The Ganges Flows To Earth
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens|February 2017

Let’s travel to the southeastern coast of India where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean. Then, it’s off to an extraordinary place called Mahabalipuram(also spelled Mamallapuram), where Hindu stone sanctuaries from the seventh and eighth centuries c.e.dot the shoreline. One of the most remarkable of the monuments is a huge carving (pictured here).Measuring 98 feet long and 49 feet tall, it stretches across the surface of two boulders. This stone relief depicts the dramatic descent of the Ganges River,which, legends tell us, began in the heavens and then flowed gently to earth, thanks to the help of the Hindu deity Shiva.

 
Elizabeth ten Grotenhuis
The Ganges Flows To Earth

Following the Crack

Imagine the excitement of the sculptors and their patrons when they saw this untouched rock “canvas” spread out before them 1,400 years ago! They must have been inspired by the crack that separates the two boulders. It probably looked to them like it might be the sort of place where the Ganges River could descend to earth. And, indeed, on the ledge above it, the builders created a cistern for storing water. When that water was released, it ran along the crack to the bottom of the rock wall, creating the impression of a river flowing to earth. The water was released during special ceremonies celebrating the descent of the Ganges River.

As the sculptors began work so many centuries ago, they may have turned their attention first to the fissure, where they carved a naga king descending down the river (above). Nagas, or serpents, are worshiped in India as protectors of rivers, wells, lakes, and seas. They are believed to bring rain, and, in doing so, fertility and prosperity as well. The naga king is depicted as half-human and half-cobra, displaying a hood that rises behind his head like a halo. His serpent wife precedes him down the river as they descend to earth.

Denne historien er fra February 2017 -utgaven av Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 2017 -utgaven av Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA DIG INTO HISTORY MAGAZINE FOR KIDS AND TEENSSe alt
Worshiping Heaven
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Worshiping Heaven

For almost 500 years, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties offered sacrifices and prayers at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

time-read
3 mins  |
November/December 2016
Peace Reigns
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Peace Reigns

The news spread throughout Egypt—a new pharaoh, Ramses III, now sat on the throne.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2017
Problems To The East
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Problems To The East

Ramses III, the second king of Egypt’s 20th Dynasty, is viewed as Egypt’s last truly great pharaoh.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2017
The Successors
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

The Successors

Following the death of Ramses III, eight pharaohs, all named Ramses, ruled Egypt.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2017
Stone Code
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Stone Code

Hundreds of ships, led by the French general Napoleon Bonaparte, sailed from France in May 1798 on a secret mission.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2017
Up & Away!
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Up & Away!

Eclipse observers often face unexpected difficulties, sometimes on their way to their chosen sites and sometimes at a site itself.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2017
Edison's Eclipse Adventure
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Edison's Eclipse Adventure

Thomas Edison (1847–1931) is the best-known inventor in American history.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2017
Digging Up Copernicus
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Digging Up Copernicus

The scientist “who made the Earth a planet” is how the Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Owen Gingerich refers to Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543). Copernicus’ path breaking book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres,challenged the centuries-old belief that the Earth stood stationary at the center of the cosmos.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2017
Demosthenes & Cicero
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Demosthenes & Cicero

Even today, more than 2,000 years after they lived, Demosthenes and Cicero are still considered two of history’s most outstanding orators.

time-read
4 mins  |
May/June 2017
Confucius & Socrates
Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens

Confucius & Socrates

Some teachers are so inspirational that their influence lives on long after they die.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2017