Yogi Bhajan, Master of Kundalini Yoga, was a Sikh, another spiritual path that endorses this practice. However, Yogi Bhajan presented wearing a head covering as a technology, explaining that, as yoga gets your energy moving, topping your crown with natural fabric helps to contain and uplift you. It also provides a mild cranial adjustment and prevents headaches and that “spaced out” feeling.(www.yogamint.com)

Different Mudras

Explanation of the different Mudras (hand gestures) represented in sculptures of the Buddha

The composition of a mudra is based on certain movements of the fingers; in other words, they constitute a highly stylized form of gestural communication. It is an external expression of ‘inner intention’, suggesting that such non-verbal communications are more powerful than the spoken word.

Another interesting significance of the mudra is that it reveals the secret imbued in the five fingers. In such a perspective, each of the fingers, starting with the thumb, is identified with one of the Five Elements: Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, and the Earth. Their contact with each other symbolizes the synthesis of these elements, significant because every form in this universe is felt to be composed of a unique combination of these elements. This contact between the various elements creates conditions favorable for the presence of the deity at rites performed to secure some desired object or benefit.

• Dharmachakra mudra – Gesture of teaching the Dharma
• Bhumisparsa mudra – Gesture of the Buddha’s taking the Earth as witness
• Dhyana Mudra or Samadhi Mudra – Gesture of meditation and concentration
• Abhaya Mudra – Gesture to assuage fear
• Varada mudra – Gesture of offering the gift of Dharma
• Vitarka mudra – Gesture of reasoned Exposition
• Anjali mudra- Gesture of requesting and veneration

Did you know ?

Pashmina originates its name from the wool shorn from the underbelly of indigenous goats which live in the remote and  freezing cold high altitude areas of the  Himalayan regions of Nepal, Tibet and Central Asia .  These animals are blessed with a very short inner coat of hair, which is one of the best natural insulation in the world. 

The “Pashm” which is the Persian word for “wool”, refers to the inner coat fur of  the Tibetan goat  named Carpa Hircus. These goats only graze in the west Himalayan Mountains.

What is the difference between Pashmina and Cashmere ?

Karl Spilhaus, the president of Boston’s Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute said “Pashmina is just cashmere … there’s no difference between the two. The Pashmina is simply the Indian word for cashmere.”

Pashmina products are usually made either from 100% Pashmina  or from wool, pure silk and different ratios of Pashmina wool. Commonly the ratio is 70/30 silk -pashmina  but you also find a ratio of lower pashmina wool content like 50 /50 .Quality

Be aware that with the advent of viscose and silicone softener you often get sold products which seem extremely soft and pleasant on your skin but which are made of silicone treated normal wool or often even viscose.

The difference between the low priced  pashmina and the best quality pashmina lies in the quality of the fibers from the Capra Hircus goat . The good quality pashmina wool is taken from the underbelly of the goat, whereas often the wool of the cheaper pashmina is culled from the rougher parts of the animal for example the goat’s back.

 Unfortunately, many of the pashminas sold today are of this variety.

Wool pashminas

Customers from around the world are constantly being offered by manufacturers,  “quality pashmina. ”India is especially a great source of fake pashminas, which don’t even contain any shred of pashmina wool. While they’re made of wool, manufacturers use softeners to fake the appearance and pass it on as genuine pashmina.

This is fine if you pay the price for wool or viscose but not of if you get charged prices for pashmina wool. 

 Cheap synthetics

Some cheaper pashminas are made from acrylics, or from the regular cotton and wool. Over the years, the word pashmina has come to acquire a rather generic meaning which encompasses even the cheap quality pashminas, or the pashminas woven from a blend of inauthentic pashmina wool and silk.

Dyes and manufacture

The other qualities or the factors that distinguish a quality pashmina from a synthetic one are the specific fabric blend and the looming method as well as the dye. The authentic pashminas use only natural dyes, which are heavy metal and acid-free dyes.

Why would anyone want to buy a pashmina of inferior quality?

Well ,the faux  pashminas do look often  very similar to the real counterpart . They can also be machine washed, contrary to the real pashminas which needs more care. For daily use at the office, in the outdoors or even just to keep warm at home they can be of good use. They are easily and cheap to replace.

But once you own a real piece of pashmina you will see the difference and will never go back to the artificial one.

I refer to my shawls as my security blanket and like to quote Wikipedia :

A security blanket is any familiar object whose presence provides comfort or security to its owner, such as the literal blankets often favored by small children.

Did you know?

• It takes 4 years to get a Capra-Hircus sheep grown up, that gives  enough hair to weave a Cashmere woolen sweater.
• The Cashmere wool more easily absorbs the water than ordinary wool.
• The diameter of Cashmere has to be less then 19 microns (the diameter of our hair is about 75 microns)
• According to experts, the Cashmere will keep you warm 8 times better than ordinary wool

Ganesha

India is truly a treasure house of sculptural art.

Spread throughout its length and breadth are memorials of carved temples, stunningly intricate designs , and other sculptural artifacts.

Stone craft in India has been in existence for a very long time. From ancient times to the present, this craft has traveled a long distance. In its course it developed many styles as the Maurya, The Gandhara, the Mogul and many more.

