Take a Quiz on Hindu Symbols and Icons

The conch shell is a major Hindu article of prayer, used as a trumpeting announcement of all sorts. The God of Preservation, Vishnu, is said to hold a special conch, Panchajanya, that represents life as it has come out of life-giving waters. In the story of Dhruva the divine conch plays a special part. The warriors of ancient India would blow conch shells to announce battle, such as is famously represented in the beginning of the war of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata, a famous Hindu epic. The conch shell is also a deep part of Hindu symbolic and religious tradition. Today most Hindus use the conch as a part of their religious practices, blowing it during worship at specific points, accompanied by ceremonial bells. Shankha also symbolizes the sound that created the universe and stands for knowledge.

The tilaka (or tilak) is a mark worn on the forehead or other parts of the body as a sign of spiritual devotion.

Om (pronounced Aum)

Om (or Aum, ॐ) is the sacred sound symbol that represents Universe; the ultimate reality (Brahman). It is prefixed and sometimes suffixed to all Vedic mantras and prayers. Aum is often said to represent God in the three aspects of Brahman (A), Vishnu (U) and Shiva (M). As the Divine primordial vibration, it represents the one ultimate reality, underlying and encompassing all of nature and all of existence.

Vibhuti

Vibhuti is the holy ash obtained from sacred puja rites involving fire. Also a variant called Basma used as Vibhuti is prepared from the purified ashes of cow dung. Ash as the product of fire is considered intrinsically pure^{[citation needed]}. It is used on the forehead, normally as three horizontal lines representing Shiva. Some Hindus meld both the three horizontal vibhuti lines of Shiva and the ‘U’ shape thilaka of Vishnu in an amalgam marker signifying Hari-Hara (Vishnu-Shiva). In addition, sacred ash signifies that the body’s origin is from dust and ash and to dust and ash it shall return. The ash is a marker of impermanence. Everything in the interim is but an illusion (maya).

Vāhana

Vāhana or vehicle, sometimes called a mount, is an animal or mythical entity closely associated with a particular deity in Hindu theology. Sometimes the deity is iconographically depicted riding and/or mounted on the vahana; other times, the vahana is depicted at the deity’s side or symbolically represented as a divine attribute.

Mouse is the Vahana of Lord Ganesha.

Sindoor

Sindoor is traditionally applied at the beginning or completely along the parting-line of a woman’s hair (also called maang in Hindi or “Seemandarekha” in Sanskrit) or as a dot on the forehead. Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in Hinduism. The red sindoor is significant for the married woman as she is full of colour.  The sindoor is first applied to the woman by her husband on the day of her wedding; this is called the Sindoor Daanam ceremony. After this, she applies it herself every day.

Wiping of Sindoor of a married woman is considered very inauspicious. When she becomes a widow she removes all colour from her face including the bright red sindoor. The wiping off of the sindoor is very significant for a widow. There are many rituals associated with this practice. The most common is when a mother-in-law or older sister-in-law wipes off the sindoor when a woman becomes a widow. The widow will break her bangles and remove her bottu as well, and many will also remove their nose ring and toe rings. The parting of hair is symbolic of a river of red blood full of life. When the sindoor is removed then the river becomes barren, dry and empty. This custom is prevalent in rural areas and is followed by all castes and social ranks.^[6]

Relationship of Tilaka to bindi

The terms tilaka and bindi overlap somewhat, but are not synonymous.^[21] Among the differences:

• A tilaka is always applied with paste or powder, whereas a bindi may be paste or jewel.
• A tilaka is usually applied for religious or spiritual reasons, or to honour a personage, event, or victory. A bindi can signify marriage, or be simply for decorative purposes.
• A bindi is worn only between the eyes, whereas a tilaka can also cover the face or other parts of the body. Tilaka can be applied to twelve parts of the body: head, forehead, neck, both upper-arms, both forearms, chest, both sides of the torso, stomach and shoulder.

The “sacred thread” (Sanskrit: यज्ञोपवीतम् yajñopavītam or upavīta) is a thin cord, composed of three cotton strands.^[15] The strands symbolize different things in their regions. For example, among Tamil Hindus, each strand is for each of the three trinity of goddesses (Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati).^[28] 

The sacred thread (yajnopavita or janeu) is received by the boy during the Upnayana ceremony, that he continues wearing across his chest thereafter.

