From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A sandstone sculpture of
Lajja Gauri or
Aditi, also called
uttānapad ("she who crouches with legs spread"), c. 650 CE (Badami Museum, India).
Lajja Gauri is a goddess associated with abundance and fertility, and she has been euphemistically described as Lajja (that is, modesty). Her earlier depiction dates to the 3rd century, and her worship is prevalent in the Deccan, a draught-prone region of the Indian subcontinent. Her fertility aspect is emphasized by symbolic representation of the genitals, as also by blossoming lotus replacing her head. She is invoked for abundant crops and progeny. Devi, the Great Mother Goddess of Hinduism, in Her form as Lajja Gauri, is also known as Aditi, Adya Shakti, Matangi, Renuka, Kotari,KottaMahika,Kotmai,and many other names. She is the most ancient Goddess form in the religious complex that is today referred to as Hinduism. Lanja/Lanjika means 'naked',this reminds us of the geographical area in Konkan (Maharashtra) called Lanja.A very learned description of this topic is done by Dr. Ramachandra C. Dhere in his book of the same title.
[edit] References
