#ganesha images

[jantanow]

धूमधाम के साथ हुआ बागपत में गणेश महोत्सव का शुभारंभ

बागपत, उत्तर प्रदेश। विवेक जैन। बागपत नगर के सिसाना रोड स्थित शिव भूमिया मंदिर के निकट गणेश महोत्सव का धूमधाम के साथ शुभारंभ हुआ। इस मौके पर गाजे-बाजे व ढोल नगाड़ों के साथ भगवान गणपति की शोभायात्रा निकाली गई। उसके बाद भगवान गणपति की प्रतिमा को सिसाना रोड स्थित शिव भूमिया मंदिर के पंडाल में स्थापित कर दिया गया। आचार्य आनंदेश्वर जी महाराज ने विधि-विधान के साथ भगवान गणपति की पूजा कराई।शोभायात्रा…

[jeevanjali]

Ganesh Ji Ki Aarti: हर बुधवार पूजा के दौरान करें ये छोटा सा काम, भगवान गणेश के आशीर्वाद से मिलेगी सुख-समृद्धिGanesha Ji Ki Aarti: हिंदू धर्म में गौरी पुत्र भगवान श्री गणेश को सभी देवताओं में प्रथम पूजनीय माना जाता है। इसलिए किसी भी शुभ या मांगलिक कार्य को शुरू करने से पहले भगवान गणेश की पूजा की जाती है।

[nammapandit]

Ganapthi Homam - Ganapathi Homam Price

Ganapathi Homam is a sacred Vedic ritual dedicated to Lord Ganesha, also known as Vinayaka, the deity of wisdom, intellect, and remover of obstacles. This ritual involves performing the homam by chanting the divine Vinayaka Mantra and following the prescribed rituals as per the shastras. By conducting Ganapathy Homam, individuals seek blessings for happiness, prosperity, good health, and overall well-being.

Ganapathi Homam is a sacred Hindu ritual dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the harbinger of good fortune. It is performed by devotees seeking his blessings to ensure the success and smooth progression of various endeavors. Chennai, a city rich in religious traditions, witnesses numerous Ganapathi Homams throughout the year. In this article, we will delve into the details of the Ganapathi Homam cost in Chennai, shedding light on the factors that influence it.

The Significance of Ganapathi Homam

Ganapathi Homam is a time-honored tradition in Hinduism. It is performed to seek Lord Ganesha's blessings, known as Vighnaharta, for the removal of obstacles and to pave the way for success and prosperity. The ritual involves reciting sacred hymns, offering various materials, and invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha. Devotees believe that performing this homam can bring them good luck, wisdom, and protection from negative energies.

Factors Influencing Ganapathi Homam Cost

The cost of a Ganapathi Homam in Chennai can vary depending on several factors:

Location: The cost of the homam may differ from one temple or service provider to another. Renowned temples or specialized priests may charge more for their services.

Type of Homam: Some people opt for a simple Ganapathi Homam, while others may choose elaborate rituals with additional offerings. The complexity and type of the homam affect the overall cost.

Material and Ingredients: The materials and offerings used in the homam, such as ghee, coconuts, flowers, and specific herbs, contribute to the overall cost.

Number of Priests: The number of priests or purohits required to perform the homam can influence the cost. Elaborate rituals may require multiple priests for a more extended duration.

Customization: Some devotees may have specific requests or additional rituals to be included in the homam, which can add to the overall cost.

Venue: If you choose to have the homam conducted in your home or at a temple, the venue's choice may impact the cost. Timing: Timing can also play a role in the cost. Special dates or auspicious times for performing the homam may involve additional expenses.

Donations: Many temples and service providers encourage devotees to make donations, which can add to the overall cost. These donations are often voluntary.

The Average Cost of Ganapathi Homam in Chennai

A simple Ganapathi Homam in Chennai can cost anywhere from INR 2,000 to INR 5,000. This cost includes the priest's fees, materials, and basic offerings. For more elaborate homams with additional rituals, the cost can range from INR 5,000 to INR 10,000 or more. It's essential to discuss the specific details and requirements with the priest or service provider to get a precise estimate for your Ganapathi Homam.

When To Perform Ganapathi Homam?

Ganapathi Homam can be performed on auspicious occasions, especially during festivals dedicated to Lord Ganesha such as Ganesh Chaturthi. Additionally, Wednesdays, which are associated with Lord Ganesha, are considered favorable for conducting this ritual.