The artisans of Orissa , especially Puri are under the most accomlpished of their trade. In fact they are Artists themselves , giving each stone life energy and a special vibe in expressing their love to indian sculpturing, indian history, mythology and religion.
They are proud not to use any machines , any other tools than centuries back ,namely hammer and chisel.

Many of the religious statues like Ganesh ( remover of obstacles ), Krishna(source of all pleasure), ,Durga ( female power ) , Saraswati ( goddess of knowledge), Lakshmi ( goddess of wealth ) Apsaras ( Temple dancers ) Shiva (the transformer , destroyer ) Brahma ( the creator ) Vishnu ( the presever ), are replicas of the Konark Temple , one of the sacred places of India situated near Puri. The stone artisans draw much of their inspiration from these monuments and statues. Most of the statues in the state of Orissa show similarity in form and details to the sculptures of the Jagannath Temple at Puri and Konark Temple .

Anjali Mudra

• Made with two hands joined vertically in front of the chest, as in the attitude of prayer.
• Evokes an offering of good feelings of one towards another
• Also indicates veneration if it is made at the level of the face
• This Mudra is reserved for praying figures – which often accompany a statue of the Buddha in the art of India or South East Asia.

Vitarka Mudra

The hand is held closer to the chest than in the Abhaya Mudra. The palm is facing outward. A circle is made with the index finger and the thumb. The other three fingers point upward. Initially made with the right hand, later on the gesture is often portrayed with both hands
Sometimes also substituted for the Dharmachakra Mudra

• Sometimes called “Mudra of Explanation”
• This Mudra is made with both hands in Abhaya and Varada, but with the thumbs touching the tips of the forefingers.
• Symbolises one of the phases of the teaching of the Buddha, that of discussion or dispensation of the Dharma.
• This is the Mudra that convinces listeners and leads them to conversion or enlightenment.
• Variant of the Mudra:
  Thumb may not completely touch the forefinger, or it may extend beyond it on the side

Varada Mudra

The hand lowered with the palm facing outward is the gesture of bestowing blessings or of giving charity. The hand is extended downward, palm out. Mostly on standing Buddha images, but sometimes also represented in the sitting position.

• Mudra offering, giving, welcome, charity, compassion and sincerity
• It is the Mudra of the accomplishment of the wish to devote oneself to human salvation
• It is nearly always made with the left hand
• Various variant of the Varada Mudra:
• Rarely used alone, usually in combination with another mudra made with the right hand often Abhaya.

Abhaya Mudra

• Symbolises protection, benevolence and peace, and the dispelling of fear
• Generally made with right hand raised to shoulder height, the arm crooked, the palm of the hand facing outward, the fingers upright and joined
• This mudra – appears to be a natural gesture, probably used in prehistoric times as a sign of good intentions
• The hands raised and unarmed proposes friendship, or peace
• Traditional Indian gesture of appeasement made by the Buddha when. He was attacked by an angry elephant, which immediately calmed the animal.

Dhyana Mudra

• Mudra of meditation and concentration and of attainment of spiritual perfection.
• Assumed to be the mudra the Buddha adopted when meditating and reaching enlightment under the Pipal tree.
• Gesture also adopted since time immemorial by yogis during concentration and mediation excercises.
• Indicating perfect balance of thought, rest of senses and tranquility.
• May be made with one or both hands. When made with a single hand the left one is placed in the lap, while the right may be engaged elsewhere. The left hand making the Dhyana mudra in such cases symbolizes the female left-hand principle of wisdom. Ritual objects such as a text, or more commonly an alms bowl symbolizing renunciation, may be placed in the open palm of this left hand.
• When made with both hands, the hands are generally held at the level of the stomach or on the thighs. The right hand is placed above the left, with the palms facing upwards, and the fingers extended. In some cases the thumbs of the two hands may touch at the tips, thus forming a mystic triangle.
• Position of the Samadhi mudra with the joined thumbs forming a triangle is symbolic of the Triratna (Three Jewels) namely the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The triangular form also indicates the firmness of the body and of the mind.

Bhumisparsha Mudra

• This mudra literally means “gesture of touching the earth”
• Portrays the Buddha taking the earth as witness
• Symbol that the temptations of Mara had failed to divert the Buddha from his resolve
• Describes the moment in life of Gautama Buddha when, armed with his resolve to remain seated under the Bodhi tree until he has solved the problem of the cessation of suffering, he took the earth as testimony that no temptation has thwarted him from his purpose.
• Typical of the representation of the historical Buddha – Buddha seated in the lotus position, the right hand touching the ground with the finger tips near the right knee, all the fingers extended, or only with the tip of the forefinger, while the left hand rests, palm upwards, in the hollow of the thighs.

Dharmachakra Mudra

• This is the position of the “Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.”
• It symbolises one of the most important moments in the life of the Buddha, the occasion when He preached to his former companions the first sermon after His Enlightenment, in the Deer Park at Sarnath.
• Generally reserved for the images of Gautama Buddha
• Position of the Dharmacakra mudra – two hands placed together in front of the breast, with the right palm forward and the left palm upward or facing the breast, the joined thumb and index fingers of each hand nearly touching those of the other.