उस्मानाबाद जिल्ह्यातील उमरगा या तालुक्याच्या ठिकानी बसस्थानकाच्या मागील बाजूस अगदी जवळच अत्यंत सुंदर असे महादेव मंदिर आहे. कोरीव कलाकुसर आणी विविध भावमुद्रेतील शिल्पकला हे या मंदिराचे खास वैशिष्ठ्य आहे. त्रीदल गाभारा पध्दतीचे हे मंदिर पाहताक्षणीच त्याचे स्थापत्य कलेचे महत्व लक्षात येते.सभामंडपाच्या द्वारावर दोन्ही बाजूंना अत्यंत सुंदर अशा सूरसुंदरींची शिल्प कोरलेली आहेत,तेही अत्यंत बारीक कलाकुसरीसह. तसेच तिन्ही गाभा-याच्या द्वारशाखा अत्यंत सुंदर व प्रेक्षणीय आहेत.
मंदिराच्या बाहेरील बाजूस आतील पाणी बाहेर जाण्यासाठी बनवलेले मकरमुख अत्यंत सुंदर आहे. तसेच खालच्या पट्टीत हत्तींची विविध शिल्पे मुख्य प्रवेशद्वाराच्या दोन्ही बाजूंनी खूपच सुंदर कोरलेली आहेत. याहीपेक्षा त्याच्या वरील बाजूस तत्कालीन मानवी संस्कृती दर्शवणारी अनेक शिल्पकृती लक्ष वेधून घेतात. मंदिरातील स्तंभावरील नक्षीकाम तर अजोड, अद्वितीयच म्हणावे लागेल.
उत्तर चालुक्य कालखंडातील साधारणता बाराव्या शतकातील हे मंदिर धार्मिक पर्यटन म्हणून आवर्जून पाहण्यासारखे आहे.
- युवराज नळे (बप्पा),
अध्यक्ष- उस्मानाबाद पर्यटन विकास समिती. 9623859511
yuwarajnale@gmail.com
1993 के भूकंप से तबाह हो गया था पूरा गांव लेकिन इस मंदिर का बाल भी नहीं हुआ बांका
Local18
~2 minutes
हिंदी समाचार / न्यूज / धर्म / 1993 के भूकंप से तबाह हो गया था पूरा गांव लेकिन इस मंदिर का बाल भी नहीं हुआ बांका
धाराशिव:
1993 में लातूर जिले के किल्लारी में आए भूकंप की विनाशकारी घटना आज भी
महाराष्ट्र के लोगों के मन में ताजा है. इस भूकंप ने कई गांवों को तबाह कर
दिया, लेकिन धाराशिव जिले के उमरगा तालुका के बलसूर गांव में स्थित श्री
नीलकंठेश्वर महादेव मंदिर इस विनाशकारी आपदा के बावजूद अपनी मूल स्थिति में
बना रहा.
श्री नीलकंठेश्वर महादेव को समर्पित है ये प्राचीन मंदिर
यह प्राचीन मंदिर ग्राम देवता श्री नीलकंठेश्वर महादेव को समर्पित है और
इसकी संरचना हेमाडपंथी शैली में बनाई गई है, जो पूरी तरह से पत्थर से
निर्मित है. इस मंदिर की विशेषता इसकी सुंदर नक्काशी और स्थापत्य कला है,
जो हजारों वर्षों से चली आ रही है. मंदिर के सामने एक बड़ा पत्थर का बरवा
भी स्थित है, जो हेमाडपंथी शैली का ही है.
श्रावण मास में मंदिरों में देखी जाती है काफी भीड़
श्रावण मास के आखिरी सोमवार को यहां भक्तों की विशेष भीड़ देखी जाती है,
लेकिन सालभर इस मंदिर में दर्शन के लिए लोगों की भारी संख्या आती है. यह
मंदिर न केवल धार्मिक आस्था का केंद्र है, बल्कि इसकी अद्भुत स्थापत्य कला
और इतिहास इसे और भी महत्वपूर्ण बनाती है. 1993 के भूकंप में जहाँ पूरा
गांव हिल गया था, वहीं यह मंदिर आज भी उसी स्थिति में खड़ा है, मानो समय ने
इसे छूआ ही न हो.
उमरग्यातील महादेवमंदिराचा इतिहास तुम्हाला माहीत आहे का ? ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, महेश या तिघांनाही या मंदिरात स्थान आहे. - Hello Omerga
2–3 minutes
उमरग्यातील महादेवमंदिराचा इतिहास तुम्हाला माहीत आहे का ? ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, महेश या तिघांनाही या मंदिरात स्थान आहे.
उमरगा येथील बसस्थानकापासून जवळच असलेले शिवमंदिर चालुक्यकाळातील असून
याचा आकार तारकाकृती आहे. हे मंदिर पूर्वाभिमुख असून या मंदिराची बांधणी
पंचरथ पद्धतीची आहे. त्रिदलपद्धतीच्या या मंदिराचे अधिष्ठान उंच जोत्यावर
आहे. ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, महेश या तिघांनाही या मंदिरात स्थान आहे. या
मंदिराची रचना मुखमंडप, सभामंडप, तीन गर्भगृहे अशी असून प्रत्येक
गर्भगृहाला स्वतंत्र सभामंडप आहे. मुख्य मंडपास सहा पायऱ्या आहेत. या
पायन्याच्या दोन्ही बाजूस कलात्मक अशी देवकाष्टे आहेत. मुखमंडपानंतर
सभामंडप, मंडपातील मध्यवर्ती रंगशालेचे स्तंभ तसेच मंडपातील इतर स्तंभ
अलंकृत आहेत. भौमितिक आकार, कीर्तीमुखाच्या कलाकृती, शिवनृत्य, सप्तमातृका,
अष्टदिक्पाल आणि शोभायमान छत ही येथील वैशिष्टये ठरतात. येथील मंडप नवरंग
पद्धतीचा आहे.
अंतराळातील सुंदर चौरीधारिणी, प्रवेशद्वारावरील मनोवेधक द्वारपट्टी,
भौमितिक शिल्पाकृती संगीतसाधनांनी युक्त नृत्यांगना आणि लॅटल छतावरील
शिवतांडव यामुळे येथील अंतराळचित्र वेधक आहे. अंतराळाच्या छताला आधार
देणाऱ्या दोन मगरी बाजूला आहेत, मकर-तोरण आहे. कीर्तीमुख, प्रवेशद्वारावर
हत्ती, पोपट, घोडे, वाघ दाखविलेले आहेत. मंदिराचे मुख्य प्रवेशद्वार
पाचशाखीय असून त्याला शिल्प सिंह, गज, अश्व, शुक आणि पुष्पशाखा दाखविलेली
आहे. प्रवेशद्वाराच्या पट्टीकेचा वरचा भाग सुशोभित असून ललाटावरील देवता
अस्पष्ट असली तरी मंदिरातील चालुक्य शैलीप्रमाणे गजलक्ष्मीचे शिल्पे असावे.
या गर्भगृहाच्या सभागृहाच्या दक्षिणेकडील देवकोष्टात सप्तमातृका आहेत.
गर्भगृहात भितीला लागून पिठावर विष्णूची चतुर्भुज मूर्ती आहे आणि खाली
शिवपिंड आहे. डावीकडील गर्भगृहात शिवपिंड आहे. उजवीकडील गर्भगृहात समभंग
अवस्थेत ब्रह्मा आहे. या दोन्ही गर्भगृहाच्या दरवाज्यावरील शिल्पे वैष्णव
आहेत तर मध्यवर्ती गर्भगृहाच्या द्वारावरील शिल्पे शैव आहेत. मंदिराबाहेरील
बाजूस जंघा भागावर नऊ सुशोभित देवकाष्टे असून विष्णू, वराह, शिव, नरसिंह,
बुद्ध आदि देवता विराजमान आहेत. या मंदिराच्या समोरच नंदिमडप असून येथील
नंदि सध्या मंडपात ठेवला आहे.
Marathwada has a rich heritage and its politics, economics
and culture has impacted Maharashtra to a huge extent. The caves of
Ajanta, Ellora and Pitalkhora and the places of pilgrimagethat attract
thousands of people each year are just a few examples. Marathwada, in
fact, has some of the most beautiful temples of the state, spread across
the districts of Aurangabad, Parbhani, Nanded, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur,
Hingoli and Jalna. Most of these ancient temples can be traced back to
the dynasties that ruled over Marathwada, beginning from the
Satavahanas. The Vakatakas, Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas followed. It
was during the ‘golden’ period of the later Chalukyas that the activity
of building temples gained momentum, taken further by the Devgiri
Yadavas. These temples are locally known as the ‘Hemadpanti’, named
after celebrated Sanskrit author Hemadpant who was the prime minister of
Yadava ruler Raja Ramchandra. Here are the descriptions of some of the
most famous temples of the region.
Trivikram Mandir, Ter: Known as the brick
temple of Maharashtra, it has been traced to the earlier Buddhist
Chaityagriha or prayer hall. It is similar to the rock-cut ratha temple
of Nakul-Sahadev at Mahabalipuram as well as the Chezarla temple. While
there are controversies about its date of construction, according to new
findings, this temple belongs to between 3rd and 4th century. The
temple was built out of mud bricks made of fine alluvium soil mixed with
lime plaster. Surprisingly, it wasn’t damaged at all during the massive
earthquake of 1993.
Trivikram Mandir, Ter
Uttareshwar Mandir, Ter: Dedicated to Lord
Shiva, it is located in the middle part of Ter village of Osmanabad. The
temple was built out of bricks and wood. There is a shivalinga in the
sanctum, behind which are the icons of Surya and Vishnu. The exterior of
the temple is decorated and stylistic. The bricks used for its
construction are ornamented with floral designs. A unique characteristic
of the temple is its doorjamb which, according to a historian,
represents the Chalukyan style of architecture and design. This doorjamb
has now been preserved at the Lamture Museum at Ter. This temple
belongs to 5th-6th century CE.
Kaleshwar Mandir, Ter: This temple is located on the
bank of river Terna at Ter. Built out of bricks, it has a construction
style similar to the Uttareshwar Mandir. An indication that it was
dedicated to Vishnu is the icon of a Garuda. There is a shivalinga with
pillars outside the temple as well as an interesting sculpture of a lion
killing an elephant. The temple is said to belong to 7th century CE.
Later Chalukyan Temples:
Shri Mahalaxmi Mandir, Jagji: Jagji is famous for
this temple, located 32 km from Osmanabad. The temple is dedicated to
Goddess Durga and there are a series of smaller shrines on the main
shikhara. The temple has a step-well in front, locally known as
Lakshmitirth. It has 24 niches and according to some sources, 24 icons
of Vishnu were housed in the niches. A characteristic feature of this
step-well are the animal figurines.
Shiv Mandir, Mankeshwar: This is located at
Mankeshwar in tehsil Bhum of district Osmanabad on the bank of river
Vishwakarma. The temple represents the finest specimen of Chalukyan
architecture. It faces east and has a star-shaped plan that includes the
pradakshinapatha. There are 347 icons on its exterior walls. The
sabhamandapa is a square hall and its ceiling is supported by four
beautifully carved pillars in the navrang style with the design of a
lotus and an icon of Natraj Shiva. The doorframe and the pillars are the
characteristic features of this temple. The doorjamb of the shrine is
huge and referred to as Jyethadwara of Hastini variety, rarely found in
Maharashtra.
Shiv Mandir, Umarga: This is located at Umarga in
Osmanabad district and is one of the temples of the Chalukya period.
Basav Kalyani, the capital of the later Chalukyas, is 30 km from here.
In a state of good preservation, the interior of the temple is
particularly interesting for its decorative style. The temple stands on a
very high plinth and its mukhamandapa is an open–pillared porch. On
both sides of the entrance of the mukhamandapa is a parapet with friezes
of elephants carved on the walls. The mandapa is screened off from the
mukhamandapa by two pillars.
Narasimha, Umarga
Nilkantheshwar Mandir, Nilanga: Nilanga is a
taluka headquarter in Latur district. This temple is located to the east
of the village. The temple faces the east and its ground plan is
star-shaped. This indicates a developed stage in temple architecture.
The temple’s mandapa has 16 pillars, all finely decorated with thick
shafts. There are four niches in the mandapa which too are elaborately
carved. The arrangement of its ceiling is based on a geometrical design
and the doorframe has several animal motifs, flying gandharvas, yakshas,
pilasters and floral designs. The icon carved on the lintel is of
Gajalakshmi. The presence of Saptamatrika (seven mother goddesses) and
Gajalakshmi clearly suggest Chalukyan influence on the sculptures.
There are 103 sculptures in the temple, all delicately carved and with
decorative earrings and elaborate headgears.
Mahishasur Mardini, Nilanga
Vitthal Mandir, Pangaon: Pangaon village is
situated in the Renapur taluka of Latur district at a distance of 30 km
from Parali Vaijnath and 33 km from Latur. The temple of Vitthal is
located to the west of the village and stands on a raised platform. The
temple is rectangular in plan and has projecting chambers on all the
sides. On the parapet wall of the mukhamandapa are carved a number of
horizontal friezes of elephant, floral motifs, and turreted pilasters
with small images intervening in between them. The mandapa has
ornamental doorframes with 43 pillars, all of them identical. These are
arranged in two rows around the rangshila or performance area and such
an arrangement forms a rectangular corridor. The pillars of the
ardhamandapa have bracket sculptures of sursundaries. The exterior walls
of the temple have 41 sculptures of dancers and musicians and the base
has an elephant band (gajathara), followed by a decorative frieze with a
floral motif.
Khadakeshwara Mandir, Jamkhed: Jamkhed village is
situated in Ambad taluka of the Jalana district, at a distance of 75 km
from Aurangabad. There are three temples in the village of which the
Khadkeshwara Mandir is the oldest. The temple faces west, dedicated to
Shiva. Now in a dilapidated condition, it stands on the ground level and
is worth a visit for its 20 pillars, eight of which are ornamented.
These pillars have capitals with dwarf motifs carved on them. The others
are less ornamented and slender in form. The lintel has image of
Ganesha. The exterior of the temple is angular in form and seems to
suggest the shape of a star.
Kedareshwara Mandir, Dharmapuri: Dharmapuri is a
small village located at a distance of about 30 km from Ambajogai in
district Beed. The ground plan of the temple and the pillars are similar
to Siddheshwara Mandir and it stands on a high plinth, facing east. The
central portion of the ceiling is richly ornamented. The exterior walls
of the mandapa have been reconstructed in stone and mud while its side
porches are enclosed by a parapet wall which has sculptures in the
horizontal frieze style. The architectural features and sculptures
clearly indicate a Chalukyan influence.
Shiv Mandir, Anwa: Anwa is a small village in the
Sillod taluka of Aurangabad district. The temple is dedicated to Shiva
and faces east with its architectural motifs and carvings indicate
Chalukyan influence. The temple stands on a raised platform with a
flight of steps. It consists of an open mandapa that has decorative
projections on three sides, giving it the form of a star. The central
ceiling is the finest example of architectural ornamentation with a
dome-like shape having an inverted half-blown flower along with eight
small floral designs. In the centre of the mandapa is a raised platform
with a huge Nandi. The lintel has a seated figure of Ganesha.
Vadeshwar Mandir, Ambhaivadgaon: Ambhaivadgaon is
located near the Ajanta hills, 25 km from Sillod tehsil in Aurangabad
district. This is one of the beautiful Chalukyan temples with a
star-shaped tridala structure comprising three shrines. The main sanctum
was d e d i c a t e d to Shiva (Vadeshwar) while the southern shrine
was dedicated to Vishnu and the northern to probably a matrika because
the uttaranga has sculptures of saptamatrikas that reveal dedication to a
goddess. The sculptures of Brahmi, Saraswati and Vaishnavi are
enshrined in the niches of the antarala while the exterior walls of the
temple are adorned with beautiful sculptures of ashtadikpala, forms of
Shiva, and sursundaris.
Kankaleshwara Mandir, Beed: The Kankaleshwara temple
is located in the Beed city on the banks of river Bindusura at a
distance of 125 km to the south of Aurangabad. Dedicated to Shiva, it
faces west and consists of a mukhamandapa, mandapa, vestibules and three
shrines. The ground plan is similar to those of Nilkantheshwar Mandir
at Nilanga and the Shiva Mandir of Umarga. The temple stands in a big
water tank. There are 54 pillars and six pilasters in the temple. The
mandapa is an open-pillared hall, octagonal in shape with 18 pillars on
the top of which rests the ceiling. The pillar types, ceiling pattern,
doorframes and the exterior sculptures show that it was built in the
11th -12th century under Chalukyan patronage.
From
the expansive Mauryan Empire, which laid the brass tacks for a unified
India, to the culturally rich Gupta Empire, maps reveal a vibrant
history. The Indian maps from the time of the Mughal and British empires
further illustrate the complexities of territorial evolution in the
latter period.
Indian map has evolved since the invasion of the Britishers
Earliest traces of a map of India can be found in Udayagiri wall sculptures
Greek scholars attempted to depict the boundaries of India in the 1st century BCE
India,
Bharat, Aryavratha, or Hindustan --- the geographical boundaries of
this vast nation have evolved over centuries. Different dynasties ruled
the land from the first millennium until the arrival of
the British, who began surveying the boundaries of India and shaped it
into the map we commonly refer to today.
The map we see today
first took form during the partition plan by the British, who laid the
foundation of modern India by separating the lands of Punjab, Sindh,
Baluchistan, and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) in the west,
while partitioning Bengal in the east.
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A map of India today not only delineates states and territories but echoes the nation’s complex history and diverse geography.
TRACES OF GEOGRAPHICAL LAND OF INDIA
An
exact map of ancient India is hard to trace, and the possibilities are
nil due to the absence of any maps. However, the detailing of boundaries
through edicts, paintings, and written texts gives us an overview of
how the subcontinent must have looked back then.
Way back, the
boundaries of the Indian subcontinent can be traced through
archaeological remains. The Edicts of Ashoka were collected from the
cold regions of Afghanistan, which is evident enough to prove the zenith
of the Mauryan Empire under the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya.
In the heart of ancient India, the Udayagiri wall stands as a demonstration of the Gupta Empire's artistry around 400 CE.
Udaygiri Caves (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
This
remarkable sculpture captures the sacred union of the Ganges and
Yamuna, intertwining their waters in a timeless dance. It serves as one
of the earliest maps, intricately carved in stone, reflecting the
spiritual geography of the time and the reverence for these life-giving
rivers.
In the realm of Greek cartography, India first emerged as a
distant land at the eastern edge of Asia, noted by Hecataeus of Miletus
in the 5th century BCE.
However, the horizon expanded with the conquests of Alexander the Great, granting the 3rd-century BCE geographer Eratosthenes a clearer vision of India's vastness and location.
By the 1st century, the western coast of India became familiar to Hellenistic scholars, who documented it in texts like the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
Marinus and Ptolemy ventured into the mysteries of the Indian Ocean,
mistakenly envisioning it as a mere sea, while their perceptions of
Taprobana (Sri Lanka) loomed excessively large, and the Indian peninsula
shrank on their maps.