Benefits

Removal Of Obstacles Lord Ganesha is renowned as the remover of obstacles. Performing Ganapathi Homam can help individuals overcome challenges and hurdles in various aspects of life. Intellectual Growth Seeking Lord Ganesha's blessings through this ritual can enhance one's intellectual abilities, wisdom, and knowledge, paving the way for educational and professional success.

Prosperity And Abundance Ganapathi Homam is believed to attract blessings for prosperity, abundance, and financial well-being by removing hindrances that block the flow of positive energies. Health And Wellness By invoking Lord Ganesha's blessings, individuals can receive protection and good health, both physically and mentally. Aiding The Arts Lord Ganesha is the patron of literature, arts, and creative endeavors. The homam can inspire creativity and innovation in artistic pursuits.

Conclusion

Ganapathi Homam is a revered tradition that holds a special place in the hearts of many devotees in Chennai and across the world. The cost of performing this ritual can vary depending on a range of factors, as outlined above. Whether you opt for a simple ceremony or a more elaborate one, seeking the blessings of Lord Ganesha through Ganapathi Homam can be a spiritually enriching experience, and the cost is a small investment in the pursuit of a prosperous and obstacle-free life.

FAQs

Who is Lord Ganesha? Lord Ganesha is a revered deity in Hinduism, often worshipped as the elephant-headed god of wisdom, intellect, and new beginnings.

How is the Homam Performed? Ganapathi Homam involves the recitation of sacred mantras dedicated to Lord Ganesha, followed by offerings into the fire to invoke his divine presence and blessings.

Is Ganapathi Homam Only for Hindus? While rooted in Hindu traditions, the universal aspects of wisdom, intellect, and prosperity make Ganapathi Homam suitable for individuals seeking guidance and blessings, regardless of their background.

Can Individuals Perform Ganapathi Homam at Home? Individuals can perform Ganapathi Homam at home with the guidance of qualified priests or spiritual experts. Alternatively, services like Nammapandit offer assistance in organizing this ritual.

What Are Some Common Offerings During the Homam? Common offerings include modak (a sweet delicacy), red flowers, durva grass, and coconut, all of which hold symbolic significance in Lord Ganesha's worship.

[daedalus369]

Biomechanics: gANEsh 06

made with Dall-e 2 / Bing Image Creator

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Mystical Items & Objects

Examples in Mythology and Literature

Pandora's Box

The god Prometheus stole fire from heaven to give to the human race, which originally consisted only of men

To punish humanity, the other gods created the first woman, the beautiful Pandora

As a gift, Zeus gave her a box, which she was told never to open

However, as soon as he was out of sight she took off the lid, and out swarmed all the troubles of the world, never to be recaptured

Only Hope was left in the box, stuck under the lid

Anything that looks ordinary but may produce unpredictable harmful results can thus be called a Pandora's box

Hermes' Winged Sandals

Also called the Talaria of Mercury

Are winged sandals, a symbol of the Greek messenger god Hermes (Mercury)

They were said to be made by the god Hephaestus of imperishable gold and they flew the god as swift as any bird

Cintamani Stone

Also referred to as the Chintamani

A wish-fulfilling stone that features across both Hindu and Buddhist religions

The stone features as one of many Mani Jewel (i.e., several gems that are mentioned prominently in Buddhist literature) images that can be found in the scripture of Buddhism

In Hinduism, the stone is connected to the gods Ganesha and Vishnu

Usually, it is depicted as a jewel in Vishnu’s possession known as the Kaustubha

The Kaustubha acts as a sign of divine authority

Arcane Artifacts & Objects

Offer a gateway between time past and time present, bringing layers of ancient history and new-world intrigue to a narrative

Such items are typically represented in fiction as works of long-lost knowledge, primordial features or landmarks, and curious objects of mysterious origin

Often lying dormant until the pivotal moment of discovery, these items invite characters and readers alike into a dance with the unknown

Examples: Necronomicon, Genie's Bottle

Necronomicon

Also referred to as the Book of the Dead

It appears in stories by H.P. Lovecraft

A dark grimoire (i.e., a magician's manual for invoking demons and the spirits of the dead) of forbidden knowledge

