There are many origin myths and much folklore about rice. In China goddesses, gods, and sacred animals gave rice to humans and taught them how to grow it. Religious use of rice takes place in China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. Discover Myths, History and Folklore of RICE in China, one of the oldest rice cultures.
… CHINA: On the origin of Rice 稻 – Myths, History and Folklore
Discover India’s cow and bull in History and Mythology and it’s use in traditional Indian medicine. Explore the varied meanings of the Sanskrit word Go गो … INDIA: On cow and bull in History & Mythology
Discover mythology, history and traditional medicinal use of Omani Frankincense Hojari, once and today.
Discover Myths and Legends of the Thaipusam – Lord Murugan festival at Palani, where devotees pray, carry the kavadi and dance at the festival.
The Gotipua folk dance tradition from Odisha is practiced in the heritage village of Raghurajpur on the banks of the river Bhargabi. Here young dancers are trained from the age of five to sing and dance to praise Lord Jagannath and tell the story of Radha and Krishna.
Rasagola, or rasgulla, as many call it, is a traditional sweet from east India; Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The main ingredient is Chena – cottage cheese, obtained by heat and acid coagulation of milk and cooked and caramelized in sugar juice. Discover history, myth and folklore of Rasgulla in Odisha, India.
In the month of Shravan, cities and towns of the Gangetic plains are inundated with people, dressed in orange, bearing saffron flags, marching to loud music, and carrying a stick sling with pots or bottles tied to either end. They are fetching Ganga water and bringing to the local Shiva temple, a ritual that marks the end of summer and beginning of monsoon. They are the Kanwariyas. Discover the Kanwar Yatra – Mythology of the pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s Kanwariyas.
Harela is celebrated for welcoming the rainy season, the new harvest and to commemorate the wedding anniversary of goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Discover Myth and Folklore of Harela or the day of green – Festival of the Kumaoni people of Uttarakhand.
The river Ganges meanders through various northern and eastern states of India, streams through Bangladesh, and vanishes into the Bay of Bengal. Ganga is a river and a goddess indivisible from each other. Her water has the power to cleanse — as most Hindus believe — every kind of sin. Bathing in Ganga liberates the soul as does dying in it reaffirming the Hindu notion of Moksha – salvation. Discover the Mythology of the Ganges river or Mother Ganga.
Discover Myths and Legends of Lumbini Buddhas birthplace, the birth story of Gotama Buddha and Lumbini in historical travel accounts. Lumbini is a Pilgrims nirvana.
Aphrodite Αφροδιτη was the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. The pomegranate, the myrtle and the apple are trees associated with Aphrodite on Cyprus, discover treelore and mythology.
… CYPRUS: TREELORE – Trees associated with Aphrodite on Cyprus
Myth has it that Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation, arose from the sea foam on the south-western coast of Cyprus. References in ancient authors and archaeological evidence may prove that Aphrodite and her cult originated on this island. What is certain is that throughout antiquity the Great Goddess, in different aspects was worshiped on Cyprus. There were several sanctuaries on the island dedicated to her, the most famous in Paphos. Discover Myth and Cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus.
Read about sacred Rituals done by Taoist priests and spirit mediums, caught in meditative trance, during the festival. It starts with the welcoming of the gods into the temple where they are worshiped for nine days, and ends when the gods are sent off on the ninth day. The festival is known for the temple processions that take place during the celebrations. Discover Myths and Folklore of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Georgetown – Penang.
… MALAYSIA: The Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Georgetown – Penang
Discover Myth and Folklore of Buddhas Tooth Relic and the Kandy Esala Perahera Festival
Kumara, enthusiastically comes into the house and says: ”Take camera, come, come”, I had no idea what to expect and run out into the scorching sun. We escaped the heat of the dry season to Valparai, deep into the Western Ghats, mountains, of Tamil Nadu. Discovering it was Thaipusam – Tamil Nadu’s Lord Murugan festival.
Discover treelore from Nepal – The Toothache tree of Kathmandu, where you can pray to Danteshwori Devi, the Goddess alleviating toothache. If you cannot ask your pain away, try visiting the dental clinics nearby.
Discover legends, myths and folklore of the coconut palm tree and its use in traditional Indian culture.
Oral literature abounds with proverbs, fables, myths, and legends associated with this special nut and have been associated with the origin of the plant in India, Malaysia, Hawaii, Myanmar, Maldives, Philippines, Indonesia, and Polynesian countries.
While doing a Panchakarma in Kerala, India I witnessed how Annapurṇa – The kitchen goddess, got a temple in the new kitchen, this ritual is called kumbhabhishekam.
The Legends of the Herons, or Kokokan birds in Petulu Gunung, Bali is well known and they are an impressive spectacle as they fly every evening into the trees of the village to sleep and feed their offspring. For many visitors to Bali, the unofficial story behind the Petulu herons is one of the first hints that there’s more to the people and culture than would appear in the smiling faces and brightly coloured ceremonial clothes.
Historically, the Mid Autumn Festival was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice and wheat with food offerings made in honor of the moon. Also known as the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, or simply the Mooncake Festival, it also celebrates the legends of Chang’e 嫦娥, the Goddess of Immortality and her companion, the moon rabbit, called also 月兔 Yùtù or Jade Rabbit.
Indonesia, like many other nations, has banned cock fighting as a cruel sport, although traditional Tajen- Cockfighting in Bali is still allowed for ceremonial purposes. The term bali refers to blood offerings and/or animal sacrifice. These fighting birds are as much a part of Balinese Hindu rites as the burning of incense and giving offerings to the gods.
Animal sacrifices in Bali and the mythological origins source from the records in palm-leaf and Hindu literature. Animal sacrifice or bali in Sanskrit, has turned up in almost all cultures.
… INDONESIA: On animal sacrifices in Bali and the mythological origins
There are many origin myths and much folklore about rice, it is believed that a goddesses gave rice to humans and taught them how to grow it. Religious use of rice takes place in India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. In Asia, the rice spirit is female and often a mother figure, in Bali she is called Dewi Sri or Devi Sri. Devi Sri and Mae Posop of Thailand are treated in similar ways- respectful and protective. Discover Myths, History and Folklore of RICE in Bali. … INDONESIA | BALI : Myths, History and Folklore of RICE, Nasi
There are many origin myths and much folklore about rice, it is believed that a goddesses gave rice to humans and taught them how to grow it. Religious use of rice takes place in Indonesia, India, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. In Asia, the rice spirit is female and often a mother figure. In Thailand, the Rice Goddess is Mae Posop and the Indonesian Rice Goddess, Devi Sri, are treated in similar ways- respectful and protective. Discover Myth, History and Folklore of RICE in Indonesia. … INDONESIA: Myth, History and Folklore of RICE- Nasi
There’s more to rice than you think- Discover rice in Indian folk tales. India has a long and varied history, and its people are of most diverse origin and of different religious traditions. As might be expected, the folklore of India reflects this diversity of history and population. Several literary and religious collections of tales have been popular among the population for centuries.
