Descent of the Ganges (Mahabalipuram)

Descent of the Ganges is a monument at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Measuring 96 by 43 feet (29 m × 13 m), it is a giant open-air rock relief carved on two monolithic rock boulders. The legend depicted in the bas-relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha. The waters of the Ganges are believed to possess supernatural powers. The descent of the Ganges and Arjuna's Penance are portrayed in stone at the Pallava heritage site. The relief is more of a canvas of Indian rock cut sculpture at its best not seen anywhere in India. It is one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram that were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

Geography

The Arjuna bas-relief is in the centre of Mahabalipuram, facing the sea at a short distance from the shores of the Coramandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal where the Shore Temple is situated. It is accessible from Chennai city over a 36 miles (58 km) paved road to its west and 20 miles (32 km) from Chengalpet.

Arjuna

Arjuna (in Devanagari: अर्जुन arjuna) was the 3rd of the Pandava brothers. He is considered the protagonist of the Mahabharata with Krishna and plays a key role in the Bhagavad Gita. He was married to Draupadi, Subhadra (Krishna's sister), Ulupi, and Chitrangada at different occasions. His children included Srutakarma, Iravan, Babruvahana, and Abhimanyu.

Etymology and other names

The name Arjuna has among its meanings "white"/"clear" and "silver". It is a descendant of the same Proto-Indo-European root as Latin argentum "silver". Arjuna in Sanskrit has also traditionally been interpreted as na arjayate arjuna which translates to the "one who is not un-victorious". An alternate etymology may be traced to PIE root *reg- which means "ruler" or "one who guides". Cognates of "Arjuna" are Latin "regens" meaning "ruler", Hindi "raj" meaning "king", and English "regal".

The Mahabharata refers to Arjuna by twelve different names. In the story, these names are given when Prince Uttara of Matsya asks Arjuna to prove his identity. The first ten names are spoken by Arjuna himself, while the name "Kapi Dhwaja" is also used to refer to his chariot, the "Nandi Ghosha" .The names and their meanings are as follow:

Arjuna (elephant)

Arjuna (born c. 1960) is an Asian elephant who, from 2012 has been the lead elephant and the carrier of the Golden Howdah at the Mysore Dasara. He was named after Arjuna, the third of the Pandava brothers from the Hindu epic Mahabharatha.

Mysore Dasara

Arjuna was captured in 1968 in the Khedda operations from the forests of Kakanakote in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. After he was tamed, he was made a regular at the camps that featured processions during the festival of Dasara in Mysore, in the 1990s. After Drona, the then carrier, fell ill prior to the Dasara festivities, Arjuna was made the carrier of the 750-kg Howdah that houses an idol of a Hindu deity Chamundeshwari, for an year, when the former was made the Nishan. That year, before the festivities began, he wavered and charged at the crowd, as the helicopter hovering above raining flower petals on the howdah came low. Eventually, he calmed down to complete the task. The following years, he was made the Nishan to follow Drona.

Earth Maiden Arjuna

Arjuna (地球少女アルジュナ, Chikyū Shōjo Arujuna, lit. "Earth Maiden Arjuna") is a Japanese animated television series created by Shoji Kawamori. The series follows Juna Ariyoshi, a high school girl chosen to be the "Avatar of Time" and entrusted with saving the dying Earth.

"Arjuna" refers to the legendary archer Arjuna from the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, which explains why Juna's weapon against the Raaja is a bow.

Arjuna aired on TV Tokyo from January 9, 2001 to March 27, 2001, totaling 13 episodes. The DVD release ("Arjuna: Director's Cut") featured remastered video and sound, and a previously unbroadcast "Chapter 9". Subsequent re-runs of the series on Animax include the DVD-only episode.

Plot

The story opens with Juna telling her boyfriend Tokio she feels too cramped in the city, and deciding to take a trip to the Sea of Japan. On the drive, they get in an accident caused by an invisible worm-like creature and Juna dies. As her spirit leaves her body, Juna sees the dying Earth. The planet's suffering is visualized by worm-like creatures similar to the one that caused the accident that killed her. Known as the Raaja, they vary in size, from microscopic bacteria to those entwining the planet. A young boy named Chris appears before Juna and offers to save her life if she will help the planet. She reluctantly agrees and is resurrected.