Used to open gateways of unearthly powers and cosmic horrors

Genie's Bottle

The classic magical item from mythology, also featured in Aladdin

A vessel of wish fulfillment that often leads to dramatic and unexpected consequences

Doorways & Portals

Doorways in fiction serve as gateways between worlds, dimensions, or states of reality, providing characters with universe-hopping capabilities and genre-defying journeys

These portals, whether physical structures or fantastical mechanisms, open up limitless storytelling possibilities, allowing for sudden shifts in setting and introducing elements of surprise and surrealism

Examples:

C.S. Lewis' wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia serves as a secret portal to a fantasy world, bridging the mundane with the fantastical

The eponymous board game in Jumanji transports its players into a wild and perilous jungle adventure, wrenching them from the safety of their living room

Jewelry, Gems, and Garments

Along with other various accessories, these serve several narrative functions, from symbolizing power and status to bestowing unique abilities upon their wearers

These items can act as plot catalysts (i.e. MacGuffins), embody character traits, or hold deep cultural or magical significance within a story’s world

Example: The Amulet of Mara in Skyrim not only reduces the cost of Restoration spells but also unlocks marriage options for the player, integrating gameplay with the narrative

Legendary Objects of Power

Carry with them stories of grandeur and lore, passed down through generations and intertwined with the fates of those who wield them

These are the objects that make or break worlds, bestow immense strength, and are frequently considered among the most powerful items in fiction

Example: Though it's never actually been seen, the Kusanagi Sword from Japanese folklore is a fabled sword that represents valor, said to be endowed with divine powers

Machinery and Technologies

Stretch the boundaries of physics and logic to offer a glimpse into what could be possible in alternate or future universes

These innovations, whether grounded in current science or verging on the fantastical, propel narratives forward and deepen the complexity of the story’s world

Writers can leverage these technological wonders to enhance their storytelling, using them to explore themes of power, ethics, and the human relationship with technology

Example: The body shields in Dune generate a protective forcefield around the wearer—advanced technology that current militaries can only dream of

Mundane Everyday Items

Possess extraordinary storytelling potential to transform the unassuming into the unforgettable

Seemingly ordinary, these objects can surprise both characters and readers, unveiling hidden depths and abilities when least expected

These seemingly mundane objects could fall into unsuspecting hands and create chaos or catalyze a hero’s journey

Additionally, they might only reveal their true nature to those worthy or capable of wielding their power, which can set the stage for narratives that are centered around discovery and mastery

Example: Oscar Wilde’s Portrait of Dorian Grey presents art as a vessel for dark magic, encapsulating the protagonist’s sins while he remains untouched by time

Sources: 1 2 3 4

[talonabraxas]

May the wisdom of Lord Ganesha guide you in all your endeavours. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 2024!

Ganesha ॐ Talon Abraxas

Ganesh Chaturthi : An annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesh Chaturthi and ending on the fourteenth day of the fortnight (Anant Chaturdashi) which typically falls in late August or early September. Celebrations are traditionally held on the fourth day of the first fortnight (Shukla Chaturthi) in the month of Bhaadrapada in the Hindu calendar. The grand festival celebrated throughout India, especially in Maharashtra and Telengana includes worshipping by families at home, by people at their places of work and in public. The public celebration involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines) and group worship. At home, an appropriately-sized clay image is installed and worshipped by offering puja and prasad (typically Modaks and laddus) with family and friends. At the end of the festival, the idols are immersed (and dissolve) in a body of water such as a lake or pond.

Ganesh Mool Mantra

The Ganesha Mool Mantra is also known as the Ganesha Beeja mantra or the Bija mantra. In Hindi, ‘Beej’ means seed – the source of everything in the universe. This powerful mantra combines several of the Ganpathi beeja mantras, especially the beeja or the seed sonic vibration associated with Lord Ganpati –‘Gam’.

“Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Glaum Gam Ganapataye Vara Varad Sarvajan janmay Vashamanaye Swaha Tatpurushaye Vidmahe Vakratundaye Dhimahi Tanno Danti Prachodyat Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi”

Meaning : The Ganesh Mool mantra is the most succinct and powerful Lord Ganesha mantra of all. This mantra celebrates the unique and divine form of God Ganpati (Ganesha) and his powers. The Ganesha Mool (root) Mantra, beginning with the incantation of ‘Om’ evokes positivity, purity, energy and the presence of Lord Ganpati in one’s life.