Yet, the heart of the land remained largely uncharted, veiled in the unknown.
Map of Asia as per the Portuguese (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
The 8th-century
poet Bhavabhuti alluded to vibrant paintings that captured geographical
realms, while mediaeval scholars meticulously documented land grants to
Brahman priests, revealing a profound understanding of their terrain.
In the 9th century,
Islamic geographers, under the Abbasid Caliph Al-Ma'mun, redefined the
Indian Ocean's identity, opening its waters to the world. The Persian
polymathAl-Biruni further enhanced this knowledge, mapping cities and exploring the very geology of the land.
As
the centuries progressed, the works of scholars like Muhammad al-Idrisi
and Francesco Lorenzo Pullè echoed this tradition, laying the
foundations for navigational charts that would guide explorers like
Vasco da Gama to the shores of India, forever altering the cartographic
landscape.
HOW INDIA LOOKED 2300 YEARS AGO
Mauryan Empire under Ashoka (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
The map of India under the Mauryan dynasty tells a story of immense ambition and unity.
Beginning with Chandragupta Maurya,
who, under the guidance of his mentor Chanakya, wove together lands
from the snowy Hindu Kush in the northwest to the humid plains of Bengal
in the east, the Mauryan Empire grew into a powerful symbol of early Indian unity.
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When his grandson Ashoka
ascended the throne, he expanded this reach even further, claiming
almost the entire Indian subcontinent, leaving out only a sliver of the
southern tip.
GUPTA EMPIRE AND THE INVASION OF HUNS, HEPATHITES AND SCYTHIANS
Gupta Empire (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Around 600 years after the reign of Ashoka the Great, India was profoundly shaped by the indigenous Gupta Empire, widely recognised as a Golden Age under Gupta rulers. The Gupta Empire encompassed much of the Indian subcontinent, similar to the Mauryan rulers.
Chandragupta I is regarded as the founder of this dynasty, while other notable rulers include Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, and Skandagupta. The Gupta rulers faced invasions from the Huns of Central Asia, which ultimately contributed to the empire's decline.
This era also marked an early form of mapping, as seen through detailed records by ancient scholars and travellers.
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EARLY MEDIAEVAL INDIA
India in 9th century CE (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
This was a time when India, after the fall of the Gupta
Empire, remained in chaos, with separate powers emerging to assert their
dominance. During this period, the western boundaries of India were
invaded by the Caliphate of Persia and later by Afghans and Central
Asians.
The famous Tripartite struggle in the north shrank the
boundaries from the Hindukush to the lower parts of Punjab, which became
the boundary of the Pratiharas in the north.
Major
dynasties ruling the south at the time included the Pandyas, Cheras,
and Pallavas, who remained unaffected by the political upheavals in the
majoritarian lands.
The emergence of Rajput forces, such as the Chauhans of Ajmer and Delhi, Solankis of Gujarat, Tomars of Delhi, and Gahadvals of Kannauj, was also notable during this period.
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RISE OF DELHI SULTANATE AND MUGHAL EMPIRE
Mughal Empire in 1605 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
The Ain-e-Akbari, crafted in the late 16th century, offers rich cartographic insights, referencing earlier Indian traditions.
European
explorers like Jan Huygen van Linschoten also contributed significantly
to this evolving map of India, refining navigational charts with
intricate geographic details. His Itinerario, published in 1596, provided Europe’s first detailed visual accounts of voyages to the East Indies.
Innovations
during the Mughal era included the creation of seamless hollow
celestial globes, pioneered by Ali Kashmiri ibn Luqman in Kashmir around
998 AH (1589–90 CE). This technique, once deemed impossible, showcased
the advanced metallurgical skills of Mughal artisans.
BOUNDARIES OF INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT UNDER MARATHAS
In
the fading light of the Mughal empire, a new power rose: the Marathas.
At that time, they spread their influence across the subcontinent, from
the Deccan to the north.
Attock stood at the edge of the empire's
reach. The Marathas began to grow under Shivaji while Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb ruled over the Indian subcontinent.
Under strong leaders
like Baji Rao I and his son Nana Saheb, the Marathas built a
confederacy that stretched from Maharashtra to Punjab.
While Mughal rule weakened, it remained intact, held in a fragile balance with the Marathas for many years.
Influence of Marathas on the Indian Sub-continent (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
HOW THE BRITISHERS HAVE REDEFINED THE MAP OF INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
Southeast Asia on a Renaissance map constructed after Ptolemy's Geography, rediscovered by Maximus (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
As the Mughal Empire crumbled, the British
emerged as architects of a new Indian map, redefining its contours with
imperial ambition. This cartographic transformation was more than mere
lines on paper; it reflected a complex tapestry of power and resistance.
British
officials meticulously surveyed the land, merging strategic interests
with local realities. Their maps, often adorned with colonial pride,
overlooked the vibrant cultures and histories that thrived beyond their
borders.
The once-fluid boundaries solidified into rigid divisions, laying the groundwork for future conflicts.
Yet,
amid this imposed order, the spirit of India persisted like an
indomitable force that would eventually reclaim its identity,
transcending the confines drawn by foreign hands. This era marked the
beginning of a relentless journey toward self-definition and autonomy.
Indian map under Britishers in the 19th century CE (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
MAP OF MODERN INDIA
The map of modern India is a
product of centuries of history. Five hundred sixty-five princely states
and the United Provinces were unified to give a new definition to the
Indian map that we see today.
During British colonial rule, the
borders of India were redrawn to meet administrative needs, leading to
the integration of various princely states into British India in the
19th century. This integration helped create a more unified geographical
identity.
Map of India in the first half of 20th century (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
After gaining independence in 1947, India underwent
significant territorial changes, resulting in the establishment of the
current states and union territories, transforming the map into the
format we are familiar with today.
“…हर
वह व्यक्ति जिसके अंदर भारतीय भावना और अनुभूति है, वह कम से कम उन मुख्य,
केन्द्रीय बातों का कुछ विवरण दे सकता है जो उसके लिए भारतीय चित्रकला,
मूर्तिकला और वास्तुकला के आकर्षण का निर्माण करती हैं।” (श्री अरबिंदो,
सी.डब्लू.एस.ए., 20: 261)
पट्टदकल मंदिर परिसर
ऐहोल और बादामी के बाद ,
हम पट्टकल की यात्रा के साथ अपने चालक्य मंदिर मार्ग को जारी रखते हैं।
इसे एक शुभ स्थान माना जाता है, क्योंकि यहाँ मलप्रभा नदी उत्तर की ओर
हिमालय की ओर मुड़कर उत्तरवाहिनी
बन जाती है , यह वह स्थान था जिसे चालुक्य राजाओं ने अपने राज्याभिषेक के
लिए चुना था और इसे 'पट्टाडकिसुवोलाल' नाम दिया था, जिसका अर्थ है
'राज्याभिषेक पत्थर'। इस स्थान का सबसे पहला उल्लेख दूसरी शताब्दी के
यूनानी खगोलशास्त्री, भूगोलवेत्ता और गणितज्ञ टॉलेमी के काम में मिलता है,
जिन्होंने किसुवोलाल (पट्टकल का पुराना नाम) को 'लाल मिट्टी की घाटी' के
रूप में संदर्भित किया था।
मंदिर वास्तुकला का केंद्र
बादामी
(जिसे विभिन्न शिलालेखों में वातापी भी कहा जाता है) के प्रारंभिक
चालुक्यों ने पूरे कर्नाटक को एक ही शासन के अधीन कर दिया। चालुक्य
साम्राज्य में न केवल आज के कर्नाटक और महाराष्ट्र का पूरा क्षेत्र शामिल
था, बल्कि गुजरात, मध्य प्रदेश और आंध्र प्रदेश का एक बड़ा हिस्सा और साथ
ही आधुनिक ओडिशा और तमिलनाडु के कई हिस्से भी शामिल थे। अरबों ने मोहम्मद
कासिम के नेतृत्व में 711 ई. में सिंध पर विजय प्राप्त की थी और दक्कन
क्षेत्र में पैठ बनाने की कोशिश कर रहे थे, उन्हें 739 ई. में अवनिजाश्रय
पुलकेशिन ने हराया था जो दक्षिणी गुजरात में चालुक्य साम्राज्य का एक सामंत
था।
पट्टाडकल मंदिर परिसर की स्थल योजना (स्रोत: भारतीय मंदिर
वास्तुकला का विश्वकोश, दक्षिण भारत, ऊपरी द्रविड़ देश, प्रारंभिक चरण,
1986, ओयूपी, दिल्ली)
प्रारंभिक
चालुक्य राजाओं ने कला और वास्तुकला के क्षेत्र को आगे बढ़ाने में अपने
अपार योगदान के कारण भारतीय इतिहास में अपना एक विशेष नाम बनाया। उनके 200
साल के शासनकाल (543-753 ई.) के दौरान, पट्टकल, पास के ऐहोल और बादामी के
साथ मंदिर वास्तुकला में नवाचार और प्रयोग के लिए एक प्रमुख सांस्कृतिक
केंद्र और धार्मिक स्थल बन गया, जिसके कारण इस क्षेत्र को "भारतीय मंदिर
वास्तुकला का उद्गम स्थल" कहा जाने लगा। विजयादित्य (696-733 ई.),
विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय (733-746 ई.) और कीर्तिवर्मन द्वितीय (746-753 ई.) के
क्रमिक शासनकाल में उल्लेखनीय गतिविधि देखी गई क्योंकि इस उपजाऊ घाटी में
कई उल्लेखनीय मंदिरों का निर्माण किया गया।
प्रारंभिक
चालुक्यों के शासनकाल में ऐहोल-बादामी-पट्टदकल का उत्थान और विकास भारत
में प्रारंभिक मध्यकालीन काल के सांस्कृतिक और सौंदर्य जीवन में दो
महत्वपूर्ण आंदोलनों को चिह्नित करता है। पहला निर्माण के माध्यम के रूप
में पत्थर की व्यापक स्वीकृति और उपयोग था, और दूसरा मंदिर वास्तुकला के उन
रूपों का ठोस रूप था जो प्रारंभिक मध्यकालीन काल की विशेषता है।
“किसी भी अन्य कला की तरह वास्तुकला में भी विचार और डिजाइन की एकता पहली आवश्यकता है।” (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 27: 677)
लोगों
के बीच समग्र धार्मिक उत्साह और समाज के सभी वर्गों से संरक्षण ने विभिन्न
निर्माण और कलात्मक कौशल के विस्तार और संवर्धन के साथ मिलकर काम किया,
जिससे धार्मिक स्थापत्य शैली और प्रथाओं में नवाचारों के लिए परिदृश्य
तैयार हुआ।
अपने
स्थान के कारण, यह क्षेत्र मंदिर वास्तुकला की नागर और द्रविड़ शैलियों के
लिए एक मिलन बिंदु के रूप में भी कार्य करता था जो उस समय कुछ अलग-अलग
विकसित हो रहे थे। ऐहोल में शुरू हुई और बादामी में जारी रहने वाले
प्रयोगों की एक श्रृंखला पट्टडकल में अपनी परिणति पर पहुंची, जहां दो
शैलियों के तत्वों को एक संकर वेसर शैली (वेसर शब्द का अर्थ ही एक खच्चर है
जो एक संकर पशु है) में लाने के लिए नवाचार किए गए थे। पट्टडकल में इस नई
विकसित शैली में निर्मित मंदिरों में द्रविड़ शैली के विमान और नागर शैली की दीवारें थीं जिन पर विभिन्न देवताओं की जटिल नक्काशीदार मूर्तियां थीं
बाईं ओर हम नागर शैली का मंदिर देखते हैं, दाईं ओर द्रविड़ शैली का मंदिर
पट्टदकल मंदिर परिसर
मालाप्रभा
नदी के तट पर, पहाड़ियों की प्राकृतिक पृष्ठभूमि वाले एक सुरम्य स्थान पर,
पट्टदकल में बड़ी संख्या में बड़े और छोटे मंदिरों का निर्माण किया गया
था। मंदिरों में समृद्ध वास्तुशिल्प विवरण प्रदर्शित होते हैं जो स्पष्ट
रूप से उस काल की शानदार सौंदर्य और कलात्मक परंपरा का संकेत देते हैं। आज,
पूरा परिसर (भारतीय पुरातत्व सर्वेक्षण द्वारा अनुरक्षित और प्रबंधित)
5.56 हेक्टेयर में फैला हुआ है और इसमें दस प्रमुख मंदिर शामिल हैं - नौ
हिंदू और एक जैन।
सभी
हिंदू मंदिर भगवान शिव को समर्पित हैं और पूर्व की ओर मुख किए हुए हैं।
8वीं से 10वीं शताब्दी ई. तक राष्ट्रकूटों के शासन के दौरान, मुख्य मंदिर
परिसर से लगभग एक किलोमीटर दूर एक जैन मंदिर का निर्माण किया गया था।
अग्रभूमि में नागर शैली का मंदिर, पीछे द्रविड़ शैली का मंदिर
पट्टाडकल
मंदिर परिसर की विशिष्टता यह है कि यहाँ हम दो प्रमुख मंदिर स्थापत्य
शैलियों (द्रविड़ और नागर रेखा-प्रसाद) का एक साथ मिलन देख सकते हैं। चार
मंदिर चालुक्य द्रविड़ शैली में, चार नागर शैली में बनाए गए थे, जबकि
पापनाथ मंदिर दोनों के मिश्रण का प्रतिनिधित्व करता है।
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर से दृश्य - शिखर/विमान
की विभिन्न शैलियों पर ध्यान दें
सभी नौ हिंदू मंदिर भगवान शिव को समर्पित हैं। इनमें से सबसे पुराना मंदिर संगमेश्वर है , जिसका निर्माण विजयादित्य सत्याश्रय के शासनकाल में 697 और 733 ई. के बीच हुआ था। अधिकांश मंदिरों में, एक गर्भगृह जो अंतराल की ओर जाता है , जो एक स्तंभयुक्त मंडप से जुड़ा हुआ है , स्पष्ट रूप से देखा जा सकता है। कुछ मंदिरों में, गर्भगृह में एक पीठ पर शिवलिंगम अभी भी मौजूद है। पट्टदकल का सबसे बड़ा मंदिर विरुपाक्ष मंदिर है, जिसका निर्माण 740 और 745 ई. के बीच हुआ था।
