Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, November 21, 2010
found!!!
two interesting book and now i am trying to buy them or borrow them
- The six pointed star by O J Graham
- Explore the power of astrology TRIKONA by Dr. A.P. Parashar/Dr. V.K. Parashar
If anyone has the book please lend it to me
symbolism
The hexagram is based on the gestalt 
. The earliest examples of 
found are dated back to around 800-600 B.C. If the structure had been designed by a process of random experimentation with the basic graphic gestalt , the hexagram as graphically simpler than 
would have been created long before it. Present archeological and historical facts, however, indicate that first appeared at least 3,000 years later than .
During antiquity was a symbol for the Jewish kingdom. When this kingdom was conquered in A.D. 70, and, in fact, already some 100 years before that, the Jewish people began to spread throughout the world, as did the symbol .
The hexagram is sometimes known as the shield of David or the Magen David. According to the late Danish semiotician S.T. Achen, the Muslims refer to asSolomon's seal, whereas E. Zehren points out that the sign on Solomon's seal was . The hexagram is frequently used in the magic formulas in the old book of witchcraft, The Key of Solomon.
The alchemists of the Middle Ages used first and foremost as a general symbol representing the art of alchemy and secondly as a sign for combinations of 
, water and , fire. Combined these two triangles formed the symbol for fire water, the essence orspiritus of wine: alcohol. It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element.
In some alchemical contexts, however, was used to mean drink! or swallow!
The Jews in Europe used during the Middle Ages on their banners and prayer shawls. When they were repressed by the Church and the princes, however, a pointed hat, and later a yellow ring, were used to identify them as Jews, thus facilitating their segregation, not .
The hexagram became more popular during the nineteenth century and was used to decorate newly built synagogues. The founders of the Zionist movement adopted the hexagram as a rallying symbol in their attempts to create a Jewish national state in Palestine.
On November 9, 1938, at the orders of Heydrich, the hexagram combined with the colour yellow, earlier used to symbolize the Jews, and on ships' flags to symbolize that there was plague aboard, was introduced to mark all those of Jewish birth.
In blue appears on the flag of Israel since 1948.
It is interesting to note that also appeared in pre-Columbian America. In Uxmal, Central America, a plaited hexagram is found on a cliff engraving from around 1000 A.D. It has a "trailing" or "hanging" element, 
, under it, similar to structures used in the Phoenician cultural sphere around the Mediterranean during antiquity.
The hexagram, plaited and red, is used as a symbol for the Magen David Adom, a humanitarian organization similar to the RedCross.
Like the sign is hardly used in modern ideography except as a sign for electrical motors with 3-phase or 6-phase windingin engineering. The "empty" hexagram, without crossing lines, or the filled version, 
, is never used in Western ideography except as a form for a policeman's badge in Iceland and in certain states in the US (the sheriff's star). As form of a policeman's badge 
is also common in the United States.
. The earliest examples of found are dated back to around 800-600 B.C. If the structure had been designed by a process of random experimentation with the basic graphic gestalt , the hexagram as graphically simpler than would have been created long before it. Present archeological and historical facts, however, indicate that first appeared at least 3,000 years later than . During antiquity
was a symbol for the Jewish kingdom. When this kingdom was conquered in A.D. 70, and, in fact, already some 100 years before that, the Jewish people began to spread throughout the world, as did the symbol .The hexagram is sometimes known as the shield of David or the Magen David. According to the late Danish semiotician S.T. Achen, the Muslims refer to
asSolomon's seal, whereas E. Zehren points out that the sign on Solomon's seal was . The hexagram is frequently used in the magic formulas in the old book of witchcraft, The Key of Solomon.The alchemists of the Middle Ages used
first and foremost as a general symbol representing the art of alchemy and secondly as a sign for combinations of , water and , fire. Combined these two triangles formed the symbol for fire water, the essence orspiritus of wine: alcohol. It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element. In some alchemical contexts, however,
was used to mean drink! or swallow!The Jews in Europe used
during the Middle Ages on their banners and prayer shawls. When they were repressed by the Church and the princes, however, a pointed hat, and later a yellow ring, were used to identify them as Jews, thus facilitating their segregation, not .The hexagram became more popular during the nineteenth century and was used to decorate newly built synagogues. The founders of the Zionist movement adopted the hexagram as a rallying symbol in their attempts to create a Jewish national state in Palestine.