Benefit : The Ganesh Mool Mantra is believed to create a powerful aura around one’s body because of the cosmic energy in the sound vibrations of the Sanskrit words. This mantra is uniquely musical and lifts the mind to a state of trance. It is widely chanted during Pujas and Yagyas to please Lord Ganesha. It brings peace, good luck, success and removes all obstacles from one’s life if incanted in the proper way.

Powerful Ganesh Mantra - For Success, Removal of All Obstacles:

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 18 thoughts

zoo episode! sad zoo episode.

but. i was giggling. because our very serious agents were forced to say lines like "you think it was an invisible elephant?" and i was laughing!!! sue me!! we can hold space in our hearts for the sentiments that both the sad animal story is sad AND ALSO the thought of them doing investigation work at the zoo is comical. like the tiger is INVISIBLE.

okay. from the top we start.

a janitor is grooving. his partner tells him to stop. i say, keep grooving, man. you deserve it.

dancing has been interrupted!!! stuff is exploding and crashing and we hear elephant noises?? invisible elephant.....? that can BECOME visible?

it seems while in invisible it went a bit sicko mode as the kids say and then came back to visibility mode down the road

(where did renting an elephant for this episode fit into the s2 budget....)

so elephant has been spotted. a family calls the cops. and i understand the sentiment but i'm not sure the cops can do a whole lot about the elephant situation.

NOOO a child is crying as the elephant is dying in the road... this will be a core memory for those poor girls

(elephant actor is really selling it though... emmy nomination deserved)

back to the scene where the janitors saw things explode. mulder jumps out the window and i can't explain why it was really funny lmao

mulder is convinced that the elephant being found dead some miles away is related to this scene of destruction. and yeah, the dead guy DID have an elephant footprint on him. but no one saw an elephant and the janitors were very much there the whole time. so what's the truth?

this is so silly. i'm laughing.

mulder's explaining his theories and scully deadpans "an invisible elephant?" and i'm laughinggggg. can you imagine an elephant making a huge scene but somehow the witnesses just managed to miss the giant creature responsible.

the zookeeper, whose name is ed, arrives at the scene. scully asks about the dead elephant, and ed corrects her use of the elephant's pronouns, which made me think he was an ally.

(later we learn that he was beating all the animals, so this is decidedly un-allied behavior. ally certificate revoked)

the elephant is named ganesha- hey, i understood that.

mulder says he's heard of the "elephant rebellion" phenomenon, and asks if this is an example. yeah of course this man knows about the elephant rebellion. "fucking nerd", i wrote in my notes.

(actually, i am aware that this season aired in 1996, and the infamous Hawaiian elephant incident was 1994. the phrase "elephant rebellion" sounds very niche and nerdy in 2024, but at the time i image this was still very fresh in the world's minds, and part of a wider reckoning on how animals are treated for the sake of entertainment, and this episode is commentary upon that. i was not around for this national discussion, but i did watch askamortician's video on the incident, which is very good by the way. i have mostly grown up in a world free of animals in circuses and with zoos as conservation agents, so interesting to get glimpses into the discussions that led to the shaping of the world i live in)

but then we see the zoo!!! zoo time!!! there are penguins. i saw penguins like that at the zoo once :)

they go to talk to the naturalist who is basically like "idk how the elephant got out" and i'm thinking, girl shouldn't you be... more invested in this?? like an elephant died. ur not even shedding a tear. i would be in mourning.

they see where the elephant was staying when she wasn't on display, and it's frankly awful. scully asks why it was so small, mulder notices chains on the floor, and she says it was leftover from the 1940's, and that ed is treating them poorly, and i understand why this and other elephants have chosen violence

the folks from a radical anti-captivity group are protesting the whole situation. and she refers to them by some acronym that mulder immediately understands, which is further evidence that he must listen to npr or something. my professor that knows everything all the time listens to npr so i'm guessing that is what mulder does too.

meetup time with the dude leading the protest! his name is kyle, and he is saying that no animals should be in captivity, and he often kidnaps animals from zoos to let them go... and i'm not sure if this is a great idea?? because if an elephant has been raised in captivity its whole life, is it gonna know how to be in the jungle?? idk i am not a scientist.

this episode is suuuuper fuzzy and has a very vhs quality to it... i bet y'all were sleeping on this episode, huh? i'm guessing there wasn't as much effort placed into de-fuzzing it because it was about invisible animals and not one of the "hard hitters" of the season. but i think it's camp and i'm seated.

so kyle reveals that ed, the zoo guy, is treating his animals awfully at this point, which is where i formally revoked his ally status. and he says that the naturalist is too busy being sued over her gorilla to really focus on making the zoo more humane.

yeah, you heard that: she "saved" a gorilla and took it home, and now the government of the country she took it from wants it back.

