 | Mount Meru, (Sanskrit: मेरु; also called Sumeru i.e the "Excellent Meru") is a sacred mountain in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cosmology, and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes. -
As the center of madhya lok.a ("middle earth" i.e. the world where human beings live) it is a common motif of Jaina Painting. Furthermore, many Hindu and Jain temples have been built as symbolic representations of this mountain. -
It is also the abode of Lord Brahma and the Demi-Gods (Devas). -
The mountain is said to be 84,000 Yojanas high (which is around 1,082,000 km, or 85 Earths's diameter). Figure: Painting of Mount Meru from Samghayanarayana loose-leaf manuscript India; ca. 17th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. |