On November 9, 1938, at the orders of Heydrich, the hexagram combined with the colour yellow, earlier used to symbolize the Jews, and on ships' flags to symbolize that there was plague aboard, was introduced to mark all those of Jewish birth.
In blue
appears on the flag of Israel since 1948.It is interesting to note that
also appeared in pre-Columbian America. In Uxmal, Central America, a plaited hexagram is found on a cliff engraving from around 1000 A.D. It has a "trailing" or "hanging" element, , under it, similar to structures used in the Phoenician cultural sphere around the Mediterranean during antiquity.The hexagram, plaited and red, is used as a symbol for the Magen David Adom, a humanitarian organization similar to the RedCross.
Like
the sign is hardly used in modern ideography except as a sign for electrical motors with 3-phase or 6-phase windingin engineering. The "empty" hexagram, without crossing lines, or the filled version, , is never used in Western ideography except as a form for a policeman's badge in Iceland and in certain states in the US (the sheriff's star). As form of a policeman's badge is also common in the United States.
plan and format
Topic or Focus and working title:
The shatkona as a part of asthmangala and beyond ashtmangla
Justification (Why this topic or focus? What is the purpose of your research for you and for a wider audience? Why is it useful?):
Relationship to theory
There is nothing without a story in Indian Art. Every visual motif has a relevance in where, how and why it is used. The research I propose to take up is based on an aspect of an existing text called History of decorative art in Mughal architecture by R.Nath.
The Concept of the Ashtamangala
There are 8 main motifs used in Indian architecture before the Islamic invasion* which even theMuslims used in their buildings. They are used in other religions too and their meaning changes from religion to religion. The symbol has evolved through time and but the symbolism remains and so does the signification of auspiciousness.Relevance to the external environment/ Need The evolution of these motifs through time is very interesting. These motifs are still seen in our everyday environment, and are part our lives, even if we do not notice them.
Studying each of Ashtamangala symbol would not be feasible in the given time for this research. Therefore, I will focus on one symbol, the Shatkona. The form of the shatakona is made up of two triangles forming a star. The symbol is used in tantra, and other traditional knowledge/faith systems. The shatkona has adapted itself according to the changing times quite well. It’s adaption can be seen all around, my family home has a Iron gate which has star pattern and when I am travelling I can see the pattern on the windshield of car in front of me, pind baluchi has a whole wall which has star pattern. It’s a phenomenon which is going to be interesting to analyze especially in context of its modern day existence/relevance.
There is more confusions than answers everyone has their own conception about the Shatkona.
Relevance to your practice I feel every decorative motif found on our monuments has something to communicate and my research till now confirms it. I feel these motifs need a communicator to communicate their relevance in the society, their survival, their story.
I can see a story and I feel the story hidden behind the Shatkona. My research is an attempt to unearth this story.
What questions and methods you will use to answer them?
Sub questions and method used to answer them:
- What is the concept of the ashtmangalas?
Methods: Literature review. (Which books/articles/papers?)
Books: History of decorative art in Mughal architecture by R. Nath
Articles: Ashtmangala deva prashna by Shyamsundara Dasa
Ashtmangala by world lingo.com
Ashtmangla by symbol dictionary.com
- What is the meaning of Shatkona? From where did it originate? How it’s being used even today? What it was considered then and what it has become now?
Methods: Literature review.
Book: Yantra: the tantric symbol of cosmic unity by Madhu Khanna
Sri yantra – the ancient instrument to control the
psychophysiological state of a man
by alexey pavlovich kulaichev
- Can this generation relate to these motifs in the same way or any other way?
Method: Questionnaire about the motifs to be filled in by youngster and focus group discussion.