"i thought you said she saved this gorilla?" scully asks, and i dissolve into further fits of laughter, because that is such a funny line out of context and even in context.

well, she "saved" the gorilla by bringing it home and sticking it in a cage, so kyle isn't pleased by the whole ordeal.

so, what to make of these anti-captivity activists? mulder says he thinks they're all talk and not really apart of the whole crime, but scully says she thinks they are behind the elephant's fate, and will release another animal to get the zoo shut down. this is a deep philosophical difference.

he leaves and says he is going to talk to the animals, because i knew that was the type of guy he is

(he's actually lying, though. well, sort of, because he's calling his buddies at the lone gunman, that conspiracy magazine he is involved in somehow. and it's a video call using a camera and a projector, or as i described it in my notes, "a biblically accurate zoom")

his pals thinks its related to the nearby UFO hot spot, and offer this fun fact:

"no animal at the zoo has ever brought a pregnancy term" <- and yeah. i hit pause and yelled "WHAT" so quickly. hey. what's going on. are the aliens getting involved in their reproductive cycles??

frohike, the strange man who is always hitting on scully, hears mulder's phone ring and adds "if that's the lovely agent scully, let her know i've been working out" and i sentence him to a sentence of 10,000 years in the dungeons. (and this is a reduced sentence for his quick thinking in sneaking out her blood work when she was in coma mode)

she's calling to let him know that someone from the anti-captivity organization is breaking into the zoo!!! not a very good look for their cause!!! he climbs a fence to break in, and she looks around cautiously before doing the same. she is normally a ruler follower, after all.

where is this dude going?? to the... lions? he's setting up a camera?

ed the zookeeper has materialized behind scully, who explains she was following someone else, and then they go off into a warehouse area

but the activist dude is setting up his camera- probably just to record their poor conditions rather than anything nefarious, i think- when BAM! flash of light! terrible ruckus!!! tiger is invisible...?

activist man, you are going to be EATEN!!! and the camera is rolling while this happens!!!!

scully's trying to talk to kyle, the head of this whole organization, who is saying he doesn't know why the dude broke into the zoo, and he had nothing to do with it, and she says that if she finds out he was involved in getting that dude eaten by a tiger that she will have him charged

mulder comes to get her, and it's very cute.

she is mad!!!! "you know, that guy really pisses me off" she says, and mulder asks if she's calmed down- bad move, let her be angry- but he tells her that the video showed the attacker was INVISIBLE! even though she examined the body and it was CLEARLY mauled to death!!!! even more frustration ensues.

mulder decides he must question the gorilla... he is so open minded :)

(the gorilla has been taught sign language, so this is a thing you can actually do. but for a guy big into aliens, i don't think talking to a gorilla is really out of the picture, even if there was no known method of communication)

he asks her a few questions and gets very vague answers, learning that the gorilla really wanted a baby, and i'm like, where is this going... he says he is going to need scully's help and i'm thinking... is he going to have her give the gorilla a pregnancy test.....

not quite! it is ELEPHANT AUTOPSY TIME!!!

he is watching all this go on from above and commenting and NOT soiling his pristine suit by getting inside the elephant guts which made me laugh. just watch 'em do the dirty work big guy. i guess he wouldn't know what the hell he was looking at anyway. but with all the other random shit he knows maybe he WOULD know how to identify elephant pregnancy.

and his hunch is correct: scully says the elephant had been pregnant, delivering this news in very fancy medical terms while her face and clothes are covered in elephant gore. oh yeah baby. that's fbi work.