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर, पट्टदकल
परिसर
में घूमते हुए और हर मंदिर पर रुकते हुए, कोई भी व्यक्ति अतीत की महिमा की
कल्पना कर सकता है और उसे अपने भीतर महसूस भी कर सकता है। नुकसान और विनाश
की सीमा को देखकर, कोई भी व्यक्ति इस्लामी आक्रमणकारियों, विशेष रूप से
दिल्ली सल्तनत की सेनाओं द्वारा किए गए हमलों के दौरान हिंदू जीवन शैली पर
किए गए अत्याचारों की यादों से दुखी हो सकता है, जिन्होंने 13वीं शताब्दी
में इस क्षेत्र और दक्कन के आस-पास के इलाकों को लूटा था। ब्रिटिश
सामाजिक-आर्थिक नीतियों की दमनकारी प्रकृति के कारण हिंदू मंदिरों सहित कई
हिंदू संस्थानों की घोर उपेक्षा भी याद आती है।
और
फिर भी दिल और दिमाग का एक और हिस्सा है जो बाहरी क्षयकारी रूप के नीचे
छिपी हुई कालातीत सुंदरता को देखता है और चुपचाप उसमें डूब जाता है। यह
हिस्सा पहचानता है और समझता है कि इस बाहरी विनाश से एक नई रचना उभरनी
चाहिए - जो अतीत से अलग न हो बल्कि इस भूमि की शाश्वत आत्मा को स्वीकार करे
और अपने अंदर समाहित करे और फिर भी इसे नए रूपों में व्यक्त करे।
"केवल
भौतिक अस्तित्व का अंधा चक्कर लगाना या संसार में जीवन की कठिनाइयों से
पीछे हटकर अनिर्वचनीय मौन में चले जाना ही नहीं, बल्कि जीवन को रूपांतरित
करने के लिए एक महान दिव्य सत्य और चेतना की शांति, प्रकाश और शक्ति को
नीचे लाना ही आज भारत के महानतम आध्यात्मिक साधकों का प्रयास है। ...हम
भारत की आत्मा को अपनी विरासत की पूर्णता में प्रवेश करने के लिए तैयार
देखते हैं और एक अद्वितीय महानता का समय निकट आता हुआ देखते हैं, जब इसकी
धरती से मानव जाति के सर्वोच्च भाग्य की ओर आह्वान और नेतृत्व निकलेगा।" (द
मदर, एजेंडा, 7: 174-5)
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर – एक बाहरी दृश्य
"भारतीय
पवित्र वास्तुकला निरंतर स्वयं की महानतम एकता, ब्रह्मांडीय, अपने
विश्व-डिजाइन की विशालता में अनंत, आत्म-अभिव्यक्ति की अपनी विशेषताओं की
बहुलता, लक्षणा का
प्रतिनिधित्व करती है , (फिर भी एकता उनकी समग्रता से अधिक और स्वतंत्र है
और अपने आप में अपरिभाषित है), और इसकी अवधारणा में एकता के सभी प्रारंभिक
बिंदु, इसकी डिजाइन का द्रव्यमान और सामग्री की विशालता, महत्वपूर्ण
अलंकरण और विवरण की इसकी भीड़ और एकता की ओर इसकी वापसी केवल इस कविता, इस
महाकाव्य या इस गीत की आवश्यक परिस्थितियों के रूप में ही समझ में आती है -
क्योंकि ऐसी छोटी संरचनाएं हैं जो ऐसे गीत हैं - अनंत की।" (श्री अरबिंदो,
सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 20: 276)
यहां विरुपाक्ष मंदिर के तीन प्रवेश द्वारों में से दो को दिखाया गया है
बादामी
के चालुक्यों द्वारा निर्मित सबसे बड़ा मंदिर विरुपाक्ष मंदिर है, जिसके
परिसर में 30 छोटे मंदिर और एक बड़ा नंदी मंडप है। यह शिव मंदिरों के
शुरुआती उदाहरणों में से एक है जिसमें भगवान के सामने एक अलग नंदी मंडप है।
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर, पट्टदकल में नंदी मंडप का एक दृश्य
भगवान शिव की सेवा में नंदी
अभिलेखों
के अनुसार, इस मंदिर का निर्माण रानी लोका महादेवी ने करवाया था, जो राजा
विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय की पत्नी थीं, जिन्होंने पल्लवों के खिलाफ सफल सैन्य
अभियान का नेतृत्व किया था। मूल रूप से मंदिर को रानी के नाम के सम्मान में
लोकेश्वर के नाम से जाना जाता था।
ऐसा
कहा जाता है कि राजा विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय कांचीपुरम में पल्लवों के गढ़,
कैलासनाथर मंदिर से इतने मंत्रमुग्ध थे कि वे अक्सर उस भव्य मंदिर में
गुप्त रूप से जाते थे ताकि इसकी बनावट और विशेष विशेषताओं का बारीकी से
अध्ययन कर सकें। यही कारण है कि पट्टदकल में विरुपाक्ष मंदिर की भूमि योजना
कांचीपुरम के कैलासनाथर मंदिर से मिलती जुलती है। पत्थर से निर्मित यह
मंदिर अपनी पूरी महिमा में पूरी तरह से परिपक्व प्रारंभिक चालुक्य मंदिर
वास्तुकला का एक साकार रूप है।
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर, जैसा कि नंदी मंडप से देखा गया
इस मंदिर में अलग-अलग अर्धमंडप, महामंडप और गर्भगृह हैं, जिसमें द्रविड़ शैली का विमान है । पूर्व, उत्तर और दक्षिण की ओर से तीन बरामदे एक विशाल महामंडप की ओर खुलते हैं । चौकोर गर्भगृह के चारों ओर एक परिक्रमा पथ है। गर्भगृह की ओर जाने वाले अंतराल के दोनों ओर दो छोटे मंदिर हैं, एक भगवान गणेश के लिए और दूसरा महिषासुरमर्दिनी देवी के लिए ।
सम्पूर्ण मंदिर का बाहरी दृश्य
मंदिर का प्रवेशद्वार जिसका गोपुरम गायब है , संभवतः नष्ट हो गया है
मंदिर प्राकार
(बाड़े) की दीवारों से घिरा हुआ है, जिसकी दीवारों के भीतरी हिस्से में
छोटे मंदिर बने हुए हैं। मूल बत्तीस मंदिरों में से अब केवल मुट्ठी भर
मंदिर ही बचे हैं। द्रविड़ शैली का विमान जिसके सामने एक अच्छी तरह से संरक्षित शुकनासा ('नाक' या धनुषाकार प्रक्षेपण) है, इस भव्य मंदिर की एक पहचान है। तीन मंजिला विमान के ऊपर एक चार-तरफा अमलक है , जिसके कलश को कलश के रूप में रखा गया है।
बाहर से एक और दृश्य
मंदिर की बाहरी दीवारें
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर का एक पार्श्व प्रवेश द्वार
भाग 2 में आ रहा है... बाहरी दीवारों पर देवताओं से मुलाकात
“मंदिर का अर्थ है धार्मिक भावना, पूजा, आराधना, अभिषेक।”
(श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए 30:181)
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर – बाहरी दीवारों पर देवताओं से मुलाकात
हम
अभी भी विरुपाक्ष मंदिर के बाहर हैं, जिसे लोकेश्वर महाशिला प्रसाद के नाम
से भी जाना जाता है, जिसका नाम लोकमहादेवी के नाम पर रखा गया है, रानी ने
अपने पति राजा विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय की पल्लवों पर जीत की याद में लगभग 740
ई. में इस मंदिर के निर्माण का आदेश दिया था। मंदिर की शानदार वास्तुकला
की प्रशंसा करते हुए और बाहरी दीवारों पर पत्थर में उकेरे गए प्रत्येक
देवता को करीब से देखने के लिए रुकते हुए, मन में विस्मय की भावना भर जाती
है क्योंकि पूरे डिजाइन की निर्बाध 'संपूर्णता' का एहसास होता है। हमें
माता के एक वार्तालाप का अंश याद आता है जिसमें वह सच्ची कला के बारे में
कहती हैं कि वह हमेशा "एक संपूर्ण और एक समूह" होती है। उन्होंने समझाया कि
यह सभी प्राचीन संस्कृतियों में कला के लिए सच था।
" सच्ची
कला एक संपूर्ण और एक समूह है; यह जीवन के साथ एक और एक टुकड़ा है। आप
प्राचीन ग्रीस और प्राचीन मिस्र में इस अंतरंग संपूर्णता का कुछ हिस्सा
देखते हैं; क्योंकि वहां चित्र और मूर्तियाँ और कला की सभी वस्तुएँ एक
इमारत की वास्तुशिल्प योजना के हिस्से के रूप में बनाई और व्यवस्थित की गई
थीं, प्रत्येक विवरण पूरे का एक हिस्सा था... भारत में भी, चित्रकला और
मूर्तिकला और वास्तुकला एक अभिन्न सौंदर्य थे, ईश्वर की आराधना का एक एकल
आंदोलन।" (सीडब्ल्यूएम, 3: 109-110)
भगवान के बगल में सुंदर नक्काशीदार खिड़की पर ध्यान दें
जैसा कि भाग 1 में बताया गया है ,
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर कांचीपुरम के कैलासनाथ मंदिर से काफी मिलता-जुलता है।
भगवान शिव को समर्पित यह मंदिर पट्टदकल मंदिर परिसर में सबसे बड़ा और भव्य
है। पांच ढलाईयों के ऊंचे चबूतरे पर बने इस
मंदिर की बाहरी दीवारों पर खंभों से बने उभार हैं, जो विभिन्न देवताओं के
आवास के लिए बने आलों को फ्रेम करते हैं। इन आलों के ऊपर छोटी छतों की
पट्टियाँ हैं। घटते पैमाने पर इन विशेषताओं को दोहराते हुए द्रविड़ शैली की
बहुमंजिला अधिरचना बनाई गई है ।
सभी उभारों में आले हैं जहाँ हम भगवान शिव और भगवान विष्णु दोनों को उनके विभिन्न रूपों
जैसे भैरव, अर्धनारीश्वर, नरसिंह और हरि-हर में देखते हैं। उभारों के बीच
के खांचों में विभिन्न डिजाइनों की छिद्रित खिड़कियाँ दिखाई देती हैं।
मंदिर के चारों ओर घूमते हुए और भगवान को इन प्रत्येक रूपों में स्वयं को प्रकट करते हुए 'देखते हुए', एक भक्त का
हृदय स्वाभाविक रूप से हमारे ऋषियों के सबसे महान दर्शनों में से एक के
प्रति नतमस्तक हो जाता है, जिन्होंने सनातन धर्म के मूल सिद्धांतों में से
एक के रूप में 'एक और अनेक', 'अनेक में एक' और 'एक में अनेक' के सत्य का
प्रकटीकरण किया था।
"भारतीय
कला की महानता समस्त भारतीय विचार और उपलब्धियों की महानता है। यह
क्षणभंगुर के भीतर सतत की पहचान, आत्मा द्वारा पदार्थ पर प्रभुत्व, प्रकृति
के आग्रहपूर्ण आभासों को आंतरिक वास्तविकता के अधीन करने में निहित है,
जिसे शक्तिशाली माँ हज़ारों तरीकों से छिपाती है, यहाँ तक कि जब वह संकेत
भी देती है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सी.डब्लू.एस.ए., 1: 464)
अंधकासुर के हत्यारे के रूप में शिव
प्रसिद्ध
ब्रिटिश कला इतिहासकार ईबी हैवेल ने कहा कि वैदिक विचार का एक सुनहरा धागा
भारतीय कला के सभी विविध पहलुओं - बौद्ध, जैन, हिंदू, सिख और यहां तक कि
इंडो-सरसेनिक - को उनके बाहरी कर्मकांड और हठधर्मिता के बावजूद एक साथ
बांधता है। उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि चूंकि कला मुख्य रूप से व्यक्तिपरक होती
है, इसलिए हमें दुनिया के महान कला विद्यालयों की उत्पत्ति मौजूदा स्मारकों
और उत्कृष्ट कृतियों या संग्रहालयों में चित्रकला और मूर्तिकला के खंडित
संग्रहों में नहीं, बल्कि उन विचारों में तलाश करनी चाहिए, जिन्होंने इन
स्मारकों और उत्कृष्ट कृतियों का निर्माण किया।
"..यह
निस्संदेह सत्य है कि ग्रीस, इटली और भारत में राष्ट्रीय कला का सबसे बड़ा
उत्कर्ष राष्ट्रीय धर्म के विचारों और कल्पनाओं या मंदिरों और उपकरणों को
चित्रित करने या सजाने के लिए कलात्मक प्रतिभा के उपयोग से जुड़ा हुआ है।
ऐसा इसलिए नहीं था क्योंकि कला अनिवार्य रूप से धर्म के बाहरी रूपों से
जुड़ी हुई है, बल्कि इसलिए क्योंकि यह धर्म ही था जिसमें मनुष्य की
आध्यात्मिक आकांक्षाएँ केंद्रित थीं।" (सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 1: 450)
नटराज
तांडवेश्वर
"शिव
के सबसे महान नामों में से एक है नटराज, नर्तकों का भगवान या अभिनेताओं का
राजा। ब्रह्मांड उनका रंगमंच है, उनके प्रदर्शनों की सूची में कई अलग-अलग
चरण हैं, वे स्वयं अभिनेता और दर्शक हैं -
जब अभिनेता ढोल बजाता है, तो
हर कोई शो देखने आता है;
जब अभिनेता मंच की संपत्ति को इकट्ठा करता है तो
वह अपनी खुशी में अकेला रहता है।"
(आनंद कुमारस्वामी, शिव का नृत्य: चौदह निबंध)
आइए हम मंदिर की बाहरी दीवारों के साथ चलते हुए भगवान के कुछ रूपों पर करीब से नज़र डालें।
शिव लिंगोद्भव के रूप में
भगवान
शिव को यहां प्रकाश के एक ज्वलंत स्तंभ से निकलते हुए देखा जा सकता है,
जिसे स्तंभ के दोनों ओर लपटों के रूप में दर्शाया गया है। स्तंभ के शीर्ष
पर दाईं ओर भगवान ब्रह्मा को उनके वाहन
हंस पर सवार देखा जा सकता है, जो प्रकाश के इस स्तंभ के सबसे ऊंचे शिखर का
पता लगाने के लिए ऊंची उड़ान भर रहे हैं। स्तंभ का निचला हिस्सा, जिसे
भगवान विष्णु को स्तंभ की जड़ का पता लगाते हुए दर्शाया गया है, हालांकि
बुरी तरह से क्षतिग्रस्त है। एक सुंदर रूप से तैयार किया गया मकर तोरण आला को सुशोभित करता है।
शिव भैरव के रूप में
जटाधारी शिव
अर्धनारीश्वर
अर्धनारीश्वर
"अभिव्यक्ति
से परे कोई भेद नहीं है, अर्थात, दो नहीं हैं, केवल एक है। सृजन के क्षण
में यह दो हो गया था। लेकिन उससे पहले यह एक था, और कोई अंतर नहीं था;
चूंकि यह एक था, इसलिए यह केवल एक था...भेद कुछ शाश्वत और सह-अस्तित्व वाला
नहीं है। यह सृजन के लिए है, और वास्तव में केवल इस दुनिया के निर्माण के
लिए है।" (द मदर, सी.डब्लू.एम., 7: 155)
शिव गजचर्मम्बर के रूप में
यहाँ
भगवान शिव को गजचर्मम्बर के रूप में दर्शाया गया है, जो हाथी की खाल पहनते
हैं। गजासुर नामक एक राक्षस हाथी का रूप धारण करके धरती पर उत्पात मचा रहा
था, जब तक कि भगवान शिव ने उसे मार नहीं दिया और उसकी खाल फाड़ दी। भगवान
के ऊपरी दो हाथों में हाथी-राक्षस की खाल को पकड़े हुए देखा जा सकता है।
उनका निचला दाहिना हाथ हवा में धीरे से झूलता है जबकि निचला बायाँ हाथ
कूल्हे ( कटि हस्त
) पर टिका होता है, जिससे पूरे रूप में एक सौम्य नृत्य जैसी हरकत होती है।
गजासुर का सिर भगवान के बाएं पैर के नीचे समर्पित दिखाई देता है।
शिव और नंदी
यहाँ
भगवान इस अत्यंत सुंदर मुद्रा से हमें मंत्रमुग्ध कर रहे हैं, अपनी दाहिनी
निचली भुजा को नंदी के सिर पर टिकाए हुए हैं - भगवान अपने सदैव वफादार
मित्र पर झुके हुए हैं।
यह उन पहले शिव मंदिरों में से एक था जिसमें नंदी के लिए एक अलग मंडप
था । मंदिर के पूर्व में स्थित यह मंडप चारों तरफ से खुला एक चौकोर मंडप
है, और इसमें एक ऊंची मंजिल पर नंदी की एक बड़ी प्रतिमा है। इसकी सपाट छत
चार खंभों पर टिकी हुई है; मंडप की छोटी दीवारों की बाहरी सतहों पर
परिचारिकाओं की आकृतियाँ और किन्नर-मैथुन जोड़े उकेरे गए हैं।
“…अनेक
देवताओं का उपासक भी जानता है कि उसके सभी देवत्व एक ही के रूप, नाम,
व्यक्तित्व और शक्तियाँ हैं; उसके देवता एक ही पुरुष से निकले हैं, उसकी
देवियाँ एक ही दिव्य शक्ति की ऊर्जाएँ हैं।” (सी.डब्लू.एस.ए., 20: 192)।
विरुपाक्ष
मंदिर भगवान शिव को समर्पित है, लेकिन ज़्यादातर शिव मंदिरों की तरह यहाँ
भी भगवान विष्णु की कुछ अद्भुत आकृतियाँ देखने को मिलती हैं। मंदिर की
बाहरी दीवार पर हरिहर की एक आकर्षक छवि देखी जा सकती है - हरि के रूप में
विष्णु और हर के रूप में शिव का मिश्रित रूप।
हरि-हर के रूप में विष्णु और शिव
"रुद्र
ब्रह्माण्ड में ऊपर चढ़ने वाले देव या देवता हैं, विष्णु वही देव या देवता
हैं जो ऊपर चढ़ने में सहायता करते हैं और शक्तियों का आह्वान करते हैं।"
(सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 15: 344-345)
भगवान विष्णु
भगवान विष्णु
त्रिविक्रम के रूप में विष्णु
विष्णु नरसिम्हा के रूप में, हिरण्यकश्यप से जूझ रहे हैं
“…विष्णु
की इन तीन व्यापक गतिविधियों में सभी पाँच लोक और उनके जीव निवास करते
