Often civilizations are known in history by the names they are called by their contemporary civilizations. The sacred land of North-West India that we know as Punjab today has been named with various names over times by the civilization that interacted, communicated, traded, or warred with the people of this sacred land – Sumerian, Persians, Greeks, Chinese, and other regions of India. Figure1: Greater India and Punjab I am going to go through these names in chronological order that describes this geographic region. Its important here to note that the definitions are not just limited to the Republic of India but also includes neighboring countries as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka, Tibet, and many countries in Central Asia as well as SE Asia. Most of these political nations were carved out of India fairly recently relative to the history of the region. Meluhha - Sumerian Name for Indus Valley The oldest ever identity of th...
Artists Impression on Hindu Trinity Foreword : "I am an Indian Sikh who takes pride in my Indian, Punjabi, and Sikh heritage. My Indian heritage includes the religious belief systems of my ancestors who practiced Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. I hold Buddha and Hindu Gods such as Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, and Krishna with the highest esteem as they are part of my own heritage and consider them as ancestors of all Indians, including myself." In my understanding of the Indian religions, Hindu gods such as Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, and Krishna are regarded as male deities. Then why are these Gods depicted in a vast majority of art as having very feminine faces and no facial hair? I find this somewhat puzzling to look at, as they appear androgynous, but in a fake and a very unnatural way. Trinity of Hindu Gods Buddha The same can be said about the depiction of Buddha. In most sculptures, he is seen as a young man with slender figure and feminine face. Gautama Buddha As a Pun...