(she is so brave because i would Not have been able to do any work with elephant blood on my face)

okay okay now the tiger that got out has been tracked to a building... and the naturalist really really does NOT want to have to shoot him... but ed the animal beater does, and he kills the tiger!!!!!! what is he hiding....

this poor naturalist, who i am suspicious of, is just taking L after L, and dead tiger is not helping

and GUESS WHAT? tiger was pregnant at one point, too!!! even though there were no efforts to make that happen!!!! how could this be??

"what do you know about alien abduction?" he asks her, entirely serious. she laughs and we see his deadpan face. it never gets old seeing people think he is deeply strange and unusual.

he proposes that perhaps the aliens are taking the pregnant animals and their embryos, and then dropping them back down on earth, which the naturalist describes as "the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard". she has not opened her mind to the idea of the space-time continuum turning them invisible when they come back.

despite the hostile reception to his theories, he watches intently while she asks more questions to the gorilla in sign language. but as this is going down, she is given an order to put the gorilla into custody. another L.

faced with the thought of losing her gorilla, she goes to kyle, who she begs for help, and when he says that she should let the gorilla go back into the wild, she yells "she's MINE, kyle" which is a lot. and he refuses to help. honestly he was kinda rude about it but i understand sticking to your morals.

but he seems to change his mind, because he comes to the zoo at night, calling out for her. and i'm thinking, no, an invisible animal is gonna eat you!!!! but this isn't what happens... something FALLS ON HIM and KILLS HIM!!!! huh???

scully figures out that kyle and the naturalist knew each other, and asks if she went over to his office to ask for help, which she denies. because she is a liar. and she is also deeply mad, and says "why don't you ask agent mulder, he seems to have a novel theory... maybe it was alien abduction" okay queen this is even ruder like he is trying to HELP you

mulder thinks that SHE killed kyle so she could keep the gorilla... which would be tea...

he investigates the cage and he uses a pen to avoid making any fingerprints... will be employing this tactic if i am ever at a crime scene investigation....

he sees ed, the trainer slash animal beater taking off, with guns!!!

back in her office, the naturalist is packing up all the things from her office, including a framed photo of her smooching the gorilla... (sabrina brier voice) oh!

scully is like well ur actually not gonna leave right away. because it looks like kyle was kinda murdered. and she says it was an accident, ed was scared and hit him with a cattle prod. and out of desperation, she gave ed the gorilla. THE ANIMAL BEATER?? you gave HIM your precious baby??? girl.... these decisions.....

back at a warehouse he tracked down ed to, mulder is holding him at gunpoint, which he is remarkably good at doing

the gorilla is going ham because she is in a weird and dark place and mulder says ed, you're gonna have to tranquilize her... but when they open the door, he doesn't shoot and instead leaves mulder in the room with an outraged gorilla!!!! no, mulder, we all shout!! she pummels him, and he doesn't seem to know sign language, so there is a immovable language barrier!!!!

but she backs off from pummeling him, which is good, because gorillas are horrific and CAN kill you.

(and i semi-recently saw a gorilla at the zoo so i'm looking at this one, and i'm trying to figure out if it's a real creature or a dude in a suit... pls someone feel free to share what the truth is. i mean if they got an elephant actor maybe they could hire a gorilla one too... but it looks off. kind of like a guy in a suit. so i'm thinking about that episode of spongebob with the scary guy in a gorilla suit. which was honestly a scary episode!!! but i digress. mulder locked in with gorilla)

OH. LIGHT FLASH! alien time....?

he wakes up on the floor with a bloody head from gorilla pummeling, and scully bursts in, trying to get him to stay still because there is a big bleeding wound on his head, a place you do not want a big wound to be. she is really doing her best to wrangle him and take a look, but he is too wiggly for this.

the naturalist is at the scene, and he does the sign language the gorilla did back to her, which was quite good. if i saw a gorilla do sign language after it beat me i would not remember how she moved its hands. good memory on that mulder guy.

they get a call for an animal in a field, and of course, it is the gorilla, who was hit by a car, and the naturalist sobs into her... fur? hair? as she dies. a tragic end to a gorilla life.

mulder wraps the case up, asking the hard hitting questions: are aliens stealing zoo animals to breed them and steal the embryos, and then preserve them? is it archival or conservationist in nature? he gets very philosophical, as he always does when writing a report. and i can imagine skinner reading this and saying "... okay" and then not saying anything else.

so, what did i think? well, i think they aren't gonna want to recreationally visit a zoo for a while, which kills that one fantasy of mine, but don't worry, i'll make them go to a museum instead. and if there is museum related trauma in a future episode we can work around that.