हैं। पृथ्वी, स्वर्ग और “वह” आनंद का लोक तीन चरण हैं। पृथ्वी और स्वर्ग के
बीच अंतरिक्ष है, प्राण लोक, जिसका शाब्दिक अर्थ है “मध्यवर्ती निवास”।
स्वर्ग और आनंद के लोक के बीच एक और विशाल अंतरिक्ष या मध्यवर्ती निवास है,
महर्लोक, जो वस्तुओं के अतिचेतन सत्य का लोक है।” (सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 15: 348)
यहाँ
कथा ऊपर से नीचे की ओर आगे बढ़ती है। जब जटायु देखता है कि सीता को रावण
के उड़ते हुए रथ में ले जाया जा रहा है, तो वह वीरतापूर्वक रथ पर हमला करता
है। वह रावण का धनुष तोड़ देता है और रावण के कवच को फाड़ देता है। रावण
कुश्ती की मुद्रा में दिखाए गए अनुसार अपनी तलवार से उस पर वार करता है।
रावण और जटायु के सिर की हरकतें पैनल को एक शानदार गतिशील रूप देती हैं।
घातक रूप से घायल, जटायु अंततः अपनी ताकत खो देता है और लेपाक्षी में भगवान राम और लक्ष्मण की प्रतीक्षा करते हुए जमीन पर गिर जाता है ।
एक अन्य भव्य शिल्पकला वाले पैनल में रावण को भगवान शिव के निवास स्थान कैलास पर्वत को उठाने का प्रयास करते हुए दिखाया गया है।
रावण द्वारा कैलाश पर्वत उठाना
रावण
की झुकी हुई मुद्रा, जिसमें उसका दाहिना पैर घुटने से मुड़ा हुआ है और जो
ज़मीन पर मजबूती से टिका हुआ है, इस राहत को बहुत बढ़िया गति प्रदान करती
है। वह अपने बाएं पैर को आंशिक रूप से मोड़कर और अपने बाएं पैर को मजबूती
से टिकाकर खुद को संतुलित कर रहा है। रावण के दस सिरों में से प्रत्येक पर
मुकुट जैसे विवरणों पर ध्यान देना आश्चर्यजनक है; उसका यज्ञोपवीत भी स्पष्ट रूप से दिखाई देता है। अपनी सभी बीस भुजाओं के साथ उसे पहाड़ उठाते हुए दिखाया गया है।
मंदिर
के पूर्वी प्रवेश द्वार के बरामदे में उत्कीर्ण एक शिलालेख में चालुक्य
राजा विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय की पल्लवों पर विजय दर्ज है। एक अन्य शिलालेख
में मंदिर के मुख्य वास्तुकार अनिवरिताचारी गुंडा को दिए गए शाही सम्मान और
'त्रिभुवनचारी' की उपाधि का उल्लेख है। मंदिर के दक्षिणी भाग के वास्तुकार
सर्वसिद्धि आचार्य के गुणों का भी एक शिलालेख में गुणगान किया गया है।
मंदिर प्रांगण
मुखमंडप की ओर चलते हुए हमें कुछ भव्य और प्रभावशाली द्वारपाल
दिखाई देते हैं जो मंदिर के अंदर देवताओं की रक्षा करते हैं और साथ ही उन
भक्तों की भी रक्षा करते हैं जो भगवान के घर में उन्हें 'देखने' की
आकांक्षा के साथ प्रवेश करते हैं - पत्थर के मंदिर में और अपने हृदय के
मंदिर में।
द्वारपालों की शांत लेकिन सतर्क मुद्राएँ मनमोहक
हैं। कुछ बाहरी स्तंभों वाली दीवारों पर हमें सुंदर मुद्राओं में महिला
दिव्य प्राणियों की कुछ मूर्तियाँ और मैथुन युगल भी दिखाई देते हैं ।
"भारतीय
कला सौंदर्य को अपने आप में खोजने योग्य वस्तु के रूप में जानने की चेष्टा
से संबंधित नहीं है: इसका मुख्य प्रयास हमेशा एक विचार की प्राप्ति की ओर
निर्देशित होता है, जो सीमित से अनंत तक पहुंचता है, हमेशा यह विश्वास
दिलाता है कि, सभी सांसारिक सौंदर्य के आध्यात्मिक मूल को व्यक्त करने के
निरंतर प्रयास के माध्यम से, मानव मन दिव्यता के पूर्ण सौंदर्य को अधिक से
अधिक ग्रहण करेगा।" (ईबी हैवेल, भारतीय कला के आदर्श)
" आप
समय में जितना पीछे जाएंगे, अवधारणा में उतनी ही भव्यता मिलेगी। आप हमारे
समय के जितना करीब आएंगे, कला उतनी ही विस्तृत होती जाएगी। देलवाड़ा
मंदिरों के समय तक भी पुरानी संस्कृति का कुछ हिस्सा जीवित था। हमें ज्वार
को वापस लाना होगा... आध्यात्मिकता में, कला में, कविता में आपको पुराने
समय में वही आधार मिलेगा। आपको आत्मा पर आधारित एक निश्चित "शांत शक्ति"
मिलेगी, और सभी अभिव्यक्तियाँ उस "शांत शक्ति" के आधार पर आगे बढ़ेंगी।" (श्री अरबिंदो, 26-1-1927, श्री अरबिंदो के साथ शाम की बातचीत, एबी पुरानी द्वारा दर्ज, पृष्ठ 213)
पट्टदकल
मंदिर परिसर में विरुपाक्ष मंदिर के बाहरी भाग में 'शांत शक्ति' की समृद्ध
सुंदरता को आत्मसात करने के बाद, अब भगवान से मिलने के लिए अंदर जाने का
समय था। जैसा कि पहले
उल्लेख किया गया है , यह मंदिर कांचीपुरम के भव्य द्रविड़ शैली के
कैलाशनाथ मंदिर की तर्ज पर बनाया गया है जो पल्लव काल की एक उत्कृष्ट कृति
है ।
पूर्वमुखी विरुपाक्ष मंदिर में पूर्व, उत्तर और दक्षिण दिशा से तीन प्रवेश द्वार हैं। इनमें से प्रत्येक प्रवेश द्वार के दोनों ओर मजबूत और भारी हथियारों से लैस द्वारपालों की प्रतिमाएं हैं।
इन भव्य द्वारपालों के सामने खड़े होकर, हमें श्री अरबिंदो का एक सुंदर अंश याद आया, जिसमें उन्होंने द्वारपाल
की एक विशिष्ट मूर्ति पर टिप्पणी की थी - इस बार महाबलीपुरम के पल्लव
मंदिर से। इन रूपों की आंतरिक सुंदरता का वर्णन करते हुए, उन्होंने लिखा:
“महान
शैलियों और अवधियों में से एक का यह उदाहरण, ...बहुत ही अच्छी तरह से,
मानव आकृति के उपचार में भारतीय सिद्धांत को दर्शाता है, रूप और रूपरेखा की
एक अत्यंत सरलता को सुरक्षित करने के लिए छोटे विवरणों और तुच्छ विवरणों
का दमन, - भारतीय मूर्तिकार के मुख्य उद्देश्य को पूरा करने के लिए सबसे
अच्छी स्थिति जो कि आध्यात्मिक शक्ति और महत्व की अत्यधिक शक्ति के साथ रूप
को भरना था। मंदिर के इस राजसी द्वारपाल की आकृति, शांत, गंभीर, मधुर और
शांत शांति के साथ अपनी स्थिरता में एक अव्यक्त और संयमित वीर ऊर्जा के
मिलन में, ...इस रचना की विशिष्ट शक्ति, वास्तव में किसी भी ग्रीक मूर्ति
के बराबर है ... अपनी गरिमा और शांति में, लेकिन यह अपने भीतर एक अधिक गहरा
और शक्तिशाली अर्थ रखती है; यह स्थिर और तीव्र ईश्वर की ओर भावना की एक
आदर्श व्याख्या है, जो एक गहरी मनोदशा में, इसके एक निश्चित क्षण में
समाहित है, जो भारतीय धर्म के महान युगों की आत्मा थी। यहाँ अर्थ की
पूर्णता के साथ रूप की पूर्णता है। शक्ति में यह संयम, अनंत सुझाव के
विस्तार को खोलने वाली यह पूर्णतया, दुर्लभ या असाधारण नहीं है, यह भारतीय
कला में एक बार-बार होने वाली महानता है।" (सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 1: 591)
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर में एक प्रदक्षिणा-पथ के साथ एक चौकोर गर्भगृह , एक अंतराल है जिसमें गणेश और महिषासुरमर्दिनी के दो छोटे मंदिर हैं, पूर्व, उत्तर और दक्षिण में प्रवेश द्वार वाला एक सभामंडप और सामने एक अलग नंदी मंडप है ।
मुख्य प्रवेश द्वार, विरुपाक्ष मंदिर, पट्टदकल से
गर्भगृह
का दृश्य
मुख्य प्रवेश द्वार, विरुपाक्ष मंदिर, पट्टदकल से देखा गया नंदी मंडपम
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर, पट्टदकल में महिषासुरमर्दिनी
इस मंदिर में भगवान शिव अपने लिंग रूप में नियमित रूप से पूजा करते हैं । उस समय मंदिर में मौजूद अर्चक ने हमें तस्वीरें लेने की अनुमति दी थी ।
गर्भगृह के ठीक बाहर एक जगह ढूँढ़कर , हम कुछ मिनट के लिए इस प्राचीन मंदिर में दिव्यता की हमेशा रहने वाली उपस्थिति को आत्मसात करने के लिए बैठे।
एक मंदिर, जैसा कि श्री अरबिंदो याद दिलाते हैं, आध्यात्मिक आकांक्षा का प्रतीक है, और जब हम भीतर जाते हैं और उस भाव को
महसूस करना शुरू करते हैं जो मंदिर के पूरे भौतिक स्थान को भर देता है,
तभी हम उस वास्तविक आंतरिक उद्देश्य को देखना शुरू करते हैं जिसके लिए
पत्थर या लकड़ी या किसी अन्य सामग्री से बना मंदिर बनाया जाता है।
गर्भगृह के द्वार के पास चुपचाप बैठे हुए कुछ क्षण बीत गए , तभी उनकी नजर भगवान शिव के एक अन्य सुंदर रूप पर पड़ी।
जब
हम मंदिर के बाकी हिस्से को देखने के लिए उठे, तो पूर्वी प्रवेश द्वार के
पास, जहां से हम अंदर आए थे, हमने छत पर सात घोड़ों वाले रथ पर सवार
सूर्यदेव की एक सुंदर नक्काशी देखी।
"सूर्य का अर्थ है प्रकाशित या प्रकाशमान, जैसा कि प्रकाशित विचारक को भी सूरि
कहा जाता है ; लेकिन मूल का अर्थ है, इसके अलावा, सृजन करना या, अधिक
शाब्दिक रूप से, मुक्त करना, मुक्त करना, गति करना, - क्योंकि भारतीय विचार
में सृजन का अर्थ है जो कुछ रोका गया है उसे प्रकट करना, अनंत अस्तित्व
में जो छिपा है उसे प्रकट करना। प्रकाशमय दृष्टि और प्रकाशमय सृजन सूर्य के
दो कार्य हैं। वे सृष्टिकर्ता सूर्य हैं और वे प्रकट करने वाली दृष्टि,
सर्वद्रष्टा सूर्य हैं।
"वह
क्या बनाता है? सबसे पहले संसार; क्योंकि सब कुछ अनंत सत्ता के प्रज्वलित
प्रकाश और सत्य से निर्मित है, जो सूर्य के शरीर से मुक्त है, जो उसकी अनंत
आत्म-दृष्टि का प्रकाश है, अग्नि द्वारा निर्मित है, जो द्रष्टा-इच्छा है,
सर्वज्ञ रचनात्मक शक्ति है और उस आत्म-दृष्टि की ज्वलंत सर्वशक्तिमानता
है। दूसरे, मनुष्य की अंधकारमय चेतना की रात्रि में वस्तुओं का यह पिता,
सत्य का यह द्रष्टा अशुभ और निम्न सृष्टि के स्थान पर स्वयं से प्रकट होता
है, जिसे वह फिर हमसे दूर कर देता है, आत्म-चेतन अतिमानसिक सत्य और प्रकट
देवत्व के जीवंत नियम द्वारा शासित दिव्य संसारों की असीम सद्भावना।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 15: 477)
नक्काशीदार स्तंभ
किसी
भी पुराने मंदिर में नक्काशीदार स्तंभों को देखना यह समझने के लिए
पर्याप्त है कि प्राचीन भारतीय मन निश्चित रूप से सुंदरता के लिए प्रशंसा
विकसित करने के महत्व को समझता था। ये खूबसूरती से नक्काशीदार स्तंभ अपने
आप में कला के महान कार्य बन जाते हैं जो मंदिर की समग्र वास्तुकला योजना
के लिए समर्थन के रूप में अपने मूल उद्देश्य से आगे निकल जाते हैं। मंदिर
में प्रवेश करने वाला कोई भी व्यक्ति दिव्य सौंदर्य से घिरा होने पर चेतना
में उत्थान का अनुभव करता है।
"सौंदर्य
की भावना का विकास स्वभाव को परिष्कृत करता है। परिष्कृत स्वभाव को
अपरिष्कृत स्वभाव की तुलना में शुद्ध करना अधिक आसान है... सौंदर्य की
भावना का विकास पूर्णता का उतना ही हिस्सा है जितना कि कोई अन्य चीज़। इतना
ही नहीं; अगर किसी व्यक्ति ने सौंदर्य की भावना विकसित नहीं की है तो वह
परम सत्ता तक पहुँचने के मार्ग से चूक जाएगा जो सौंदर्य के माध्यम से है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, 14-8-1926, इवनिंग टॉक्स, पृष्ठ 437)
रामायण,
महाभारत, पुराणों के प्रसंगों के साथ-साथ भगवान शिव और भगवान विष्णु की
दिव्य लीलाओं की अन्य कहानियां विरुपाक्ष मंदिर के अंदर कई स्तंभों पर
सुशोभित हैं।
समुद्र मंथन, समुद्र मंथन
रामायण पैनल
भीष्म बाणों की शय्या पर लेटे हुए हैं
शिव और पार्वती, और उनके परिचारक
विरुपाक्ष
मंदिर (और कई पुराने हिंदू मंदिरों) में नक्काशीदार स्तंभों पर देखा जाने
वाला एक और सामान्य रूपांकन युद्ध, एक लड़ाई का है। हमारे प्राचीन ऋषियों
और ऋषियों द्वारा बताए गए जीवन के एक गहरे सत्य के प्रकाश में देखा जाए तो
यह महत्वपूर्ण है। वैदिक ऋषियों ने जीवन के आंतरिक महत्व को प्रकाश और सत्य
की शक्तियों और अंधकार और असत्य की शक्तियों के बीच एक युद्ध के रूप में
बताया है। यह युद्ध मानव पूर्वजों, पितरौ मनुष्यः
, दिव्य अंगिरस द्वारा लड़ा गया था, और उन्होंने एक महान विजय प्राप्त की
थी, जो उनके द्वारा हमारे लिए बनाए गए मार्ग का अनुसरण करके हमें भी मिल
सकती है।
"युद्ध
का भौतिक तथ्य, ..., जीवन में एक सामान्य सिद्धांत की एक विशेष और बाहरी
अभिव्यक्ति मात्र है और क्षत्रिय केवल मानवीय पूर्णता की पूर्णता के लिए
आवश्यक एक सामान्य विशेषता की बाहरी अभिव्यक्ति और प्रकार मात्र है। युद्ध
शारीरिक रूप से लड़ाई और संघर्ष के पहलू का प्रतीक और मूर्त रूप है जो सभी
जीवन से संबंधित है, हमारे आंतरिक और बाहरी जीवन दोनों से, एक ऐसे संसार
में जिसकी पद्धति शक्तियों का मिलन और कुश्ती है जो परस्पर विनाश द्वारा
निरंतर बदलते समायोजन की ओर बढ़ती है जो एक प्रगतिशील सामंजस्य और एकता की
अभी तक समझ में न आने वाली क्षमता पर आधारित पूर्ण सामंजस्य की आशा व्यक्त
करती है। क्षत्रिय मनुष्य में योद्धा का प्रकार और अवतार है जो जीवन में इस
सिद्धांत को स्वीकार करता है और एक योद्धा के रूप में इसका सामना करता है
जो प्रभुत्व की ओर प्रयास करता है, शरीर और रूपों के विनाश से नहीं डरता,
बल्कि इसके माध्यम से अधिकार, न्याय, कानून के किसी सिद्धांत की प्राप्ति
का लक्ष्य रखता है जो उस सामंजस्य का आधार होगा जिसकी ओर संघर्ष जाता है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 19: 52)
हम
और भी देर तक रुक सकते थे, अपने आस-पास की हर नक्काशीदार सुंदरता को
निहारते हुए। लेकिन मन के एक कोने से एक आवाज़ ने याद दिलाया कि उसी परिसर
में कई और मंदिर हैं, जहाँ हमें दिन के उजाले से पहले पहुँच जाना चाहिए।
इसलिए चुपचाप एक बार फिर भगवान शिव को नमन करते हुए, हम विरुपाक्ष मंदिर से
बाहर निकल गए।
"भारतीय
दर्शन की शर्तों का उपयोग करने के लिए, अधिकांश कला प्रकृति की क्रीड़ा को
व्यक्त करती है; बौद्ध कला अपनी सबसे विशिष्ट रचनाओं में पुरुष की पूर्ण
शांति को व्यक्त करती है; हिंदू कला पुरुष और प्रकृति को एक छवि में
संयोजित करने की कोशिश करती है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 1: 584)
अब
हम पट्टदकल मंदिर समूह के दूसरे सबसे बड़े मंदिर की ओर बढ़ते हैं। प्रवेश
द्वार से सबसे दूर स्थित मल्लिकार्जुन मंदिर को त्रैलोकेश्वर मंदिर के नाम
से भी जाना जाता है, जिसका नाम रानी त्रैलोकमहादेवी के नाम पर रखा गया है
जिन्होंने इसके निर्माण का आदेश दिया था। वह राजा विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय
(733-744 ई.) की छोटी रानी थीं और रानी लोकमहादेवी की बहन भी थीं जिन्होंने
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर का आदेश दिया था। विरुपाक्ष मंदिर की तरह ,
द्रविड़ शैली का यह शिव मंदिर भी पल्लवों पर राजा विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय की
जीत के उपलक्ष्य में बनाया गया था। लेकिन राजा की मृत्यु के बाद, इस मंदिर
के कुछ हिस्सों को अधूरा छोड़ना पड़ा।
नागर शैली का काशीविश्वनाथ मंदिर (अग्रभूमि) और द्रविड़ शैली का मल्लिकार्जुन मंदिर पृष्ठभूमि में
इस
पूर्वमुखी मंदिर के बाहर प्रांगण में एक आधा टूटा हुआ अखंड स्तंभ खड़ा है।
इस स्तंभ पर चालुक्य राजाओं विजयादित्य और विक्रमादित्य के शासनकाल, उनके
द्वारा लड़े गए युद्धों और उनके द्वारा बनवाए गए मंदिरों के बारे में
शिलालेख हैं।
इस द्रविड़ शैली के मंदिर के अर्धगोलाकार विमान में क्रमबद्ध पहलू या ऑफसेट प्रक्षेपण ( रथ ) हैं, जो आमतौर पर नागर शैली के मंदिरों में देखा जाता है।
मल्लिकार्जुन नाम क्यों?
