Dattatreya

Maharashtra Tourism describes Dattatreya as bringing together Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and associates his worship with knowledge, wisdom and renunciation. This is the religious understanding that gives the name Guru Datta its context. An introduction to the tradition should explain those meanings without promising a particular result from worship or from buying an object.

The Wellcome Collection’s catalogue identifies Atri and Anasuya as his parents in the sacred narrative. It also relates the combined divine identity to the coming together of different strands of worship. These are descriptions of a tradition, not a substitute for the particular account followed by a family or institution.

સ્રોતો: Maharashtra Tourism: Datta JayantiWellcome Collection: Dattatreya print, Chitrashala Press

A print held by the Wellcome Collection shows Dattatreya with four dogs among cows. The record identifies the Chitrashala Press in Pune and notes Devanagari lettering. A separate British Museum catalogue entry describes a Pune lithograph of Dattatreya with a bull and dogs, probably from the later nineteenth century.

The two records are useful because they identify actual objects, materials and makers’ locations. They also encourage close looking: an illustrator should study the chosen reference rather than assume that all popular prints have identical details. A catalogue citation supports research; it does not itself grant permission to reproduce the image.

સ્રોતો: Wellcome Collection: Dattatreya print, Chitrashala PressBritish Museum: Dattatreya lithograph, 1998,0209,0.1

Kalaburagi district locates Deval Ganagapur in Afzalpur taluk, Karnataka. Its account connects the place with Narasimha Saraswati, revered in the Datta tradition, and identifies the Nirgun Math with the Nirguna Padukas. It also describes the nearby confluence of the Bhima and Amaraja rivers as a sacred place for devotees.

This is a specific pilgrimage setting. A dedication to Ganagapura may therefore call for a different reference from a general Dattatreya portrait. Naming the math, the padukas or the journey makes the intended subject clear, especially when several places in a family’s pilgrimage are remembered together.

સ્રોતો: Kalaburagi district: Deval Ganagapur

The state tourism account places Datta Jayanti on the full moon of Margashirsha. It describes prayer, temple visits and devotional singing among the ways the occasion is observed. The festival provides a calendar setting for devotion to Dattatreya, while the exact civil date changes with the lunar calendar.

For a permanent inscription, record the date of your own occasion after checking it. For a visit, consult the programme of the particular shrine. A general introduction cannot establish every local ritual or timetable, and a family’s familiar practice need not be presented as a requirement for everyone.

સ્રોતો: Maharashtra Tourism: Datta Jayanti

Begin with what the recipient will recognise. A name learned at home, a place visited together or a remembered teacher can each give the design its purpose. Choosing one focus leaves room for a legible composition and an honest explanation of why it was made.

Keep the longer account with the gift, where it can be read without magnification. If you include an attributed saying, confirm the wording and source first. The result can honour a relationship to the tradition without claiming that the object is consecrated, institutionally issued or a guarantee of good fortune.