honestly though, was this episode the best? nah. but was it campy? yeah. the aliens made the tiger invisible, dude. how could you not love that?

i do think this episode was trying to partake in the growing discussion of animal captivity and ethics, especially in the wake of the elephant incident of 1994, and i'm not sure if it really takes a stance beyond "hurting animals is bad". i suppose if anything it comes off looking like it supports the anti-zoo agenda, which is still something that is in the public discourse. i know because i follow a lot of zoos on instagram and there is always someone in the comments saying that the creatures should be free and then someone else countering that they are super endangered and actually he is doing just fine in his cage, eating an appropriately designed cake for his needs. but that discourse hasn't left the public sphere, so it's interesting to see it represented here.

and maybe aliens ARE interested in conservation. i would personally just take the whole animals rather than stealing their embryos and leaving the creatures on the side of the highway, but what do i know? not much in terms of tigers.

i liked seeing scully get pissed off, i thought that was really funny. but overall, this episode was more intersting to me in terms of cultural commentary and outlandish plot than character devlopment. which is fine!!! we need a break from the heaviness of the last two episodes.

[artifacts-archive]

Standing Ganesha

Cambodia, second half 7th century

In Southeast Asia, Ganesha, the Hindu deity who removes obstacles, has a more independent status than in India. His images were often housed in separate temples as primary icons of worship. Here, Ganesha is shown wearing a short wraparound skirt (sampot), the front end of which falls down the center in a series of flaring folds characteristic of the Prasat Andet style.

[uwmspeccoll]

Publishers’ Binding Thursday

This week for Publishers’ Binding Thursday I am sharing Indian Fairy Tales, selected and edited by New South Wales-born folklorist and writer Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916) with illustrations by English painter, illustrator, and printmaker John D. Batten (1860-1932). Jacobs is best known for popularizing well-known versions of classic children’s tales like “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Batten illustrated a series of books by Jacobs, all focusing on folk and fairy tales. 

The binding features an illustration of who I think may be the Hindu goddess of snakes, Manasa, resting in a lotus flower on the 7-headed snake demigod Shesha printed in red on tan book cloth. According to good old Wikipedia, Manasa is often pictured under the hoods of 7 cobras, not necessarily the multi-headed Shesha. On the reverse is the god Ganesha also printed in red with a little mouse at his feet. I believe the cover illustration to have been done by Batten, as there is a B near the bottom left of the cover image and the image of Ganesha is featured on the Wikipedia page for Batten. Of course, please take this information with a grain of salt, as most of this was researched on Wikipedia and we all know things on the internet can be wrong.

This book is from our Historical Curriculum Collection, which features books for children. I’ve included illustrations and details from the book that I personally love, like the little historiated letter O with a mouse in it, the serpent in the shape of the letter N, the kitty cat, and of course, the old hag. 

View more Publishers’ Binding Thursday posts.

View more posts from our Historical Curriculum Collection.

-- Alice, Special Collections Department Manager

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Red is the colour associated with the Goddess. Lakshmi wears red, Durga wears red, Red is blood, It is the colour of the earth before the rains. It is the colour of life and fertility, Kumkum is the red colour made using saffron or turmeric while Sindoor is the red of the setting sun obtained on earth from cinnabar. These are worn by men as tilak and by women as bindi. These are the colours to smear images of Ganesha and Hanuman.

And hurled into the sky, during the festival of Holi.

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Divine Greetings: Explore Various Options of Lord Ganesha's Morning Images!

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[mybeingthere]

Standing Ganesha

Cambodia, second half 7th century, pre-Angkor period

Stone, Dimensions: H. 17 1/4 in. (43.8 cm); W. 10 9/16 in. (26.9 cm); D. 6 in. (15.2 cm)

In Southeast Asia, Ganesha, the Hindu deity who removes obstacles, has a more independent status than in India. His images were often housed in separate temples as primary icons of worship. Here, Ganesha is shown wearing a short wraparound skirt (sampot), the front end of which falls down the center in a series of flaring folds characteristic of the Prasat Andet style.

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September 6, 2024: Chennai, India Children wear masks in the guise of the Hindu deity Ganesha on the eve of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival Photograph: R Satish Babu/AFP/Getty Images