"देवता
दिव्य द्वारा प्रस्तुत व्यक्तित्व या शक्तियाँ हैं - इसलिए वे सीमित
उत्सर्जनों के सामने हैं, यद्यपि पूर्ण दिव्य उनमें से प्रत्येक के पीछे
है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 28: 456)
भारतीय
धार्मिक-आध्यात्मिक परंपरा के देवताओं से संबंधित सभी किंवदंतियों और
कहानियों की तरह, भगवान शिव के 'मल्लिकार्जुन' नाम और रूप के पीछे की कहानी
कई महत्वपूर्ण सत्यों को उजागर करती है।
एक
बार भगवान शिव और माँ पार्वती ने तय किया कि उनके पुत्रों गणेश और
कार्तिकेय का विवाह होना चाहिए। इस पर दोनों भाइयों के बीच बहस छिड़ गई कि
पहले किसका विवाह होना चाहिए। शिव ने घोषणा की कि विजेता का फैसला एक
प्रतियोगिता के माध्यम से किया जाना चाहिए। दोनों भाइयों को दुनिया भर में परिक्रमा करनी होगी और जो सबसे पहले कैलाश पर्वत पर लौटेगा, उसका विवाह पहले होगा।
"गणेश
वह शक्ति है जो ज्ञान के बल से बाधाओं को दूर करती है - कार्तिकेय शत्रु
शक्तियों पर विजय का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं। बेशक दिए गए नाम मानवीय हैं,
लेकिन भगवान मौजूद हैं।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 28: 460)
कार्तिकेय तेजी से अपने वाहन पर सवार होकर दुनिया भर की भूप्रदक्षिणा
के लिए निकल पड़े । लेकिन समझदार गणेश ने बस अपने माता-पिता की सात बार
परिक्रमा की और खुद को प्रतियोगिता का विजेता घोषित कर दिया। उनका तर्क सरल
था - मेरे माता-पिता की परिक्रमा करना
दुनिया भर में घूमने के बराबर है क्योंकि मेरे लिए, मेरे माता-पिता ही
मेरी पूरी दुनिया हैं। इससे प्रसन्न होकर शिव और पार्वती ने गणेश का विवाह
तय किया। उनकी दुल्हनें सिद्धि (आध्यात्मिक उपलब्धियाँ) और ऋद्धि (समृद्धि)
थीं।
“ गणेश (अन्य चीजों के अलावा) आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान के देवता हैं ।” (सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 28: 460)
मल्लिकार्जुन शिव १
मल्लिकार्जुन शिव 2
“शिव तप के देवता हैं।” (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 28: 460)
जब कार्तिकेय दुनिया भर में अपनी कठिन परिक्रमा
पूरी करने के बाद लौटे और उन्हें पता चला कि क्या हुआ था, तो वे क्रोधित
हो गए। और उस क्रोध के क्षण में उन्होंने घोषणा की कि वे ब्रह्मचारी
बने रहेंगे और कभी शादी नहीं करेंगे। इतना ही नहीं, उन्होंने कैलाश पर्वत
पर अपने माता-पिता का निवास भी छोड़ दिया और क्रौंच गिरि पर अकेले रहने चले
गए और कुमारब्रह्मचारी नाम अपना लिया।
शिव
और पार्वती अपने क्रोधित पुत्र को शांत करने की आशा के साथ उनके पीछे गए,
लेकिन कार्तिकेय टस से मस नहीं हुए और उनसे दूर जाने के लिए कहीं और चले
गए। अन्य देवताओं
द्वारा बहुत अनुनय-विनय के बाद ही कार्तिकेय शांत हुए और उन्होंने क्रौंच
पर्वत पर ही रहने का फैसला किया। (बादामी चालुक्य राजाओं ने भी कर्नाटक के
वर्तमान बेल्लारी जिले में क्रौंच गिरि में भगवान कार्तिकेय और माँ पार्वती
को समर्पित मंदिर बनवाए थे)।
एक किंवदंती के अनुसार, अपने बेटे के करीब रहने के लिए, शिव और पार्वती ने एक ज्योतिर्लिंग
का रूप धारण किया । ऐसा माना जाता है कि यह स्थान बाद में श्रीशैलम के नाम
से जाना जाने लगा, जहाँ शिव मल्लिकार्जुन और पार्वती महाशक्ति के रूप में
निवास करते थे। यहाँ ज्योतिर्लिंग की पूजा चमेली के फूलों से की जाती है, चमेली के फूलों के लिए मल्लिका पुष्पम
शब्द का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। (एक अन्य किंवदंती के अनुसार, शिव को
मल्लिकार्जुन नाम से इसलिए जाना जाता है क्योंकि उन्होंने एक बार पांडव
राजकुमार अर्जुन को मल्ल नामक राक्षस को मारने में मदद की थी।)
मल्लिकार्जुन शिव 3
मल्लिकार्जुन शिव 4
"हमारे
शिव देवताओं में सर्वोच्च हैं, फिर भी वे एक भिखारी हैं, अपनी इंद्रियों
से विमुख, बेपरवाह और भुलक्कड़... हमारे शिव एक भिखारी हैं, लेकिन
आध्यात्मिक साधक को वे तीनों लोकों की सारी संपत्ति और ज्ञान आसानी से दे
देते हैं; वे अत्यंत उदार हैं, लेकिन बुद्धिमानों की पहुंच से परे ज्ञान
उनके पास जन्मजात है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, बंगाली लेखन, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 9: जनवरी
1910)
भगवान शिव के मल्लिकार्जुन रूप के अलावा, मंदिर में भगवान के कुछ अन्य रूपों की शानदार मूर्तियां भी हैं।
शिव तांडेश्वर
“…नृत्य
करते शिव, …अविचल शांति और आनंद भीतर हैं, बाहर ब्रह्मांडीय गति का
संपूर्ण उन्मत्त आनंद है।” (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 1: 584)
मल्लिकार्जुन मंदिर, पट्टडकल में शिव और पार्वती
“…शिव
और पार्वती का विवाह, अपने मूल विचार में पुरुष और प्रकृति, सर्वोच्च
आत्मा और गतिशील प्रकृति का मिलन दर्शाता है जिसके द्वारा दुनिया का
निर्माण होता है…” (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 1: 166)
मंदिर के बारे में अधिक जानकारी
मल्लिकार्जुन मंदिर में तीन तरफ तीन मुखमंडप हैं । मंदिर के सामने एक आंशिक रूप से ध्वस्त नंदी विराजमान है। स्तंभों वाला सभा मंडप गर्भगृह की ओर जाता है , जहाँ भगवान शिवलिंगम रूप में विराजमान हैं। गर्भगृह
के ठीक बाहर दो छोटे मंदिर हैं - एक महिषासुरमर्दिनी के रूप में देवी
दुर्गा के लिए और दूसरा भगवान गणेश के लिए, जो वर्तमान में खाली हैं। एक प्रदक्षिणा-पथ भी है ।
सभामंडपम से गर्भगृह
का दृश्य
कहानी सुनाने की समृद्ध भारतीय सांस्कृतिक परंपरा मुखमंडप की दीवारों और स्तंभों पर प्रचलित है, जहाँ
पुराणों, रामायण, महाभारत और पंचतंत्र की कहानियाँ पत्थर पर उकेरी गई हैं।
यहाँ लोगों के दैनिक जीवन के दृश्य भी देखे जा सकते हैं, जिनमें पुरुष और
महिलाएँ अपने दैनिक काम करते हुए और जोड़े प्रेम का इजहार करते हुए दिखाई
देते हैं। मंदिर की छत भी सुंदर आकृतियों से सजी हुई है।
"भारत
के केवल वे हिस्से जो थोड़े बहुत अंग्रेजीकृत हैं, उन्होंने सौंदर्य की
भावना खो दी है... कला के दृष्टिकोण से जो आपके पास सबसे ज़्यादा है वो है
पुरानी रचनाएँ, पुराने मंदिर, पुरानी तस्वीरें। ये सब बहुत अच्छा था। और ये
सब एक आस्था को व्यक्त करने के लिए बनाया गया था। और यह सब ठीक से समग्रता
की भावना के साथ किया गया था, अव्यवस्था में नहीं।" (द मदर, सी.डब्लू.एम.,
15: 340-341)
एक स्तंभ पर महाभारत के दृश्य
एक स्तंभ पर समुद्र मंथन
"...कला
में केवल सौंदर्य-मूल्य ही नहीं बल्कि जीवन-मूल्य, मन-मूल्य, आत्मा-मूल्य
भी शामिल होते हैं। कलाकार न केवल अपनी चेतना की शक्तियों को बल्कि उस
चेतना की शक्तियों को भी आकार देता है जिसने दुनिया और उनकी वस्तुओं को
बनाया है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 27: 122)
"सौंदर्य
की खोज में मनुष्य की सबसे तीव्र और संतोषजनक अभिव्यक्ति महान रचनात्मक
कलाओं, कविता, चित्रकला, मूर्तिकला, वास्तुकला में होती है, लेकिन इसके
पूर्ण विस्तार में उसकी प्रकृति या उसके जीवन की कोई भी गतिविधि नहीं है
जिससे इसे बाहर रखा जाना चाहिए या बाहर रखा जाना चाहिए, - बशर्ते हम
सौंदर्य को उसके व्यापक और सच्चे अर्थों में समझें। सौंदर्य की पूर्ण और
सार्वभौमिक सराहना और हमारे पूरे जीवन और अस्तित्व को पूरी तरह से सुंदर
बनाना निश्चित रूप से पूर्ण व्यक्ति और पूर्ण समाज का एक आवश्यक चरित्र
होना चाहिए।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 25: 136-137)
पट्टदकल मंदिरों के मुख्य समूह से लगभग 200 मीटर की दूरी पर और विरुपाक्ष मंदिर से लगभग आधा किलोमीटर दक्षिण में पापनाथ मंदिर स्थित है, जो अपने दो इतिहासों
, विशेष रूप से रामायण से पूरी तरह से कल्पना की गई छवियों के चक्र के लिए
उल्लेखनीय है, जो इसकी बाहरी दीवारों पर चित्रित हैं। लगभग 680 ई. में
निर्मित , मंदिर द्रविड़ और नागर शैलियों के तत्वों का एक मिश्रण प्रस्तुत करता है। इसमें रेखा-नागर शैली का एक घुमावदार शिखर है - इस तरह के शिखर वाले परिसर में सबसे बड़ा - जबकि दीवारों के ऊपर पैरापेट जैसे तत्व द्रविड़ मंदिर वास्तुकला के विशिष्ट हैं।
पापनाथ मंदिर का
रेखा नागरा शिखर
मूल रूप से शिव को मुक्तेश्वर रूप में समर्पित एक मामूली मंदिर के रूप में निर्मित, मुक्ति प्रदान करने वाले भगवान ,
इस मंदिर का बड़े पैमाने पर जीर्णोद्धार उस समय किया गया था जब विरुपाक्ष
मंदिर का निर्माण किया गया था, प्रारंभिक चालुक्य वंश के शासन के अंत में।
दिलचस्प बात यह है कि मंदिर में खोजे गए किसी भी शिलालेख से मुख्य देवता के
बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं मिलती है, हालांकि हमें इस मंदिर से जुड़े कुछ
प्रमुख वास्तुकारों और मूर्तिकारों (रेवाडी ओवज्जा, देवराय, चेंगम्मा,
बलदेव) के बारे में विवरण मिलता है। लेकिन मंदिर परिसर के पास एक स्मारक
शिलालेख वाला एक सीधा पत्थर का स्लैब देवता को "किसुवोल मूलस्थानदा महादेव"
के रूप में संदर्भित करता है। समय के साथ, इस मंदिर के देवता को पापनाथ के
रूप में जाना जाने लगा
पापनाथ मंदिर का बाहर से एक और दृश्य
पूर्व
की ओर मुख वाला मंदिर जिसकी बाहरी दीवारों पर उल्लेखनीय मूर्तिकला सजावट
है, एक असामान्य रूप से ऊंचे मंच पर बनाया गया है। विशाल चबूतरे की पांच
ढलाई जानवरों की आकृति और पुष्प डिजाइनों से सजी हुई है। मुख मंडप या प्रवेश द्वार तीन तरफ से खुला है, जिसमें चालुक्य मंदिरों की एक खास विशेषता कक्षासन है। मुख मंडप के अलंकृत नक्काशीदार स्तंभों पर द्वारपालों , किन्नर जोड़ों और अप्सराओं की छवियां हैं - जिनमें से कई अब क्षतिग्रस्त हो चुकी हैं।
अलंकृत नक्काशीदार प्रवेश द्वार, पापनाथ मंदिर
मुख मंडप (प्रवेश द्वार) जिसमें एक द्वारपाल गायब है और अन्य क्षतिग्रस्त मूर्तियां हैं
सभा मंडप के दरवाज़े की चौखट पर अलंकृत नक्काशी की गई है। सबसे ऊपर शिव और पार्वती बैठे हुए दिखाई देते हैं और उनके ठीक नीचे एक गण
शंख बजा रहा है। उनके दोनों ओर दो शेर हैं जो क्रोधित नहीं दिखते। सबसे
निचली पटिया पर एक सुंदर ढंग से सजी हुई गजलक्ष्मी भी दिखाई देती है।
शीर्ष पर शिव और पार्वती के साथ अलंकृत द्वार चौखट
विपरीत
दिशा में एक पौराणिक प्राणी की मूर्ति है जिसका चेहरा हाथी का और शरीर शेर
का है, जो संभवतः हाथी की बुद्धिमत्ता और शेर की शारीरिक शक्ति और चपलता
का प्रतीक है।
मुख मंडप की छत तीन पत्थर की शिलाओं से बनी है। और वहाँ हम मंदिर के इस क्षेत्र का मुख्य आकर्षण
देखते हैं - एक उभरी हुई मूर्ति जिसमें शिव को नटेश के रूप में, एक आकर्षक
नृत्य मुद्रा में दर्शाया गया है; उनके साथ पार्वती और उनका पूरा दिव्य दल
भी है।
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर के विपरीत इस मंदिर में वर्तमान में कोई अलग नंदी मंडप नहीं है । संभवतः एक समय में एक अलंकृत नंदी के लिए एक अलग मंडप था जिसे बाद में मंदिर के पुनर्निर्माण के दौरान विस्तारित सभा मंडप के अंतर्गत लाया गया था । अब जो कुछ बचा है वह सभा मंडप के पूर्वी हिस्से में बुरी तरह से क्षतिग्रस्त नंदी है ।
सभा मंडप
का अलंकृत नक्काशीदार द्वार, जहाँ से नंदी का दृश्य दिखाई देता है
सभा मंडप में 16 स्तंभ हैं, जिनमें से कई पर अप्सराओं और अन्य दिव्य प्राणियों की नक्काशीदार छवियां हैं , जिनमें मैथुन युगल भी शामिल हैं। सभा मंडप में आठ भुजाओं वाली महिषासुरमर्दिनी का विशेष स्थान है ।
चार जालीदार खिड़कियाँ अर्ध मंडप के अंदर प्राकृतिक प्रकाश प्रदान करती हैं जो गर्भगृह और प्रदक्षिणा के बराबर चौड़ाई का है। गर्भगृह की तुलना में केंद्रीय नैव की छत ऊँची है ।
जटिल नक्काशीदार जालीदार खिड़कियों का बाहरी दृश्य
गर्भगृह के पास की छत पर कई
शानदार नक्काशीदार नक्काशीदार आकृतियाँ हैं, जिनमें शिव और पार्वती,
गजलक्ष्मी और नागराज की आकृतियाँ शामिल हैं, जिनमें एक मानव प्रतिमा और
उसके निचले हिस्से में कुंडलित सर्प है। दुर्भाग्य से उनमें से अधिकांश अब
बुरी तरह क्षतिग्रस्त हो चुके हैं, मुख्य रूप से पानी के रिसाव और खराब
रखरखाव के कारण।
गर्भगृह के द्वार के ऊपर बीम पर गजलक्ष्मी
शिव और पार्वती एक सुंदर नृत्य मुद्रा में
पापनाथ
मंदिर उस समय के अन्य सभी प्रारंभिक चालुक्य मंदिरों से अलग है, क्योंकि
इसकी बाहरी दीवारों पर दक्षिणी और उत्तरी तरफ़ दो महाकाव्यों - रामायण और
महाभारत - का विस्तृत चित्रण किया गया है, जिसमें दोनों महाकाव्यों के
चरमोत्कर्ष दृश्य सामने के बरामदे के खंभों पर समाप्त होते हैं। यह अनुमान
लगाया जाता है कि शायद मंदिर के वास्तुकार ने जानबूझकर मंदिर के दोहरे मंडप को
डिज़ाइन किया था ताकि महाकाव्यों के व्यापक चित्रण के लिए बाहरी दीवारों
में पर्याप्त जगह बनाई जा सके। चित्रित घटनाओं को सही ढंग से पढ़ने के लिए
फ्रिज़ के दोनों ओर लेबल भी हैं।
"ये
महाकाव्य... जीवन के अंतरंग महत्वों का एक अत्यंत कलात्मक प्रतिनिधित्व
हैं, एक मजबूत और महान सोच, एक विकसित नैतिक और सौंदर्यवादी मन और एक उच्च
सामाजिक और राजनीतिक आदर्श की जीवंत प्रस्तुति, एक महान संस्कृति की आत्मा
से भरी छवि। जीवन की ताज़गी में समृद्ध लेकिन ग्रीक की तुलना में विचार और
सार में बहुत अधिक गहन और विकसित, संस्कृति की परिपक्वता में उन्नत लेकिन
लैटिन महाकाव्य की तुलना में अधिक जोरदार और महत्वपूर्ण और ताकत में युवा,
भारतीय महाकाव्यों को एक महान और पूर्ण राष्ट्रीय और सांस्कृतिक कार्य को
पूरा करने के लिए तैयार किया गया था और उन्हें उच्च और निम्न, सुसंस्कृत और
आम लोगों दोनों द्वारा प्राप्त और आत्मसात किया जाना चाहिए था और बीस
शताब्दियों तक पूरे राष्ट्र के जीवन का एक अंतरंग और रचनात्मक हिस्सा बने
रहना अपने आप में इस प्राचीन भारतीय संस्कृति की महानता और सुंदरता का सबसे
मजबूत संभव प्रमाण है।" (श्री अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 20: 353)
वानर द्वारा लंका तक पुल का निर्माण
मंदिर की दक्षिणी दीवार पर रामायण का चित्रण राजा दशरथ द्वारा पुत्र-कामेष्टि यज्ञ
करने से शुरू होता है और राम और रावण के बीच युद्ध के साथ समाप्त होता है।
बीच में हमारे पास कई महत्वपूर्ण दृश्यों को दर्शाने वाले पैनल हैं जैसे
कि रावण द्वारा सीता का अपहरण, जटायु का रावण से युद्ध, सुग्रीव और बाली के
बीच युद्ध, राम द्वारा बाली का वध, और वानर-सेना द्वारा लंका तक पुल का
निर्माण। सामने के बरामदे के खंभे पर हमें रामायण के अंतिम दृश्य का चित्रण
मिलता है - सीता, लक्ष्मण और हनुमान के साथ बैठे हुए श्री राम का
राज्याभिषेक, और सबसे ऊपर एक पैनल जिसमें राजा सुग्रीव अपनी रानी और अपने
प्रजा के साथ दिखाए गए हैं।
रामायण के दृश्य - बाएं से दाएं: जटायु रावण से लड़ रहे हैं,
सुग्रीव और बाली मौत से लड़ रहे हैं, राम बाली को मारने का लक्ष्य बना रहे
हैं
"हमारे
महाकाव्यों के महान पात्र आदर्श हैं, लेकिन दुष्टता के आदर्श भी हैं और
सद्गुण भी हैं और मिश्रित चरित्र भी हैं जो वास्तव में दुष्ट या सद्गुणी
नहीं हैं। वे, कहने का तात्पर्य है, चरित्र-प्रकारों की आदर्श प्रस्तुति
हैं। यह हिंदू रचनात्मक मन की प्रवृत्ति से भी उत्पन्न होता है जो
अभिनेताओं के पीछे प्रवृत्तियों, प्रेरणाओं, आदर्शों को देखता है।" (श्री
अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 36: 131)
राम द्वारा बाली को मारने का प्रयास करते हुए नज़दीक से लिया गया चित्र
"संसार
में कर्म करने का तरीका पेचीदा है। जब राम अवतार ने बाली की हत्या की या
कृष्ण ने, जो स्वयं भगवान थे, अपने राष्ट्र को मुक्त कराने के लिए अपने
अत्याचारी चाचा कंस की हत्या की, तो कौन कहेगा कि उन्होंने अच्छा किया या
बुरा? लेकिन हम यह महसूस कर सकते हैं कि उन्होंने ईश्वरीय कार्य किया।"
(श्री अरबिंदो, सी.डब्लू.एस.ए., 12: 467-468)
महाभारत
की कई घटनाएँ उत्तरी दीवार पर उकेरी गई हैं। किरातार्जुनीयम के दृश्य में
एक सुंदर शिव को जंगल के शिकारी के रूप में दिखाया गया है, अर्जुन की
तपस्या और एक सूअर के लिए उनकी लड़ाई को दर्शाया गया है।
महाभारत का दृश्य
मंदिर की उत्तरी दीवार पर महाभारत का अधिक विवरण
जैसा
कि हम पापनाथ मंदिर के इस आभासी दौरे को इसकी समग्र भव्यता पर एक और नज़र
डालकर समाप्त करते हैं, आइए हम श्री अरविंद के इन शब्दों पर विचार करें और
उस महान जीवंत शक्ति का आह्वान करें जो भारत हमेशा से रहा है।
“ये
कोई फूस के आदमी या बेजान और इच्छाशक्तिहीन मूर्ख या कमज़ोर सपने देखने
वाले लोग नहीं थे जिन्होंने इस तरह काम किया, योजना बनाई, विजय प्राप्त की,
प्रशासन की महान प्रणालियाँ बनाईं, राज्यों और साम्राज्यों की स्थापना की,
कविता और कला और वास्तुकला के महान संरक्षक के रूप में जाने गए या बाद
में, वीरतापूर्वक साम्राज्यवादी शक्ति का विरोध किया और कबीले या लोगों की
स्वतंत्रता के लिए लड़े। न ही यह जीवन से रहित राष्ट्र था जिसने अपने
अस्तित्व और संस्कृति को बनाए रखा और फिर भी जीवित रहा और लगातार प्रतिकूल
परिस्थितियों के बढ़ते तनाव के तहत लगातार नए पुनरुत्थान में फूट पड़ा।
आधुनिक भारतीय पुनरुत्थान, धार्मिक, सांस्कृतिक, राजनीतिक, जिसे अब कभी-कभी
पुनर्जागरण कहा जाता है, जो उसके आलोचकों के दिमाग को इतना परेशान और दुखी
करता है, केवल बदली हुई परिस्थितियों में, एक अनुकूलित रूप में, एक बड़ी
लेकिन अभी तक कम ज्वलंत आंदोलन के रूप में, एक घटना की पुनरावृत्ति है जो
भारतीय इतिहास की एक सहस्राब्दी में लगातार खुद को दोहराती रही है।” (श्री
अरबिंदो, सीडब्ल्यूएसए, 20: 247)
After visiting the Pāpanātha temple
we headed back to the main temple complex. The sun was setting now, it
was the golden hour, the banyan tree on the bank of river Malaprabha
seemed to glow with a natural golden hue. A few monkeys were playing and
having fun. A short climb brought us back to the gate of the temple
complex. From this point we got a terrific view of the Nandi Mandapa of the Virupaksha temple.
