Meru

Also known as Sumeru or Sineru. According to ancient Indian cosmological beliefs, the axis mundi or world mountain that stands at the centre of the world, surrounded by oceans and continents. It was generally thought to be surrounded by four continents, with the continent known as Jambudvīpa (which included the then-known world) located to the south. Various heavens were said to be located on top of and above Meru while the hell realms lie beneath it. Some scholars believe the orgin of the concept lies in the Mesopotamian ziggurats of ancient Sumer, a possibility given the early trade links between ancient India and the Euphrates region.

The Olympus of the Hindu (see Hinduism entries) gods and goddesses, Mount Meru, or sometimes Sumeru or Mandara (see Mandara) is, according to the Mahābhārata (see Mahābhārata), a golden mass of intense energy. Brahmā's golden city is at its summit. It is the axis mundi (see Mountain Mythology) for both Hindus and Buddhists. For Pure Land (see Pure Land) Buddhists, it is the place of the Buddha fields.

Meru may refer to:

In geography:

• Meru, Kenya, a central town, associated with:
  • Meru Central District
  • Meru North District
  • Meru South District
  • Ameru, the Meru people in Kenya
  • Meru language, spoken by the Meru people
  • Meru National Park, a lesser-known Kenyan wildlife reserve
• Meru, Hazaribagh, a small town in Jharkhand, India
• Meru, Malaysia, a town in Klang, located in Selangor
• Meru, Western Australia, a locality near Geraldton
• Méru, a commune of the Oise département in France
• Mount Meru (Tanzania), a volcano near Arusha in northern Tanzania

In fiction:

• Prince Meru, main character from the anime movie Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess

In other uses:

• Mount Meru (mythology), a mountain in Hindu (and Jain and Buddhist) myth
• Meru, the head bead in a Hindu mala
• Meru Chakra, a name for Sri Chakra in Shri Vidya of Hindu Tantricism
• Meru (Legend of Dragoon), a playable character from the video games The Legend of Dragoon
• MERU - Maharishi European Research University, Vlodrop, Holland
• MERU, MilliEarthRateUnit, a measure related to the performance of an inertial navigation system
• MERU, a UK charity that custom-makes equipment for children with disabilities.

See also

• Mweru
• Meroo National Park

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