Hindu iconographyOver the millennia of its development, Hinduism has adopted several iconic symbols, forming part of Hindu iconography, that are imbued with spiritual meaning based on either the scriptures or cultural traditions. The exact significance accorded to any of the icons varies with region, period and denomination of the followers. Over time some of the symbols, for instance the Swastika has come to have wider association while others like Om are recognized as unique representations of Hinduism.
Ayyappanthumb|Statue d'Ayyappan au temple de Mridanga Saileswari, dans le Kerala. Ayyappan, (Malayalam : അയ്യപ്പന്) est une des divinités hindoues les plus vénérées d'Inde du sud. Il est aussi connu comme Dharmaśāstā(vŭ), Hariharasuta(n), Sāthanar, Sāstan, Cāttan (du sanskrit Śāstā), Ayyanār, Natrayan, Nattarasan (Nadu+Rayan, Nadu+Arasan = Roi du pays) et Bhūtanātha(n). Ayyappa est considéré comme né de l'union entre Kurma-Mohini (forme féminine de Vishnou) et Shiva.
KaveriLa Cauvery ou Kaveri (en காவிரி ஆறு et en ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ, kāverī) - le Khaberos de Ptolémée - est un des principaux fleuves du sud de l'Inde dans les deux états Karnataka (à l'est) et Tamil Nadu (à l'ouest), qui se jette dans le golfe du Bengale, près de . Long de à selon les sources, la Cauvery prend sa source dans les Ghats occidentaux, dans le district de Kodagu (Karnataka), traverse l'État du Tamil Nadu puis se jette dans le golfe du Bengale, à Poompuhar (district de Nagapattinam), en un grand delta de plus de , très fertile et aménagé de canaux d'irrigation, parmi les plus anciens du pays, certains comme le barrage Grand Anikut ou Kallanai construit au par Karikala datent de la grande période de la dynastie Chola dont le bassin du fleuve est le berceau.
PalaniPalani (paɻani or Palni as in British records, is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about south-east of Coimbatore and north-west of Madurai, from Kodaikanal. The Palani Murugan Temple or Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple (Thiru Avinankudi), dedicated to Murugan is situated on a hill overlooking the town. The temple is visited by more than 7 million pilgrims each year.
Trishulavignette|Trishulas portées en guise d'offrande. Temple de Guna Devi, près de Dharamsala, dans le Himachal Pradesh. Le Trishula (IAST : triśūla ; devanagari : त्रिशूल, « trois pointes ») est le trident, attribut de Shiva. Par imitation, il est l’attribut des yogis. Le fait est que le trident à trois pointes est symbolique de diverses trinités dans l’hindouisme : les trois gunas, la trimurti, le trika, ou le présent, le passé et le futur, parmi d’autres exemples. Glossaire de la mythologie et de l'iconograph
KangitenKangiten or Kankiten (歓喜天, "god of bliss"; Sanskrit (IAST): ), also known as Binayaka (毘那夜迦; Skt. ), Ganabachi (誐那鉢底, alternatively Ganahachi or Ganahattei; Skt. ), or more commonly, Shōten or Shōden (聖天, lit. "sacred god" or "noble god"), is a deva (ten) venerated mainly in the Shingon and Tendai schools of Japanese Buddhism who is the Buddhist equivalent of the Hindu god Ganesha. Although Kangiten (Shōten) and Ganesha share a common origin and a number of traits, there are also some marked differences between the two.
Pashupati sealThe Pashupati seal (also Mahayogi seal, Proto-Śiva seal; the adjective "so-called" sometimes applied to "Pashupati"), is a steatite seal which was uncovered in the 1928–29 Archaeological Survey of India excavations of the Indus Valley civilisation ("IVC") site of Mohenjo-daro, then in the British Raj, and now in Pakistan. The seal depicts a seated figure that is possibly tricephalic (having three heads).