The golden hour view of banyan tree and the Nandi Madapa of Virupaksha temple
“Indian sculpture and architecture embody the quintessential spirit and gracefulness of intuition.”
– Nolini Kanta Gupta, Collected Works, Vol. 7
Sangameshvara Temple
Like the Tungabhadra
river at Hampi, which flows northwards, the bank of Malaprabha river
near Pattadakal is considered auspicious for royal coronation. While in
its origin Malaprabha river flows eastward, it changes its course and
begins to flow in northeast direction. At the bank of Tungabhadra river
in Hampi stands Kodandarama temple
at the same spot where it is believed Sri Rama had crowned Sugreeva as
the king of Kishkindha. In the same manner, at the location where
Sangameshvara temple stands today in Pattadakal near Malaprabha river
bank several kings mentioned in the Mahabharata such as Nrga, Nala,
Nahusa, Sagara were coronated. Some inscriptions discovered there also
allude to this. In more recent history, several Chalukya kings were also
coronated at the Sangameshvara temple.
Entrance
to Sangameshvara temple from the side of the Malaprabha river bank,
with a view of the Nandi Mandapa of Virupaksha temple
Majestic view of the Sangameshvara temple with open mandapa having huge pillars, built in typical Dravidian style
Located north of
Virupaksha temple, Sangameshvara temple is possibly the earliest stone
carved temple built by Chalukyas at Pattadakal. Like all other temples
in this complex this Shiva temple also faces east. The principal deity
came to be known as Vijayesvara, named after the Chalukya king
Vijayaditya (696-733 CE). Some parts of this temple were left unfinished
probably after the death of the king. Built in typical Dravidian
architecture style, this temple served as the prologue to the
forthcoming temples at Pattadakal which include Nagara style as well as
combination of both Dravidian and Nagara styles.
“The
Dravidians of the South, though they no longer show that magnificent
culture and originality which made them the preservers & renovators
of the higher Hindu thought & religion in its worst days, are yet,
as we all know, far more genuinely learned & philosophic in their
cast of thought & character than any other Indian race.”
~ Sri Aurobindo (CWSA 1: 153)
A view of the Sangameshvara temple with a mutilated Nandi in the front and Galaganatha temple on its right
Another view of the Sangameshvara temple
“…a
work of art is not great unless the artist is able to express the
infinite through the limitations, — unless the lines and forms are not
overpassed, so to say. There must be beauty of line and form but that is
only the primary basis, — the earth on which you stand, — but it must
go beyond and express something from within.”
– Sri Aurobindo, Evening Talks, 27 August 1926
The garbhagriha houses a Shivalingam but sadly it seems to be have been badly mutilated. Pradakshinapatha around the garbhagriha is well-lit because of the three windows carved into all sides of the outer walls. A small antarala leading out from the garbhagriha
is flanked by two small shrines on either side; these were at one time
probably the homes of Ganesha (southern side) and Mahishasumardini
(northern side). Walking down the ardhamandapa with huge pillars we get back to the entrance porches (mukhamandapa) which is open on three sides — north, south and east. Presently only the southern wall of this entrance mandapa is intact. To the east is a small area housing the Nandi.
Mutilated Shivaling in garbhagriha
The exterior of the
temple is built on a higher plinth with five-layered mouldings. The
walls have four symmetrical projections with devakoshthas
(niches for the gods) which house Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. In between
these niches are three sculptured windows that provide light and
ventilation around the garbhagriha. The Dravidian style vimana atop the garbhagriha is perfect example of its kind — repeating certain elements of the parapet and wall below and crowned with a four-sided kuta shikhara and a top finial (kalasha).
Between every set of two devakoshthas are windows providing light and ventilation to the pradakshinapatha and ardhamandapa. Also seen are the broken structure of the mahamandapa. Nandi seen here is from the adjacent temple.
Kashivishwanatha Temple
A short walk takes us to the Nagara style Kashivishwanatha temple.
“The
architectural language of the north is of a different kind, there is
another basic style; but here too the same spiritual, meditative,
intuitive method has to be used and we get at the same result, an
aesthetic interpretation or suggestion of the one spiritual experience,
one in all its complexity and diversity, which founds the unity of the
infinite variations of Indian spirituality and religious feeling and the
realised union of the human self with the Divine. This is the unity too
of all the creations of this hieratic art. The different styles and
motives arrive at or express that unity in different ways.”
~ Sri Aurobindo (CWSA 20:278)
A closer view of Lord Shiva dancing with Ma Parvati at the temple sukanasa, an external ornamented feature over the entrance to the garbhagriha
Kaḍasiddheswara Temple
This is the smallest
of all the Nagara style temples in the Pattadakal complex. The
Archeological Survey of India dates this temple to mid-seventh century.
Kaḍasiddhesvara is believed to be a modern name and in the absence of
any documents or inscriptions the original name of this temple has not
been ascertained.
Entrance to Kaḍasiddhesvara temple
The garbhagriha of this east-facing temple is square and the Shivalinga rests on a raised platform. The Nagara style shikhara has a sukanasa
projection on the east which features Nataraja accompanied by Parvati,
but unfortunately this carving is badly damaged like rest of the temple.
On the northern exterior wall Shiva and Parvati are present in their
Ardhanarishvara form. The western side is protected by both Shiva and
Vishnu in their Harihara form, while on the southern side is present
Lakulisha.
Ardharishvara
Window for ventilation and light
“…as pleasure suppressed gives rise to pain, so beauty suppressed leads to ugliness.”
~ Sri Aurobindo, Anilbaran Roy’s Interviews and Conversations, 11 July 1926
Jambulingeshvara temple
Jambulingeshvara
temple, also known as Jumulinga temple, is another small east-facing
Nagara style temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Like in the case of
Kaḍasiddhesvara temple, here also Jambulingeshvara seems a more recent
name and in absence of any relevant documents it is difficult to
ascertain the original name of this temple.
Jambulingeshvara temple, front view. The dwarpals on either side are either missing or have been completely destroyed.
The doorway to the garbhagriha is much simpler as compared to other temples in the complex. It opens to a wider but longer mandapa.
Shivaling at Jambulingeshvara temple, Pattadakal
Jambulingeshwara Temple shikhara with Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati
Jambulingeshwara Temple side view
Galaganatha Temple
Standing to the east
of Jambulingeshwara temple is Galaganatha temple, one of the last
temples to be built in this complex, around 750 CE. This temple has an
exquisitely designed shikhara in Nagara style, probably the
most beautiful and elegant among the other Nagara style temples in this
complex. This is also one of the few temples to have a well-preserved amalaka and kalash on the top, though the sukanasa in the front is damaged.
Galaganatha temple, Pattadakal
“…there
is no gulf between art and spirituality, provided that by the word
spirituality we mean genuine spirituality and not merely moral conduct
or religious ceremonies. If the aim of spirituality is to know the Self,
then the aim of art too is the same. If the seer of the spiritual truth
can see the Spirit everywhere without excluding the body or any part of
it, then why should the artist not be able to manifest the glory of the
Spirit through colour, sound, word and stone and thus play the role of a
truly spiritual man?”
~ Nolini Kanta Gupta, Collected Works, Vol. 7
Galaganatha temple side view, Jambulingeshvara temple in background
Galaganatha temple rear side view
A closer view of the shikhara of Galaganatha temple, Pattadakal
Unfortunately, the
exterior structure of the Galaganatha temple is mostly in ruins, except
for the southern part which features a carved slab showing an
eight-armed Lord Shiva killing the demon Andhaka, while wearing a
garland of skulls as a yajnopavita.
The southern side of the Galaganatha temple
“How
many of us have realised that beauty is at least half the sense of life
and serves to double its value? And even if we do sometimes realise,
how many are impelled to shape our lives accordingly?”
~ Nolini Kanta Gupta, Collected Works, Vol. 7
Galaganatha temple, Sangaveshvara and Virupaksha temples in background
Like seen in most of the temples in Pattadakal complex, the garbhagriha of Galaganatha temple is also square with an antechamber. While there is a large Shivalinga inside the garbhagriha, the yoni is missing. The pradakshinapatha is broad and well-lit by windows on the exterior walls.
Garbhagriha of Galaganatha temple, Pattadakal
Many scholars believe
that Galaganatha temple is almost an exact copy of the Svarga Brahma
temple of Alampur in Andhra Pradesh, a temple that is dated to 689 CE.
Given that both Alampur and Pattadakal were parts of the Badami Chalukya
kingdom, this seems highly likely. Also there is a Galaganatha temple
group in the nearby Aihole.
As we come close to our temple trail, it is time to take in some panoramic views of some of the recent temples we explored.
From left to right: Jambulingeshvara, Galaganatha and Sangameshvara temples
Foreground: Galaganatha temple, Background: Virupaksha and Sangameshvara temples
Before saying au revoir
to the magnificent Pattadakal temple complex which to this day reminds
all Indians of the great innovative and experimenting spirit that
constantly enriched and renewed the temple architectural traditions, let
us turn back once and absorb the grandeur of it all – a grandeur which
shines despite the ravages of time, history and neglect.
“Judging from what is left to us, it seems our people once had a keen sense of beauty.”
Photos by Suhas Mehra, text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra
After Aihole (see three parts – 1, 2, 3), we now travel to Badami for a completely different aesthetic experience.
Badami was the capital of the early
Chalukyas who ruled much of Karnataka during the 6th to 8th centuries.
Situated on the banks of a beautiful man-made lake named after one of
India’s greatest rishis, Rishi Agastya, the ancient cave temples of
Badami carved out of the sandstone hills are bound to leave anyone
completely awed.
During the reign of the Chalukyas the
entire region surrounding Badami saw great temple building activity.
Sculptors, architects, engineers, artisans traveled long distances from
various parts of Indian sub-continent to offer their expertise and
talent to the grand architectural innovation and experimentation
happening there.
While the rock-cut Badami temples
themselves have some magnificent sculptural gems, the grand
surroundings of these caves keeps one mesmerized as one slowly walks up
the stone steps from one cave to the next.
Steps to cave 1
The magnificent sculptures with their
life-like expressions and subtle details in the Badami caves bear
testimony to the great advancement that had been made in the art of
temple sculpture.
“The art of sculpture has
indeed flourished supremely only in ancient countries where it was
conceived against its natural background and support, a great
architecture.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 287)
The four cave temples carved out of the
soft Badami sandstone date back to 6th and 7th century. Assimilating
aspects from the Nagara and Dravidian styles, all these cave temples
share a similar plan. As you enter the cave, you step into a veranda,
the mukhamandapa, which is supported by stone pillars and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves. This leads you to another columned mandapa or main hall, the mahamandapa, from where you can reach the small, square shrine, the garbhagrihya, cut deep inside the cave.
The first and the oldest of these caves
(cave 1) is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The cave has a number of pillars
and fine carvings of Lord Shiva and Parvati in various poses. The walls,
pillars and ceiling are highly ornamental and are decorated with motifs
often seen on intricate jewelry till today. Some faint paintings on the
ceiling are also visible, though much damaged.
At the entrance, on the right hand side, is the eighteen-armed dancing Shiva depicted in the atibhanga
pose. While the various arms of the Lord are spread wide on all sides
and his hands hold numerous weapons and objects (including a trident, a
snake and a musical instrument), representative of different natya mudras and depicting the grand cosmic activity of transformation that the Lord is constantly engaged in, the serenity of deep concentration and calm equanimity on his facial expression reminds one of the adiyogi that is Shiva.
It appears that Ganesha standing nearby
is perhaps trying to emulate his father’s moves while the standing Nandi
and the drummer are thoroughly enjoying the spectacular cosmic dance of
the Lord.
Because all is the Dance of Shiva. Because you must take a 21st century selfie with the 6th century Nataraja.
On the opposite side of the entrance facing the Nataraja stands a two-handed Shaiva dvarapala
who holds a trident. Beneath him is a fantastic image where the head of
a bull and that of an elephant have been fused together; seen from left
it is an elephant and from right a bull. While on the top of the dvarapala are Parvati and Shiva riding the Nandi.
“Vision and experience are the creative elements of Indian art.” (Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo, p. 224)
Once you have had your fill of the grand
Nataraja, your eyes slowly take in Ma Mahishasuramardini standing
nearby. This four-armed Devi is perhaps the earliest image of
Mahishsuramardini found in Karnataka. The Mother is seen picking up the
buffalo demon by his tail and slaughtering him with her trident. The
fearless and serene expression on her face is meditative, while the eyes
of the buffalo are wide open and full of fear.
Imagine for a second the physical
strength it takes to lift approximately 450 kg (average weight of a
buffalo) with one hand, while with the other hand piercing it with a
trident. This is what the great Goddess is depicted as doing here! Could
it be that such supra-human physical strength as ‘seen’ in this
sculptor’s vision is perhaps one of the infinite ways the Devi’s
Divinity is expressed through stone?
“Mother Durga! Rider on the
lion, giver of all strength,… we, born from thy parts of Power, we the
youth of India, are seated here in thy temple. Listen, O Mother, descend
upon earth, make thyself manifest in this land of India.
“Mother Durga! Giver of force and love
and knowledge, terrible art thou in thy own self of might, Mother
beautiful and fierce. In the battle of life, in India’s battle, we are
warriors commissioned by thee; Mother, give to our heart and mind a
titan’s energy, to our soul and intelligence a god’s character and
knowledge.
“Mother Durga! India, world’s noblest
race, lay whelmed in darkness. Mother, thou risest on the eastern
horizon, the dawn comes with the glow of thy divine limbs scattering the
darkness. Spread thy light, Mother, destroy the darkness.
“Mother Durga! We are thy children,
through thy grace, by thy influence may we become fit for the great
work, for the great Ideal. Mother, destroy our smallness, our
selfishness, our fear.
“Mother Durga! Thou art Kali… sword in
hand, thou slayest the Asura. Goddess, do thou slay with thy pitiless
cry the enemies who dwell within us, may none remain alive there, not
one. May we become pure and spotless, this is our prayer, O Mother, make
thyself manifest.
“Mother Durga! India lies low in
selfishness and fearfulness and littleness. Make us great, make our
efforts great, our hearts vast, make us true to our resolve. May we no
longer desire the small, void of energy, given to laziness, stricken
with fear.
“Mother Durga! Extend wide the power of
Yoga. We are thy Aryan children, develop in us again the lost teaching,
character, strength of intelligence, faith and devotion, force of
austerity, power of chastity and true knowledge, bestow all that upon
the world. To help mankind, appear, O Mother of the world, dispel all
ills.
“Mother Durga! Slay the enemy within,
then root out all obstacles abroad. May the noble heroic mighty Indian
race, supreme in love and unity, truth and strength, arts and letters,
force and knowledge, ever dwell in its holy woodlands, its fertile
fields, under its sky-scraping hills, along the banks of its pure
streaming rivers. This is our prayer at the feet of the Mother. Make
thyself manifest.
“Mother Durga! Enter our bodies in thy
Yogic strength. We shall become thy instruments, thy sword slaying all
evil, thy lamp dispelling all ignorance. Fulfil this yearning of thy
young children, O Mother. Be the master and drive thy instrument, wield
thy sword and slay the evil, hold up the lamp and spread the light of
knowledge. Make thyself manifest.”
Hymn to Durga
(translated by Nolini Kanta Gupta from Sri Aurobindo’s Bengali original)
On the right side of Mahishasuramardini is seated Kartikeya on his vāhana, peacock, and opposite to him is Ganesha. This Ganapati is seen holding a small bowl full of his favourite sweet, modaka.
His tummy is also a bit flatter than typically portrayed. Nearby are
Parvati and Shiva riding on the Nandi, thus completing the family group.
Inside the mandapa facing the garbhagriha
is Nandi in his seated pose. But the way his head is mutilated it
definitely looks as if it has been chopped off with a sharp object. One
of the countless reminders of the savage iconoclasm and destruction
faced by countless Hindu temples at the hands of Islamic invaders.
“…the decline of art has
always followed the decline of love and faith.” (Ananda Coomaraswamy,
The Dance of Siva and Fourteen Indian Essays)
Inside the garbhagriha, a dark chamber cut deep in the cave, is the sacred Shivalingam.
“The Hindu is no idolater;
he does not worship stocks or stones, the tree as tree or the stone as
stone or the idol as a material thing, but he worships the presence of
the Lord which fills & surrounds the tree, stone or idol, and of
which the tree, stone or idol is merely a manifestation or seeming
receptacle. We say for the convenience of language and mental
realization that God is in His creature, but really it is the creature
who is in God, न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि. “I am not in them, they are in
Me.”…The presence of the Lord who is infinite, must be thought of as
surrounding each object and not confined to the limits of the object,….
When we see the tree, we do not say, “This is the Lord”, but we say
“Here is the Lord”. The tree exists only in Him & by Him; He is in
it and around it, even as the ether is. (CWSA 17: 178-9)
In the columned mandapa we meet
Harihara, representing Vishnu and Shiva in one form. Shiva is
represented on the right side and Vishnu on the left of this magnificent
7.75-foot-high (2.36 metre) sculpture. Next to Shiva is a much smaller
standing Nandi holding the Lord’s trident and next to him is Ma
Parvati. On Vishnu’s side is his consort, Ma Lakshmi. The ganas in different dancing poses at the feet of the Lord Harihara complete this beautiful relief.
“When we look beyond our
first exclusively concentrated vision, we see behind Vishnu all the
personality of Shiva and behind Shiva all the personality of Vishnu. He
is the Ananta-guna, infinite quality and the infinite divine Personality
which manifests itself through it.” (CWSA 24: 586)
Next on the same wall is another
magnificent relief of four-armed Ardhanarishvara, Shiva and his consort
Parvati merged into One Form. Next to the half representing Parvati
stands an attendant carrying what looks like a tray of jewels. On the
side representing Shiva stands Nandi and sage Bhringi, an ardent devotee
of Shiva, who is often represented only in a skeleton form because of
his single-minded devotion for only Shiva and to the exclusion of his
Shakti, Ma Parvati. What is unique about this Ardhanarishvara is that
the Shiva-Shakti here are holding veena by each of their hands. The other hand of Shiva holds a parasu while Parvati’s hand gently holds a lotus.
The artwork throughout Cave 1 is
astonishing and rich in variety. In fact, no two pillars are identical.
The top end of some pillars are cylindrical with intricate and detailed
carvings. One is left absolutely in admiration of the great
craftsmanship that went into carving these pillars. The ceiling is also
decorated with reliefs.
There is much more that awaits us in rest of the caves, so let us come out of cave 1 and proceed slowly to cave 2.
As we start climbing up the steps to reach cave 2, we turn around and take one more look at the majestic cave temple 1 with Nataraja who has already stolen our hearts!
