Delhi, India: Every day of the week is named after a planet god. The surpising thing is that the planets chosen for each day in the Hindu calendar are exactly the same as the planets selected in Roman calendar. Thus "Somwar" (moon day) of India is also the moon-day in the west and "Shaniwar" (Saturday) is also saturn-day in the west. Traditional list of planets in India also includes two "shadow-planets" (Rahu and Ketu), but no week-days are dedicated to them. How did this happen to have common names between India and the west? Do middle-eastern countries also have similar names based on the planets? Today's images are of planet gods from Birla temple in Delhi.
दिल्ली, भारतः सप्ताह के हर दिन का नाम एक नक्षत्र देवता से जुड़ा है. मुझे यह सोच कर आश्चर्य होता है कि भारत के हिन्दू कैंलेंडर ने सप्ताह के जो दिन चुने, पश्चिमी रोमन कैलेंडर में भी सप्ताह के हर दिन के नाम उन्हीं नक्षत्रों पर हैं. इस तरह से हमारे "सोमवार" को वे भी सोम यानि चन्द्र का दिवस मानते हैं, हमारे शनिवार को वे भी शनि का दिवस मानते हैं. भारतीय नक्षत्रों की पाराम्परिक सूची में दो "छाया नक्षत्र" (राहू और केतू) भी हैं लेकिन उनके नाम पर कोई सप्ताह का दिन नहीं रखा गया. यह कैसे हुआ कि भारत तथा पश्चिमी दिनों के नाम एक जैसे नक्षत्रों पर रखे गये? क्या मध्य पूर्व के देशों में भी सप्ताह के नाम इससे मिलते जुलते हैं? आज की नक्षत्र देवताओं की छवियाँ दिल्ली के बिरला मन्दिर से हैं.
Delhi, India: Il nome di ciascun giorno della settimana è associata ad un pianeta. Mi sorprende il fatto che i pianeti scelti per dare questi nomi nel calendario indù in India sono uguali ai nomi scelti nel calendario romano. Il "lunedì" romano è il giorno della luna e il "sabato" romano è il giorno di saturno anche in calendario indiano. La lista tradizionale dei pianeti indiani comprende due "pianeti ombra" (Rahu e Ketu), ma essi non danno il loro nome ad un giorno della settimana. Come è successo questo di avere nomi dei giorni simili tra India e occidente? Anche i paesi del medio-oriente hanno nomi dei gironi simili? Le immagini dei dei pianeti sono del tempio Birla di Delhi.
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that was an informative and strange write up .. never knew the hindu calender was very similar to that of west when it comes to naming !
ReplyDeleteregards
Rahu-l :P
Thanks Rahul, yes indeed it is strange once you think of it. Hopefully some reader will provide some answers! :)
ReplyDeleteमेरे ज्ञान के अनुसार सप्ताह की गणना हमारी नहीं है. पखवाड़ा (शुक्ल व कृष्ण पक्ष) और माह का प्रचलन था. सप्ताह पश्चिम से आया और उसके नाम अनुवादित हुए. (मैं गलत भी हो सकता हूँ.)
ReplyDeleteतस्वीर में देवता ऐसे खड़े लग रहे है मानो कम जगह की वजह से गीर न पड़े :)
संजय धन्यवाद, तुम्हारी बात ठीक लगती है. क्या मालूम मध्य पूर्व के देशों में सप्ताह की बात, जो कि जुम्मे की नमाज से जुड़ी थी, कब आयी? और अगर यह पहले से थी, तो इसका अर्थ है कि सप्ताह भी भारत में मुगल या उनसे पहले के मुस्लिम शासकों के साथ आये थे, जैसे की तुर्की से आने वाले शासक? यहूदी शाबाथ यानि शनिवार को विषेश दिन मानते हैं, ईसाईयों में रविवार को प्रार्थना का दिम माना जाता है, शायद इन सब के लिए सप्ताह की सोच मध्यपूर्व से हुई जहाँ यह धर्म जन्मे?
DeleteIs one allowed to use camera inside the temple? I don't think so...
ReplyDeleteNishant, in Birla Mandir I never had problems about using camera. All tourist friendly places now allow cameras because they know that through FB, blogs, etc. people like telling others about the places they visit and create free publicity. Plus, now all mobiles have cameras, stopping photography is going to become even more difficult as time goes by. I think that it is important to ensure that photographers don't disturb religious moments or stand in front or use flash, but otherwise, how does it matter?
DeleteI remember almost 4 years back they didn't let me have my mobile phone inside. It was taken away at the entry and carefully packed in a small cotton bag with a token number written over it. May be, as you say, the times have changed:)
DeleteI have recently got a Canon EOS 550D camera. Using such professional-looking cameras can be very intimidating to some people as very few persons other than press and professional photographers use them in India. Now I regret why I sold away my sleek and small, pocket-friendly point and shoot.
Someday I'll let you see my images from my new camera, when I have them. Cold wave in Delhi doesn't want me to step outside at the moment.
I understand you Nishant. Even I feel a little uncomfortable with my Nikon SLR camera with a Tamron 18-200 mm lens as it is huge and heavy and it intimidates people. So I am back to using my ordinary nikon 9100 point and shoot camera most of the time, and use SLR for special occasions only! :) I would love to see your pictures, perhaps you can also start a photoblog! :)
Deleteeven i have often wondered about this...what is the answer?
ReplyDeleteAs Sanjay says above, probably India didn't have a tradition of weekdays (we reasoned in pakhwara and maas (lunar months) and we must have got the "week" at a later period and that's why the names correspond to Roman weekdays! :)
DeleteVery interesting post, just goes to show how all our cultures and religions are rooted in the same set of universal principles.
ReplyDeleteI agree Subhorup, I also feel that all the different traditions are rooted in the common principles of humanity.
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