- How is it used these days? It’s journey from the forts and palaces to the normal household and from Sriyantra to the sign of satan?
Method: Observing its use taking photographs of it and reading about its uses.
Which main areas of literature do you intend to review and which specific key sources have you already identified
Key sources: Interview, observations of the pics taken and literature review. Use of visual tools?
Papers identified: Islamic star patterns By A. J. Lee
Books identified: History of decorative art in mughal architecture – R. Nath
Yantra: The Tantric Symbol of Cosmic Unity – Madhu Khanna
Tantric way by Ajit Mookerjee
Any other sources: (edit)
Internet
some uses of shatkona (hexagram)
- A six-point interlocking triangles has been used for thousands of years as an indication a sword was made, and "proved," in the Damascus area of the Middle East. Still today, it is a required "proved" mark on all official UK and U.S. military swords though the blades themselves no longer come from the Middle East.
- In Unicode, the "Star of David" symbol is U+2721 (✡).
- There is a plant named Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) in the lily family.
- In alchemy, the two triangles represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water. Non-Jewish Kabbalah (also called Christian or Hermetic Kabbalah) interprets.
- the hexagram to mean the divine union of male and female energy, where the male is represented by the upper triangle and the female by the lower one. Moreover, it derives four triangular symbols from it (two triangles crossed like a capital letter A and two uncrossed) to represent the four elements: water, fire, air, and earth. This use of the symbol was used as an important plot point in Dan Brown's popular novel The Da Vinci Code and the Da Vinci Code film cites this as the origin of the star.
It was also used as a sign for quintessence, the fifth element.
- In southern Germany the hexagram can be found as part of tavern anchors. It is symbol for the tapping of beer and sign of the brewer's guild. In German this is called 'Bierstern' (beer star) or 'Brauerstern' (brewer's star).
- A six-point star is used as an identifying mark of the Folk Nation.
- The main runways and taxiways of Heathrow Airport are arranged roughly in the shape of a hexagram.
- A hexagram in a circle is incorporated prominently in the supports of Worthing railway station's platform 2 canopy (UK).
frustrating part of my research
whenever i try to find smething on shatkona i find the same bit of information every where be it some book or be it some website. I want information beyond that bit. If anyone knows anything about shatkona or can suggest me some book please comment
meeting with amba sanyal and jolly rohtagi
they both used to teach us cultural study while we were in foundation. Jolly ma'm taught us the concept of mandla which is also called yantra. So i called them and fixed a time to meet them
Amba ma'm : Amba ma'm found the topic interesting though she had little information about it. She asked me to meet jyotindra jain in IGNCA and discuss this topic with him as she feels he is the expert on this topic.
Jolly ma'm : As she was the one who taught me mandla i had expectation she can be one of my expert but she said she has very little information about shatkona and i should talk to kapila devi vatsyayan about this. She even suggested me to talk to zacharias sitchin but sadly he expired few days ago. She told me that meeting the tantriks will be a nice idea but there is a difference between thinkers and the makers. They might make or use yantras but i am not sure they know much about it, but if you could find a learned tatntrik he will be your best expert. She told me i can find a tantrik in Rishikesh.
About yin and yang thing she said every civilization has it archetypal symbols they might be related or there might be no relation at all, but its difficult to find a relation.
Amba ma'm : Amba ma'm found the topic interesting though she had little information about it. She asked me to meet jyotindra jain in IGNCA and discuss this topic with him as she feels he is the expert on this topic.
Jolly ma'm : As she was the one who taught me mandla i had expectation she can be one of my expert but she said she has very little information about shatkona and i should talk to kapila devi vatsyayan about this. She even suggested me to talk to zacharias sitchin but sadly he expired few days ago. She told me that meeting the tantriks will be a nice idea but there is a difference between thinkers and the makers. They might make or use yantras but i am not sure they know much about it, but if you could find a learned tatntrik he will be your best expert. She told me i can find a tantrik in Rishikesh.
About yin and yang thing she said every civilization has it archetypal symbols they might be related or there might be no relation at all, but its difficult to find a relation.
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