View of cave 1 from the steps leading to cave 2
Dedicated primarily to Lord Vishnu, cave 2 is on a higher elevation and to the east of cave 1. Excavated in late 6th or early 7th century, the floor plan of this cave facing north is similar to cave 1 though it is smaller.
Outside cave 2
The entrance verandah is divided by four
square pillars, all carved out of the monolithic rock. The pillars have
decorative carvings with frieze of ganas (mythical dwarfs) sporting various facial expressions. On the two sides of the entrance are standing dvarapalas holding flowers, not weapons.
Temple guardians at cave 2 entrance
The largest relief in cave 2 depicts the
legend of Bhagwān Vishnu in his Trivikrama form; this is in fact one of
the earliest representations of Vāmana avatār of Vishnu when he takes
three strides. Vāmana avatār shown here has already grown to the size of
a giant with one foot firmly planted on earth covering it with his
first stride and the other lifted to take his second stride to cover the
heavens.
Trivikrama panel, cave 2, Badami
This panel presents a continuous
narrative as different episodes of the Paurānic story of Vāmana avatār
unfold in time. First, at the bottom of the panel we see Sri Vishnu in
his Vāmana avatār as a brahmacharin with the sacred thread and
tufted hair, visiting the demon king Bali underneath a royal umbrella;
the king and his courtiers are shown standing to the right of Vāmana.
Second, portrayed as the main action in
the panel, Sri Vishnu takes his third and final stride placing his foot
on the head of Titan Bali thrusting him down into pātāl-loka,
who is shown upside down just below Vishnu’s outstretched foot. Finally,
on the left side Bali is shown in submission clinging to Sri Vishnu’s
firmly rooted leg. The entire composition is supported on a prominent
frieze of dwarf musicians.
As magnificent and striking as this
great work of sculpture is, the truth expressed here is much deeper, and
if we fail to see the spirit of the truth behind the form, we fail to
appreciate Indian art itself. The truth of Indian art – or rather, the
greatest of Indian art – aims at something more than the appreciation of
outer form.
The theory of ancient Indian art at its
greatest is of another kind, reminds Sri Aurobindo. And lest we forget,
he adds that it is the greatest art which gives its character to the
rest and throws on it something of its stamp and influence.
Indian art is identical in its spiritual
aim and principle with the rest of Indian culture. This is one thing we
must remember if we are to truly appreciate Indian art. It naturally
implies that we first open ourselves to the true truth or the deepest
spirit of Indian culture, which has been expressed through all its outer
forms and rhythms including Indian art. The integrality of the culture
as a whole is also highlighted through this idea.
We find a splendid meditation on the inner meaning and significance of Vishnu’s three strides in Sri Aurobindo’s ‘The Secret of the Veda‘.
विष्णोर्नु कं वीर्याणि प्र वोचं यः पार्थिवानि विममे रजांसि ।
यो अस्कभायदुत्तरं सधस्थं विचकमाणस्त्रेधोरुगायः ॥१॥
Of Vishnu now I declare the mighty works,
who has measured out the earthly worlds and that higher seat of our
self-accomplishing he supports, he the wide-moving, in the threefold
steps of his universal movement.
(Rig Veda I.154.1, Translation by Sri Aurobindo)
The supreme step of Vishnu, his highest seat, is the triple world of bliss and light, priyaṁ padam,
which the wise ones see extended in heaven like a shining eye of
vision; it is this highest seat of Vishnu that is the goal of the Vedic
journey. Here again the Vedic Vishnu is the natural precursor and
sufficient origin of the Puranic Narayana, Preserver and Lord of Love.
[…]
In this hymn of Dirghatamas Auchathya to
the all-pervading Vishnu it is his significant activity, it is the
greatness of Vishnu’s three strides that is celebrated. We must dismiss
from our minds the ideas proper to the later mythology. We have nothing
to do here with the dwarf Vishnu, the Titan Bali and the three divine
strides which took possession of Earth, Heaven and the sunless
subterrestrial worlds of Patala. The three strides of Vishnu in the Veda
are clearly defined by Dirghatamas as earth, heaven and the triple
principle, tridhātu. It is this triple principle beyond Heaven or superimposed upon it as its highest level, nākasya pṛṣṭhe, which is the supreme stride or supreme seat of the all-pervading deity.
Vishnu is the wide-moving one. He is that which has gone abroad—as it is put in the language of the Isha Upanishad, sa paryagāt,—triply
extending himself as Seer, Thinker and Former, in the superconscient
Bliss, in the heaven of mind, in the earth of the physical
consciousness, tredhā vicakramāṇaḥ. In those three strides he
has measured out, he has formed in all their extension the earthly
worlds; for in the Vedic idea the material world which we inhabit is
only one of several steps leading to and supporting the vital and mental
worlds beyond. In those strides he supports upon the earth and
mid-world,—the earth the material, the mid-world the vital realms of
Vayu, Lord of the dynamic Life-principle,—the triple heaven and its
three luminous summits, trīṇi rocanā. These heavens the Rishi
describes as the higher seat of the fulfilling. Earth, the mid-world and
heaven are the triple place of the conscious being’s progressive
self-fulfilling, triṣadhastha, earth the lower seat, the vital
world the middle, heaven the higher. All these are contained in the
threefold movement of Vishnu. (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 15: 346-8)
Can there be another truth behind the three strides of Sri Vishnu? Yes, indeed!
“Family,
nationality, humanity are Vishnu’s three strides from an isolated to a
collective unity. The first has been fulfilled, we yet strive for the
perfection of the second, towards the third we are reaching out our
hands and the pioneer work is already attempted.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA
12: 467)
Another key panel in cave 2 depicts the
legend of Lord Vishnu in his Varaha avatār rescuing goddess earth,
Bhudevi, from the depths of cosmic ocean, with a repentant Nāga sitting
below in submission.
The
walls and ceiling have traces of coloured paint, suggesting there may
have been some fresco paintings also in this cave. The sculptures on the
ceiling are striking in their bold patterns, depicting symbols that
Hindus since ancient times have considered auspicious and sacred.
“Beauty is the
way in which the physical expresses the Divine—but the principle and law
of Beauty is something inward and spiritual which expresses itself
through the form.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 27: 699)
Before leaving cave 2, we take one
closer look at the beautiful art adorning the pillars of this cave. As
we appreciate the fine carvings on these massive stone pillars, let us
remember with gratitude the brilliant engineering and aesthetic vision
and expertise of our ancestors who carved out these pillars out of the
massive rock, keeping in consideration the overall structural integrity
of the cave temple and without sacrificing the artistic beauty.
Time to step out of cave 2 and move toward cave 3, but not without taking in the views.
We continue our exploration of the
famous Badami cave temples carved out of the soft red sandstone atop a
hill. After exploring caves 1 and 2
we now climb up to cave 3, and the exterior view itself makes us stop
and sit for a while. The rich, grainy texture of the natural sandstone
is a showstopper in itself.
The cave temple sits on a raised
platform and a short flight of stairs leads to the large open verandah.
In between the raised platform and the ground we see a frieze of dwarfs,
but unlike cave 1 here they are in small groupings and are not continuous.
“… mere
intention to create beauty is not sufficient: there must exist an object
of devotion. ” (Ananda Coomaraswamy, The Dance of Shiva and Fourteen
Indian Essays, 2013 edition, p. 34)
How small we are!
Cave 3 is the largest and most ornate and grandest of all Badami caves. Like cave 2,
this one is also dedicated to Bhagwān Vishnu and was excavated in 578
CE under the patronage of Chalukya king Kirtivarma I. The inscriptions
found both outside and inside the cave verify this. A Sanskrit
inscription carved beside the relief of the great Varaha as well as some
inscriptions in Kannada detail the date of a gift and dedication of a
village named Lanjisvara for the excavation and upkeep of this cave
temple.
Similar to cave 1 and 2, the layout of cave 3 comprises of an open verandah, a pillared mandapam with sanctum sanctorum
cut into its rear wall. The cave front has six square columns. The
temple has north-south orientation providing maximum amount of sunlight
in winter. The verandah and the hall dig up to 14.5 m deep into the
mountain and the innermost sanctuary or garbhagriha extends the cave by an additional 4m deep. The hall or mandapam reaches up to 4m high.
A long view of the entrance to cave 3, Badami
The following illustration gives an
overall layout of this cave temple, with the numbers pointing to the
location of various deities.
In the above figure, number 1 indicates
the place of a standing Lord Vishnu, and 2 is where we meet Lord Vishnu
in his Trivikrama form. At number 3 is seated the Mahavishnu on Shesha
Naga while at 4 is Vishnu in his Varaha avatār with Ma Bhudevi.
Harihara, the half Shiva and half Vishnu form is at location number 5,
and at 6 we see Vishnu standing in his Narasimha avatār. The garbhagriha
at number 7 has no deity at present — a sad reminder of the savage
destruction and pillage suffered by countless Hindu temples at the hands
of Islamic invaders and rulers.
The blue coloured O’s in the above
illustration indicate the ceiling carvings where we find Vedic and
Paurānic gods and goddesses including Indra, Agni, Varuna, Brahma,
Vishnu, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati. The enclosed squares
mark the carved pillars which represent scenes from social life, women
with various expressions, as well as amorous couples.
Meet the Gods
“Vishnu is the
Eternal’s Personality of Consciousness; in him all is supported, in his
wideness, in his stability, in his substance.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 12:
208)
This larger-than-life eight-armed Lord
Vishnu stands near the temple entrance. He wears a tall crown and
carries numerous weapons, including bow in his middle left hand and
arrow in middle right hand in addition to his usual shankha in upper left hand and chakra
in upper right hand. His lower right hand holds the hilt of a sword
which is broken in the middle. Notice that the upper part of the blade
extends past the right side of his face. Such a warrior rupam of the Lord seems appropriate for the royal dedication of this cave temple.
By the early medieval period, Lord
Vishnu had come to be considered and worshipped as the Divine King par
excellence. Depicted iconographically as a mighty king dwelling
in the heavenly court, Vaikuntha, his primary role was to execute and
maintain a dharmic order in the entire creation. It was believed that
Bhagwān Vishnu is present wherever righteous kings on earth rule to
protect and preserve dharma.
The great dynasts and kings invoked and
worshipped the kingly aspects of Bhagwān Vishnu and aspired to be like
him or rule as his representatives on the earth. Proclaiming this also
helped them to assert their authority and power. This may be one reason
why in many temples patronised by the mighty kings in the past, we see
the depictions of Bhagwān Vishnu as Divine King — perhaps as a reminder
for the people that they too are living in a kingdom protected by an
earthly king with similar qualities and power.
On the opposite side we meet Vishnu again in the eight-armed form of Trivikrama holding various āyudha-s
including chakra, shankha, Nandaka sword, Kaumodaki mace, arrow,
Sharanga bow, and shield. To the bottom right stands a group consisting
of Vamana (the sculpture is either uncarved or destroyed, but one can
see the umbrella of Vamana) receiving alms from king Bali and his wife,
preceded by Rishi Shukracarya. Some suggest that the use of a
Buddha-like head for the figure of Shukracharya might have been a means
to symbolise the growing sway of Vedic religion in comparison to
Buddhism.
In the previous feature on cave 2,
we looked at the inner Vedic symbolism behind this Trivikrama form of
Lord Vishnu. Here it suffices to invoke the words of the great
connosieur of Indian art, Ananda Coomaraswmy who cautions that failing
to truly appreciate the deeper cultural and spiritual significance
behind the outer form results in a complete misunderstanding or
non-understanding of Indian art. He writes:
“To
appreciate any art,… we ought not to concentrate our attention upon its
peculiarities—ethical or formal—but should endeavour to take for granted
whatever the artist takes for granted. No motif appears bizarre to
those who have been familiar with it for generations: and in the last
analysis it must remain beyond the reach of all others so long as it
remains in their eyes primarily bizarre.
“If
circumstances then compel the philologist and the historian to classify
the extant materials for the study of Indian art, their studies will be
more valuable the more strictly they are confined to the archaeological
point of view. For those should not air their likes and dislikes in
Oriental art, who when they speak of art mean mere illustration: for
there they will rarely meet with what they seek, and the expression of
their disappointment becomes wearisome.” (Ananda Coomaraswamy, p. 93)
Characteristic of several Chalukyan temples where the mukhamandapam
is filled with large reliefs of Lord Vishnu in his various avatār-s, in
cave 3 at Badami also we find a spot exclusively reserved for a
majestic relief of Vaikuntha Narayana. Bhagwān Vishnu here is seated in
royal ease on the coils of the cosmic serpent, Ananta, who is guarding
the Lord with his five-headed cobra hood. Depicted as having four arms,
the Lord holds his chakra and shankha in the upper two hands. A nagadevi
stands on either side, while Garuda is seated at his right along with
Ma Laksmi.
“It may perhaps
be objected that the Puranas were written by superstitious Hindu
priests or poets who believed that eclipses were caused by a dragon
eating the sun and moon and could easily believe that during the periods
of non-creation the supreme Deity in a physical body went to sleep on a
physical snake upon a material ocean of real milk and that therefore it
is a vain ingenuity to seek for a spiritual meaning in these fables. My
reply would be that there is in fact no need to seek for such meanings;
for these very superstitious poets have put them there plainly on the
very surface of the fable for everybody to see who does not choose to be
blind. For they have given a name to Vishnu’s snake, the name Ananta,
and Ananta means the Infinite; therefore they have told us plainly
enough that the image is an allegory and that Vishnu, the all pervading
Deity, sleeps in the periods of non-creation on the coils of the
Infinite. As for the ocean, the Vedic imagery shows us that it must be
the ocean of eternal existence and this ocean of eternal existence is an
ocean of absolute sweetness, in other words, of pure Bliss. For the
sweet milk (itself a Vedic image) has, evidently, a sense not
essentially different from the madhu, honey or sweetness, of Vamadeva’s
hymn.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 15:107)
Next to the Asana murti of Bhagwān Vishnu, we meet him again in his Varaha avatār. This relief is quite similar to the one in cave 2,
the only difference being in the treatment of the left arms. The left
arm curving behind the earth goddess, Bhudevi, holds the shankha more explicitly than what we see in the panel in cave 2.
The second left arm is not shown at all, but is only indicated by a
hand appearing out of the natural space of the panel to support the padmapitham,
the lotus-pedestal where the goddess is standing. The expression on the
face of Lord Varaha in cave 3 suggests tranquility, triumph and
tenderness whereas in the cave 2 panel we sense greater dynamism and action.
The Varaha avatār of Sri Vishnu
symbolises the eternal truth that every time the Mother Earth, the
daughter of the Supreme, cries out in pain, the Supreme answers and an
Avatār descends. Sri Aurobindo explains the very purpose of avatārhood:
“Surely for the
earth consciousness it is so. Consider the obscurity here and what it
would be if the Divine did not directly intervene and the Light of
Lights did not break out of the obscurity—for that is the meaning of the
manifestation.” (CWSA 28: 471)
Harihara, the harmonised representation
of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara), also known as Shankaranarayana, is
revered by both Vaishnavites and Shaivites as a form of the Supreme
Being. The cave temples of Badami include some of the earliest
representations of Harihara indicating Vishnu and Shiva as different
aspects of the One Brahman. The
majestic standing image of Harihara in cave 3 is one of the most
beautiful sculptural reliefs carved in all of the Badami caves. Adding
to its beauty is the texture of the sandstone.
The origin of the ‘two-in-one’ form of Harihara can be traced back to the Veda itself. As M.P. Pandit explains:
“Vishnu
the all-pervading has, in the Rigveda, a close but covert connection
and almost an identity with the other deity exalted in the later
religion, Rudra. Rudra is a fierce and violent godhead with a beneficent
aspect which approaches the supreme blissful reality of Vishnu ;
Vishnu’s constant friendliness to man and his helping gods is shadowed
by an aspect of formidable violence. Rudra is the father of the
vehemently-battling Maruts ; Vishnu is hymned under the name of Evaya
Marut as the source from which they sprang, that which they become, and
himself identical with the unity and totality of their embattling
forces. Rudra is the Deva or Deity ascending in the cosmos, Vishnu the
same Deva or Deity helping and evoking the powers of the ascent.” (Vedic
Symbolism, 2001, p. 90)
Turning around the corner slightly, we meet the Lord again, standing in a dvibhanga
pose, in his four-armed Narasimha avatar, with Garuda and Prahlada
standing below and celestial couples flying above. Naramsimha here is
represented in his benevolent rather than the aggressive (ugra)
form. His lower right hand holds a lotus, and his lower left arm leans
on a broken club. The Lord here is crowned with a lotus flower.
Interestingly, the Chalukyan kings aspired to have the strength of a
lion, as can be seen from their coronation names — Jayasimha which means
victorious lion, and Pulakesin which means hairy lion or tiger.
“The Avatar is necessary when a special work is to be done and in crises of the evolution.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 28: 485)
God is in Details Too: Carved Brackets and Pillars
Another remarkable features of cave 3
are its finely carved pillars and brackets. Highlighting the auspicious
theme of fertility most of the brackets are decorated with two main
motifs – a) celestial couples often with a female dwarf attendant, and
b) maidens beneath flowering trees.
Maidens under flowering trees; flowering tree is a common motif in Indian tradition and symbolises fertility.
As seen in one of the couple images
above, traces of coloured panels in the ceilings indicate that mural
paintings were also present in this cave. Faint traces of scenes from a
king’s court can be seen in such paintings.
The excavated pillars in the cave are also carved with intricate decorative designs.
A finely carved pillar bracket
Standing quietly in the middle of the
cave, in whichever direction you turn your eyes — up toward the ceiling,
down toward the floor and around you in any direction, beauty awaits
you, greets you. The ones who worked on this cave knew that beauty can
be a powerful medium to help elevate an aspiring soul, bring deep
delight to a thirsty heart and a tranquil relief to a seeking mind.
“Art is a thing of beauty
and beauty and Ananda are closely connected—they go together. If the
Ananda is there, then the beauty comes out more easily—if not, it has to
struggle out painfully and slowly. That is quite natural.” (Sri
Aurobindo, CWSA 27: 699-700)
Garuda carved on the inner face of the curving eaves
There is even a chessboard carved on the floor, in case you feel like having a game when visiting the temple.
While the details in each corner can
leave you mesmerised, as you step back and take in the larger view of
where you are standing, you are left awestruck once again with the majesty of the whole temple. It is truly a ‘whole’ which is designed to bring you in touch with the wholeness inside.
One more long look, and once again a
great sense of gratitude rises from some place deep within — gratitude
toward the ancestors who have left behind such works for us to discover.
Discovering these works can become a means, provide some form of an
opening toward the discovery of one’s own self — our ancestors knew
this, and perhaps wanted us also to know this through our own seeking,
our own inquiry. Because this is the way of India — to seek, to carve
out one’s own path.
Moments pass as you stand quietly taking
it all in. And many more moments later, you realise that there is still
one more cave to explore. But before going further, time to take in
some more views from the outside.
