathura women form nearly a third of Buddhist donors, and probably nearly half of Jain donors.

By contrast in Gandhara, to the north, and in the same period, when the images are more modest, apparently less dangerous to women, they are absent from public religious activity. [Source: Indian History]

So that is a great example that women's sexuality was exposed at those times.

Regarding male and female being intimate, if they are not married, when exactly did marriage become sanctified and become an institution. Certainly not in the Vedic age that you quote from the Rig Veda.

Also the Ardhanarishwara is about the union of Shiva and Parvati to come as one like Yin and Yang.

Does our temple architecture not depict intimacy? Are all those people sanctified by marriage?

Bri u hv said it all..nothing left for me to say👏👏👏👏👏...Even I had the same question in mind..When and who exactly Legalised the institution of marriage...It was not introduced by God for sure...we humans introduced this ritual for our own convenience...😊

There is one shocking and nerve racking article I will share if you are up to it Janaki, because this will completely blow our thinking and make us wonder WHAT exactly is THIS INDIAN ETHOS all about?

Ready!? Now don't get angry with me or please don't take it as something I am doing to hurt you or anyone's thinking here. This is too explosive for me to digest even but can't help but share it as it is education in the end, may be the wrong type of education, but nevertheless:

http://www.glbtq.com/arts/indian1_art.html (what alternative lifestyles people see that we ordinary people may not see)

http://www.kushan.org/reviews/courtesansandtantric.htm (what others think though we may not think)

Bri -- Lovely lovely reply ⭐️⭐️

Originally posted by: jyoti06

Bri u hv said it all..nothing left for me to say👏👏👏👏👏...Even I had the same question in mind..When and who exactly Legalised the institution of marriage...It was not introduced by God for sure...we humans introduced this ritual for our own convenience...😊

Originally posted by: Priya.

@red -- Bri and Jyo --- read that and went hunting and found this article .......

Rajwade quotes Bhishma from Mahabharata (Shanti Parva 207th chapter) wherein evolution of institution marriage is given down the ages.

• In Kritayuga there was no discrimination among blood relatives. Copulation was common.
• In Tretayuga mutual touch indicated desire for sex (There was no relation between sex and progeny. The children belonged to the whole community)
• In Dwapara yuga Maithunadharma (pairing-discipline) evolved. Though it was only a live-in relation to start with, parentage was a slow process. But it became stronger by and by and father and mother of the child began to be identified.
• It was only in Kaliyuga that dvandva or mutual responsibility and permanency in man-woman relation developed. Marriage came to have sanctity attached to it. With Fire God, relatives and public at large as witness, a marriage could not be annulled.

It is not in as many words, but in short pithy ways evolution of marriage custom is narrated. But Rajwade feels that it is nicely and convincingly put in a socio-anthropological way by Bhishma about the custom that evolved more than 5,000 years ago!

here's the link to the article.

http://www.kamat.com/jyotsna/blog/blog.php?BlogID=1183

Something abt the V.K.Rajwade mentioned there.( popularly known as Itihasacharya Rajwade was an eminent historian, scholar, writer, commentator and orator from Maharashtra.....The Indian History Congress has constituted Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade Award for life-long service and contribution to Indian history...fm Wekipedia)

".He explored one more important source of history i.e etymology (study of origion of words), led to several archaic rituals & practices of man-kind and he proved it on the basis of ancient texts. His incomplete work on the "History of Indian Marriage - Institution" shows his sound knowledge of Sanskrit (including archaic and Vedic Sanskrit) as also vast reading of world literature in English of the period. His unbiased interpretation of hoary mantras, and Mahabharata and Puranic episodes regarding man-woman relation & evolution of marriage custom led to storm of protests. He was far ahead in rational approach towards study of history""-- Dr.Jyosna Kamat.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Priya, absolutely brilliant job! Kudos for fishing out this very important text from Rajwade. I am really glad that you found his work, he is one of the pioneering thinkers of any time, his vision and understanding of Indian culture is impeccable though there are so many who was against his views.

👏 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Originally posted by: jyoti06

[Bri u hv said it all..nothing left for me to say👏👏👏👏👏...Even I had the same question in mind..When and who exactly Legalised the institution of marriage...It was not introduced by God for sure...we humans introduced this ritual for our own convenience...😊