Tag Archives: symbol

Hindu Wedding (Bael Karma) – Series 2

A set of Bael Karma – wedding video images from Bhutan.

Format: DV 720×576

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In Hinduism, the Bael tree is very sacred, used in worship of the God Shiva.

A Bael karma is a ceremony in which pre-adolescent Hindu girls are married to a bael fruit, which is a symbol of the god Shiva, ensuring that the girl becomes and remains fertile.

It is believed that if the girls husband dies later in her life, she is not considered a widow because she is married to Shiva and so already has a husband that is believed to be still alive. As a widow she would not be permitted to wear colour, make-up or jewellery and often would have a diminished position in society or may be expected to offer herself on the funeral pyre of her disease husband.

In Bhutan the Pradhan caste follow the tradition of Bael karma for girls which takes the form of a full marriage ceremony performed on an auspicious date by the Brahmin.

Hindu Wedding (Bael Karma) – Series 1

A set of Bael Karma – wedding video images from Bhutan.

Format: DV 720×576

[wp_cart:Hindu Wedding (Bael Karma) – Series 1:price:0:end]

In Hinduism, the Bael tree is very sacred, used in worship of the God Shiva.

A Bael karma is a ceremony in which pre-adolescent Hindu girls are married to a bael fruit, which is a symbol of the god Shiva, ensuring that the girl becomes and remains fertile.

It is believed that if the girls husband dies later in her life, she is not considered a widow because she is married to Shiva and so already has a husband that is believed to be still alive. As a widow she would not be permitted to wear colour, make-up or jewellery and often would have a diminished position in society or may be expected to offer herself on the funeral pyre of her disease husband.

In Bhutan the Pradhan caste follow the tradition of Bael karma for girls which takes the form of a full marriage ceremony performed on an auspicious date by the Brahmin.

Bhutanese Cows – Series 7

A set of video images of calves in rural Bhutan

Format: DV 720×576

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Cows are mainly used for milk production in rural Bhutan. For Hindus cows are sacred, a provider of food and symbol of life.

Cows provide an abundance of important products, including milk, browned butter for lamps, and fuel from dried dung. Bulls are used for breeding and for pulling ploughs.

Milk and milk products make a sizeable part of the income of small scale farmers as well as contributing to a healthy diet for children and adults alike.

Non milk producing cows may be slaughtered for meat, so beef in Bhutan, coming from old livestock, can often be rather tough .