{"id":631,"date":"2026-07-01T05:35:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T04:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merder.org\/?page_id=631"},"modified":"2026-07-01T05:35:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T04:35:05","slug":"hinduism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/merder.org\/?page_id=631","title":{"rendered":"Hinduism: Images, Symbols, and Sacred Places"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wrig-page\">\n<style>\n    .wrig-page { max-width: 1120px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 1rem; line-height: 1.55; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-page h1 { margin-bottom: .35rem; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-note { border-left: 4px solid #52616b; padding: .7rem 1rem; background: #f6f7f8; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(260px, 1fr)); gap: 1rem; margin: 1.25rem 0; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-card { border: 1px solid #d9d9d9; border-radius: 6px; padding: 1rem; background: #fff; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-card h2 { font-size: 1.15rem; margin-top: 0; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-card img { width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; border: 1px solid #ececec; background: #f7f7f7; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-caption { margin-bottom: .75rem; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-meta, .wrig-caution { font-size: .92rem; color: #333; }<br \/>\n    .wrig-caution { background: #fff8e6; border-left: 3px solid #b98200; padding: .55rem .7rem; }<br \/>\n  <\/style>\n<h1>Hinduism: Images, Symbols, and Sacred Places<\/h1>\n<p>This gallery presents Hindu images and sacred forms selected for study and comparison. Use the images to observe deities, attributes, stories, temple culture, and regional variation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-note\">These images are selected for study and comparison. Look closely at the source, rights note, caption, and category for each image before drawing conclusions.<\/p>\n<section class=\"wrig-grid\">\n<article class=\"wrig-card\">\n<h2>Shiva as Lord of Dance, Nataraja<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/merder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hinduism-shiva-as-lord-of-dance-nataraja-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Shiva as Lord of Dance, Nataraja\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-caption\">This bronze shows Shiva as Nataraja, the Lord of Dance. It connects Hindu iconography with cosmic creation, preservation, destruction, and renewal. Students can compare the deity&#8217;s attributes and movement with other Hindu images.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Category:<\/strong> Shiva\/Nataraja<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/39328\">The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Rights\/license:<\/strong> The Met Open Access \/ public domain<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Why included:<\/strong> Adds Shiva\/Nataraja category.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"wrig-card\">\n<h2>Vishnu, Kathmandu Valley<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/merder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hinduism-vishnu-kathmandu-valley-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Vishnu, Kathmandu Valley\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-caption\">This image represents Vishnu in a regional Nepalese context. It helps students identify divine attributes and compare forms of Hindu devotion. It broadens the page beyond Ganesha images.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Category:<\/strong> Vishnu\/Krishna<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/677426\">The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Rights\/license:<\/strong> The Met Open Access \/ public domain<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Why included:<\/strong> Adds Vishnu category.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"wrig-card\">\n<h2>Durga Slaying Mahisha<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/merder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hinduism-durga-slaying-mahisha.jpg\" alt=\"Durga Slaying Mahisha\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-caption\">This image shows Durga defeating Mahisha, a specific Hindu mythic scene. It connects visual details such as weapons and multiple arms with divine power and restoration of order. Students can compare narrative deity imagery with temple and devotional images.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Category:<\/strong> Durga\/Devi<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/78186\">The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Rights\/license:<\/strong> The Met Open Access \/ public domain<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Why included:<\/strong> Adds Devi\/Durga category.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"wrig-card\">\n<h2>Standing Ganesha<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/merder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hinduism-standing-ganesha.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Ganesha\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-caption\">This image shows Standing Ganesha. It connects directly to Hinduism through ganesha. Students can use it to compare how objects, texts, sites, and practices communicate religious ideas in a World Religions course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Category:<\/strong> Ganesha<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/art\/collection\/search\/38159\">The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Rights\/license:<\/strong> The Met Open Access \/ public domain<\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\"><strong>Why included:<\/strong> Added from existing local verified\/approved CSV data.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"wrig-questions\">\n<h2>Questions for Looking Closely<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>What specific details in the image connect it to this tradition?<\/li>\n<li>What source information helps you interpret the image responsibly?<\/li>\n<li>How does this image complicate a simple or stereotyped understanding of the tradition?<\/li>\n<li>What comparison could you make with another image on this page?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/merder.org\/world-religions-images\/\">Back to World Religions Image Gallery<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wrig-meta\">Source note: Image records and rights statements are shown with each card. WordPress-hosted image files are used only after the source image or existing media URL has been verified.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hinduism: Images, Symbols, and Sacred Places This gallery presents Hindu images and sacred forms selected for study and comparison. Use the images to observe deities, attributes, stories, temple culture, and regional variation. These images are selected for study and comparison. Look closely at the source, rights note, caption, and category for each image before drawing &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/merder.org\/?page_id=631\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Hinduism: Images, Symbols, and Sacred Places<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":628,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=631"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":844,"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/631\/revisions\/844"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/merder.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}