What's up with that?

Q At the House of Blues, there are a number of religions depicted above the stage. What are all the symbols, and for what religions? —Aimee Weiss, Lincoln Park

A Each House of Blues location has a different array of religious images on what it calls the “Godwall.” From left to right:

1. GANESHA (or Ganesh) is the elephant-headed Hindu god.

2. OM (or Aum) symbolizes, in Hinduism, the sound of the first breath of creation.

3. GUAN YIN, one of Buddhism’s goddesses, is a boddhisattva (enlightened being/demigod/it’s complicated).

4. ETERNAL FIRE Zoroastrian temples each house a sacred flame, which represents ritual purification.

5. SATHYA SAI BABA The elderly South Indian guru–cult leader teaches oneness of all religions.

6. BUDDHA The founder of Buddhism taught moderation, nonviolence and release as the path to nirvana.

7. THE STAR AND CRESCENT An ancient symbol now associated with the faith of Islam and used on the flag of many Muslim nations.

8. THE MADONNA No, not that Madonna, the Material Girl. This one is Jesus’ mom. She represents purity, motherhood and the link between man and God.

9. STAR OR SHIELD OF DAVID Named after the Jewish warrior king, the star’s six points represent God’s rule of the universe in six directions: north, south, east, west, up and down.

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