Swastika

Swastika is a symbol connoting general auspiciousness. It may represent purity of soul, truth, and stability or, alternatively, Surya, the sun.^[1]Its rotation in four directions has been used to represent many ideas, but primarily describes the four directions, the four Vedas and their harmonious whole. In Hinduism, the clockwise symbol is called swastika, symbolizing surya (sun), prosperity and good luck, while the counterclockwise symbol is called sauvastika, symbolizing night or tantric aspects of Kali.^[8]

Its use in Hinduism dates back to ancient times.  In the Western world, it was historically a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck;^[5] but in the 1930s, it became the main feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan race identity, and as a result it has become stigmatized in the West by association with ideas of racism and antisemitism.^[5][6]

Toran

Toran (Hindi: तोरण) (origin: Sanskrit. torana, from tor, pass), also known as Bandanwar, refer to a decorative door hanging in Hinduism, usually decorated with marigolds and mango leaves, or a string that is tied on the door with the flower on it as a part of traditional Hindu culture on the occasion of festivals and weddings. A toran may feature colours such as green, yellow and red. They can be made of fabrics or metals which are usually made to resemble mango leaves. They also have other decorative features depending on the region.^[1]

Sri Chakra Yantra

Sri Chakra Yantra of Tripura Sundari (commonly referred to as Sri Yantra) is a mandala formed by nine interlocking triangles. Four of these triangles are oriented upright, representing Shiva or the Masculine. Five of these triangles are inverted triangles representing Shakti, or the Feminine. Together, the nine triangles form a web symbolic of the entire cosmos, a womb symbolic of creation, and together express Advaita Vedanta or non-duality. All other yantras are derivatives of this supreme yantra.

Rudraksha

Rudraksha are seeds of the rudraksha tree that, in Hinduism, represent the tears of Lord Shiva (also known as, Rudra). They are often threaded into a necklace and used as a rosary to accompany prayer and meditation. They are associated with the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and are commonly worn for protection by his devotees.

The seeds are primarily used in India and Nepal as beads for organic jewellery and malas, and are valued similarly to semi-precious stones. Various meanings and potencies are attributed to beads with different numbers of segments (faces), and rare or unique beads are highly prized and valuable.

Upanayana is the rite of passage for the start of formal education of writing, numbers, reading, Vedangas, arts and other skills.^[8]

The mangala sutra is worn for the long life of the husband. Dictated by religious customs and social expectations, married women have to wear mangala sutra throughout their life as it is believed that the practice enhances the well-being of her husband. The mangala sutra is a compulsory ornament for married Hindu women.

Japa mala (Hindu prayer beads)

A Japamala or mala (Sanskrit:माला; mālā, meaning garland^[1]) is a string of prayer beadscommonly used by Hindus for the spiritual practice known in Sanskrit as japa. It is usually made from 108 beads, though other numbers are also used. Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity.

To denote marriage and auspiciousness, married Hindu women commonly wear a decorative vermilion dot or bindu, or bindī on the forehead. This is analogous to a wedding ring worn in western countries. In southern India, the mark is called pottu (or bottu). The exact shape, size and location of the bindi or pottu shows regional variation; for instance, in northern India the bindi is often worn just below the hairline, while in southern India it is more common to wear it between the eyebrows.

Tilak known as Teeka is also applied to guests as a sign of welcome.

The purpose of performing aarti is the waving of lighted wicks before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude, wherein faithful followers become immersed in God’s divine form.

Aarti Plate

The aarti plate is generally made of metal, usually silver, bronze or copper. On it must repose a lamp made of kneaded flour, mud or metal, filled with oil or ghee. One or more cotton wicks (always an odd number) are put into the oil and then lighted, or camphor is burnt instead. The plate may also contain flowers, incense and akshata (rice).^[7] In some temples, a plate is not used and the priest holds the ghee lamp in his hand when offering it to the Deities.

Rangoli

Rangoli is an art form in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali or Tihar (collectively known as Deepawali), Onam, Pongal and other festivals from the Indian subcontinent related to Hinduism. Designs are passed from one generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition alive.

The purpose of rangoli is decoration, and it is thought to bring good luck. Design depictions may also vary as they reflect traditions, folklore and practices that are unique to each area. It is traditionally done by women. Generally, this practice is showcased during occasions such as festivals, auspicious observances, marriage celebrations and other similar milestones and gatherings. In Nepal, Colorful rangoli are made from dyes and are lit up at night outside peoples homes and businesses.