Religious symbols in Desai' Clear Light of Day
Nikky Singh, Department of Religious Studies, Colby College
Lavina Shankar, English Department, Bates College

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rel_28x
Nataraja: Shiva,
The God of Dance 		rel_22x
Krishna 		rel_30x
Krishna playing his flute 		rel_21x
Krishna 		rel_23x
Krishna
rel_18x
Radha 		rel_19x
Krishna dancing 		rel_25x
Baby Krishna
on the Swing 		rel_17x
Krishna: the Clothes Thief 		rel_16x
Radha Krishna Union, symbolic of atman and brahman unity
rel_15x
Krishna embracing his
gopis (cowherders)		 rel_13x
Goddess Durga 		rel_12x
Goddess Laxmi 		rel_11x
Goddess Sarasvati 		rel_10x
Goddess Kali
Mishra brothers and sisters are Hindu:

330 million gods and goddesses--all manifestations of the Formless One

  • atman=Brahman
  • Bhagavad Gita: Lord Krishna and Arjuna dialogue
      Three yogas:
    1. Action
    2. Knowledge
    3. Love (Bhakti)

  • Indian art shows intense and passionate love between Krishna and Radha
  • Time? Historical, chronological, mythic, and mechanical
  • Political leaders: Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru

    • The Das
    family house
    is located
    between
    Hindu and
    Islam families.

    		Hyder Ali's Family is Islam:

    Genesis in Saudi Arabia but arrives as early as 711 in sind region

      Five Pillars of Islam
    1. There is no God but God and Muhammad is His Prophet
    2. 5 Daily Prayers
    3. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
    4. Almsgiving
    5. Pilgrimage to Mecca

  • Babur defeats the Lodi Sultans and establishes the Mughal empire in 1526
  • Hamayun recovers Delhi in 1555
  • Akbar 556-1604, Din-I-ilahi, Jahangir 1605-1627
  • Shah Jahan 1627-1658 (builds Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz)
  • Dara Shikoh 1615-1659 (Sufi poet, rules for one year)
  • Aurangzeb 1659-1707
  • Political leader: Jinnah