The beautiful marble-like texture of the sandstone, cave 3, Badami
Having spent some time exploring the Badami rock-cut cave temples 1, 2 and 3 in our earlier posts we now move to the last and the smallest of the four caves. Cave 1 is dedicated to Lord Shiva, caves 2 and 3 to Lord Vishnu, and cave 4 is dedicated to Jain Tirthankars.
Located east of cave 3
and about 10 feet lower, this cave temple is believed to have been
excavated after the completion of the other three, sometime in the
7th-century. Some experts suggest that this cave was excavated during
the 8th century while others are of the view that this was carved out
much later, perhaps in the 11th or 12th century.
Path leading to cave 4, Badami
This cave also has a similar layout as the other three caves, with a beautifully carved entrance veranda or mukhamandapam, sabhamandapam, and antarala leading to the garbhagriha. The five-bayed entrance veranda is 31 feet long by 6.5 feet wide and extends to 16 feet deep. Each of the four square columns of this mukhamandapam has brackets and capitals. The mandapam behind this verandah has two stand-alone and two joined pillars. From this hall, we see steps leading to the garbhagriha, which is 25.5 feet wide and extends to a depth of 6 feet.
Badami cave 4 entrance
“The physical world is the world of form and the perfection of form is beauty.” (The Mother, CWM 12: 232)
View of the cave 4, Badami
On a boulder at the right side of the cave we see some carvings which are believed to be the signature of Kolimanchi believed to be the principal architect of Badami fort where similar carvings are seen. It is said that he gradually extended his work to the excavation of the cave temples.
Signature of Kolimanchi, cave 4 at Badami
The sculptural style of the icons and
other decorative motifs seen in cave 4 at Badami closely resemble those
found in the nearby Jain caves at Aihole, and also at Ellora Jain caves
much farther in northern Maharashtra.
Entering the mukhamandapam we see a larger-than-life murti depicting Bahubali’s great penance. Bahubali, one with strong arms, is a highly revered figure among Jains. He was one of the hundred sons of king Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism. A Tirthankara, a word which literally means ‘ford-maker,’ is one who founds a tirtha,
a passage across the sea of the cycles of birth-and-death, in other
words who guides the aspirant on the path to liberation or mukti from samsāra.
When Rishabhanatha decided to take up
the life of a renunciate, he divided his kingdom among his 100 sons.
After some time, his 98 sons also adopted the ascetic path and gave up
their share of the kingdom to Bharata, the first born son of their
father, who had been consolidating and expanding his kingdom to become a
chakravarti king. Bahubali who is also known by the name of Gomateshwara, challenged and defeated his eldest brother Bharata.
But soon, a sense of disgust filled
Bahubali’s being, and he too felt the pull of renunciation. Abandoning
his kingdom and all his wealth, he became a monk. It is said that he
meditated absolutely motionless in a standing posture (kāyotsarga)
for a year, during which time vines grew around his legs and his body
was covered with ants and dust. But unmindful of all that he continued
steadfastly in his resolve and eventually attained supreme wisdom.
Bahubali at Badami
The expression of Bahubali in this panel shows the deep inner peace and jñāna he had gained as a result of his unwavering penance. He is surrounded by four vidyadharis,
beings with mystical powers, with two of them busy removing the
creepers off Bahubali’s limbs. This particular image is his earliest
known sculptural representations in India. Later several colossal images
of Bahubali were created in places such as Shravanabelagola, Karkala and Venur, thus making him a popular theme in the Jain artistic tradition in Karnataka.
Bahubali at Badami cave 4
“The original Vedic society
had no place for any Church or religious community or ecclesiastical
order, for in its system the body of the people formed a single
socio-religious whole with no separation into religious and secular,
layman and cleric, and in spite of later developments the Hindu religion
has held, in the whole or at least as the basis, to this principle. On
the other hand an increasing ascetic tendency that came in time to
distinguish the religious from the mundane life and tended to create the
separate religious community, was confirmed by the rise of the creeds
and disciplines of the Buddhists and the Jains.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA
20: 421)
Facing Bahubali on the opposite wall we
see another larger-than-life image of Bhagwān Parshvanatha depicted with
a serpent hood of five heads, his most popular iconographic form.
Parshvanatha was the 23rd of 24 Jain Tirthankaras, and was the
earliest exponent of Karma philosophy. He is said to have been born in
Varanasi, 273 years before Bhagwān Mahavira, the last Tirthankar of the present time-cycle.
Parshavanatha at Badami cave 4, long view
The Digambara Jains do not find any
difference between the teachings of Parshvanatha and Mahavira. But
according to the Śvētāmbaras, Mahavira expanded Parshvanatha’s teaching
of fourfold restraint of ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-possession), asteya (non-stealing) and satya (non-lying) by adding the fifth monastic vow of brahmacharya (celibacy), and further propounding on the practice of ahimsa.
Parshvanatha, Badami cave 4
In this image Bhagawān Parshavanatha is depicted as a Digambara in kāyotsarga or standing meditative posture. On top of his head is a five-headed naga, a feature that identifies him. Legend
has it that Parshavantha had once saved two snakes who would have died
under a burning log being used by Kamatha, an ascetic who was doing
severe penance with five fires. Dharnendra and Padmavati, Jainism’s
snake god and goddess are also shown in the panel.
Both images of Bahubali and Parshavantha
have a common theme — severe concentration required of a person
aspiring for the supreme wisdom or what Jains call as kevalajñāna.
“The Jain philosophy is
concerned with individual perfection… The Jain realisation of an
individual godhead is all right so far as it goes—its defect is that it
is too individual and isolated.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 29: 427)
Jakkave with Mahavir
This relief features Jakkave, a pious Jain nun who conquered her passions and ultimately attained mukti, sitting
in service of Bhagawān Mahavira. Her Lord is seated in lotus posture
with upward facing palms, right plam on top of left. He is depicted with
a prabhamandala or halo around his head, above which we see a chhatra. The throne is carved with three lions.
Adinatha or Rishabhanatha, Badami cave 4
On the left sidewall of the antarala
we see a life-sized relief of Adinatha, again as a Digambara and in a
standing posture. Born in a royal family in Ayodhya, he is also known as
Rishabhanatha and was the first of the 24 Tirthnkaras. He was
the father of Bahubali, and as per the Jain tradition he was the first
king to establish his capital at Vinitanagara (Ayodhya by another name).
In this panel, he is surrounded by 12 Tirthankaras on each side. The long flowing hair on his shoulder is one of the ways to identify Adinatha or Rishabhanatha.
Lord Mahavira at Badami cave 4
The Tirthankara seated in the garbhagriha is Lord Mahavira. Leaving home in pursuit of spiritual awakening, Mahavira became an ascetic at the age of about 30. Leading a life of intense meditation and severe austerities, he eventually attained kevalajñāna and mukti.
In this image Mahavira is sitting under a chaityavriksha in the lotus pose, and with a halo around the head and a chhatra on top. On each of his sides is a chamaradhara (yaksha bearing fly-whisks), and above him we see celestial couples offering flowers.
“A nation tends to throw out
its most vivid types in that line of action which is most congenial to
its temperament and expressive of its leading idea, and it is the great
saints and religious personalities that stand at the head in India and
present the most striking and continuous roll-call of greatness, just as
Rome lived most in her warriors and statesmen and rulers. The Rishi in
ancient India was the outstanding figure with the hero just behind,
while in later times the most striking feature is the long uninterrupted
chain from Buddha and Mahavira to Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Nanak, Ramdas
and Tukaram and beyond them to Ramakrishna and Vivekananda and
Dayananda.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 246)
Like cave 3, here also we see exquisite carvings on the pillars. The walls too are carved with images of various Tirthankars.
Before we bid farewell to the Badami
cave temples, let us take a moment to admire the rich beauty and texture
of these exquisite sandstone caves that have been the perfect material
for the highly gifted architects, sculptors and artisans who lived and
worked in that region around 1500 years ago.
“Beauty is the joyous offering of Nature.” (The Mother, CWM 12: 233)
Photos by Suhas Mehra, text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra
Aihole, also known as Aivalli, Ahivolal, Ilavalapura or Aryapura, is a sleepy village about 140 km from Hampi,
or about 450 km from Bangalore. The story goes that after killing the
decadent Kshatriyas who had been abusing their power, Lord Parasurama,
the sixth avatār of Vishnu, washed his blood stained axe on the
banks of the river Malaprabha. A woman passing by the river at that
moment was shocked to see the water turning all red and screamed ‘ayyo
hole’ which in the local language meant ‘Oh no! Blood!’ Hence the place
came to be known as Aihole (pronounced ‘Eye-hoḷé’).
The name ‘Ilavalapura’ is attributed to another legend, according to which it was at this place that Rishi Agastya killed the rākshasa
Ilvala, who with this brother Vatapi was living in nearby Badami (the
famed capital city of the Chalukyas, which was also known as Vatapi).
Some others believe that the name ‘Aihole’ is a deformation of the words
Ayyahole, or ‘city of scholars’, which is why the place also had a Sanskrit name, Aryapura.
The first view of Aihole temple complex
“A great oriental work of art does not easily reveal its secret to one who comes to it solely in a mood of aesthetic curiosity or with a considering critical objective mind, still less as the cultivated and interested tourist passing among strange and foreign things; but it has to be seen in loneliness, in the solitude of one’s self, in moments when one is capable of long and deep meditation and as little weighted as possible with the conventions of material life.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 271-272)
Chalukyas, the Temple Builders
The Chalukyas were a powerful dynasty who ruled over large parts of southern and central India between 6th and 12th
century CE. Over a period of two centuries, the early Chalukyans (also
known as Badami Chalukyas) were able to unify a vast and culturally
diverse area between the rivers Narmada and Krishna, and had spread
their kingdom to the areas comprising the present Indian regions of
southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka.
Due to consolidation of several smaller
kingdoms, Chalukyas were able to usher in a golden period for the
southern India, as per many historians. This period marked with
efficient governance, administration, overseas trade and commerce also
saw the development of a new style of architecture which came to be
known as “Chalukyan Architecture”. In fact, the contribution of early Chalukyas (6th–8th century CE) in
encouraging large scale experimentation in the field of art and
architecture – both rock-cut cave temples and free standing temples –
remains unparalleled in the Indian subcontinent.
Owing to a convergence of diverse cultural forms and practices as well as a rich variety of knowledge traditions and techniques in the field of temple construction, the Malaprabha river valley became a ‘cradle of Hindu Temple Architecture’ during these times characterized by prosperity, political stability and religious co-existence. While
the rock-cut cave temples of Badami and free-standing sandstone temples
of Aihole show the crucial formative stages of this grand artistic
experimentation, the nearby village of Pattadakal, reputed today because
of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marks as sort of its
culmination.
Another view of the Aihole temple complex
It was at Aihole that initial
experiments in temple architecture were conducted; the evolved
architectural techniques and practices were implemented at Badami; and
finally they built numerous big and small temples at Pattadakal. In
addition to being dedicated to Hindu deities, many temples were also
built for Jain and Buddhist devotees. The intricate details and carvings
on the temple exteriors were matched by the detailed beauty to be seen
in the interiors featuring intricate roof carvings and stunning
sculptures.
Durga Temple at Aihole in 1855, when the roof had been used as a fort or look-out post. (Source)
Together, the temples at these three
places – a must-visit for anyone interested in Indian art and
architecture – are the largest, earliest group of monuments
comprehensively demonstrating the evolution of Hindu rock-cut and temple
architecture, and profoundly impacting what followed later in the Hindu
temple construction history.
We begin our exploration of Chalukya Temple Trail with the Aihole temple complex, which has several individual temples. We will have separate photo-features on Badami and Pattadakal in the coming weeks and months.
Durga temple, Aihole
The Durga Temple at Aihole may be seen as a starting point for experimentation in the fusion of the Dravidian and Nagara styles of temple architecture. Built sometime in the late 7th or early 8th century, the extremely photogenic Durga Temple derives
its name from Durgadagudi meaning ‘temple near the fort’. With passage
of time nothing much remains of the fort, which was perhaps built by the
Marathas.
Interestingly, throughout India we find
that it is the glorious temples rather than any of the forts and palaces
built by the great kings which have generally withstood the massive
destruction at the hands of brutal invaders.
“The secular buildings of ancient India, her palaces and places of assembly and civic edifices have not outlived the ravage of time; what remains to us is mostly something of the great mountain and cave temples, something too of the temples of her
ancient cities of the plains, and for the rest we have the fanes and
shrines of her later times, whether situated in temple cities and places
of pilgrimage like Srirangam and Rameshwaram or in her great once regal
towns like Madura, when the temple was the centre of life.” (CWSA 20:
272)
It is not easy to tell who was the main deity of the Durga temple because there is no image in the garbhagriha.
Throughout the temple, we find numerous representations of both Lord
Vishnu and Lord Shiva, so it could have been a temple dedicated to
either. Some speculate that perhaps this was a temple for Lord Surya.
As one enters the Durga temple one is
awestruck by the sheer elegance of its apsidal layout. In Indian
traditional architecture, this shape is known as Gajaprasta which means
the back of an elephant. This apsidal style also reminds one of a
Buddhist chaitya with a high moulded adhiṣṭhāna and a curvillinear shikhara. According to some experts, the apsidal design had been a pan-Indian architectural tradition right from the second century BCE onwards. We find evidence of this design used in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples.
Another unique and remarkable feature is a pillared corridor which runs around the temple, enveloping the garbhagriha, mukhamandapa and sabhamandapa. The rounded end at the rear include three layers: the outer wall of the garbhagriha, a path for doing pradakshina, and the wall of the outer corridor itself. The outer pillared corridor in a way also serves as the second pradakshinapath.
The garbhagriha is mounted by a Nagara style shikhara. The amalaka that once crowned the shikhara lays on the ground nearby.
Both the exterior and interior walls of
the temple are covered with sculptures of different gods and goddesses.
The sculptures are rather widely dispersed and are primarily located on
the pillars or as extending from the pillars. We also see some
sculptures on the temple walls and ceiling, and some koshtha (niche) sculptures.
Temple entrance
The entrance to the temple faces east, with two flights of stairs in the north and south directions. Two dvārapālas are carved on the entrance pillars.
The large number of pillars in this
temple provided the artists ample surfaces to carve out decorative
relief panels, a few of which depict scenes from purānic stories. These reliefs are of high order and add refinement and charisma to this temple.
Of the twenty six pillar sculptures in this temple six are dedicated to different deities, and the rest are sculptures on maithuna theme. The sculptures of deities are carved on the pillars of the inner porch while the maithuna
sculptures are carved on the pillars of the outer promenade. Most of
these sculptures are now in dilapidated condition, some due to the
ravages of time and some destroyed by the attacks of invading armies of
Deccan Sultanate.
All these sculptures are carved in bold
relief to reveal three fourths of the depth of the figures. We find a
certain uniformity in the treatment of the drapery, ornamentation and
decoration of various sculptures. The drapery on the maithuna sculptures is rather scarce, and the figures are primarily adorned with ornaments.
On a close observation we notice a certain difference between the sculptures of the gods and the couples in passionate maithuna
poses, especially in terms of the contours of the body and general
treatment of the figures. The gods of these sculptures are somewhat
heavy, hefty and stocky in their physique while the maithuna figures are comparatively slim, slender and more elegant in form. A few of the maithuna sculptures also have floral canopies.
Stone grilles with various geometrical patterns ventilate the interior from the circumambulatory.
Gods and Goddesses
“The gods of
Indian sculpture are cosmic beings, embodiments of some great spiritual
power, spiritual idea and action, inmost psychic significance, the human
form a vehicle of this soul meaning, its outward means of
self-expression; everything in the figure, every opportunity it gives,
the face, the hands, the posture of the limbs, the poise and turn of the
body, every accessory, has to be made instinct with the inner meaning,
help it to emerge, carry out the rhythm of the total suggestion…” (CWSA
20: 290)
It is on the outer pradakshina-patha
of the temple that we find beautiful and intricately carved sculptures
of the Gods and Goddesses. The picture below shows the layout of these
six sculptures, each placed in its own niche.
A – Shiva; B – Narasimha; C – Vishnu; D- Varaha; E- Durga; F- Harihara (Source)
These sculptures are carved on thick
stone slabs which do not form part of any architectural elements of the
temple. They are fitted into the koshtha or niche built specially for that purpose. The six koshtha sculptures are: Shiva with Nandi, Narasimha, Vishnu riding Garuda, Varaha, Mahishasuramardini and Harihara.
“Indian
polytheism is not the popular polytheism of ancient Europe; for here the
worshipper of many gods still knows that all his divinities are forms,
names, personalities and powers of the One; his gods proceed from the
one Purusha, his goddesses are energies of the one divine Force.” (CWSA 20: 192)
Unfortunately, many of these mūrtis
now stand mutilated. Despite the massive damage, the depth of carving
and the rich variety of poses, the intricacy and delicacy of decoration,
and the strong contours of the figures make these mūrtis
outstanding and timeless works of art. They are quite proportionate in
their form and pleasing in depiction. The attributes of different
deities are distinctly shown, and the ornamentation is limited to the
minimum essential jewelry.
“…the sculpture
of ancient and mediaeval India claims its place on the very highest
levels of artistic achievement. I do not know where we shall find a
sculptural art of a more profound intention, a greater spirit, a more
consistent skill of achievement.” (CWSA 20: 286)
Eight-armed Shiva poses with NandiNarasimha; his front right forearm casually supporting a club has been destroyedVishnu with his vāhana, Garuda; the Garuda appears here in an odd-looking, dwarf-like form, some of his wing feathers are visible to the rightVaraha avatār of Vishnu rescuing Bhu Devi; his one foot is on the Nagas. Lord’s arms are completely destroyed. Mahishasurmardhini
Durga attacking the buffalo demon, as her lion fiercely watches.
Mother’s left leg and several arms are missing.Harihara
– the combined form of the two Great Gods Shiva and Vishnu. Several
attributes are destroyed, but one can still identify on the right side
(left on the photo) the form of Lord Shiva attended by the dwarf gana.
On the left side of the form (right on the photo) is Lord Vishnu,
holding worn-out but recognizable attributes of conch and discus.
A Hindu heart, one is who is able to see
through the outer damage to these sculptures, knows that behind the
form and hidden deep within it exists the real spirit of the deity. It
is to that which it tries to connect and with which it aspires to unite.
For such a mind knows that “Indian religious forms…are rhythms of the
spirit; but one who misses the spirit must necessarily miss too the connection of the spirit and the rhythm.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 20: 146)
House of the Lord
“An Indian
temple, to whatever godhead it may be built, is in its inmost reality an
altar raised to the divine Self, a house of the Cosmic Spirit, an
appeal and aspiration to the Infinite.” (CWSA 20: 273)
The entrance to the garbhagriha of this temple is very ornate.
The sculpture of Nagaraja on the ceiling
at the entrance porch is said to be one of the finest examples of this
theme in the entire Badami Chalukya art.
Nagaraja is emerging from the centre of
the coils of his body in human form. His head is adorned with a serpent
crown. He has two hands, one hand is seen holding a garland and the
other a basket full of flowers. He is surrounded by Nagins in human
form. The twist of the body and bends of the necks of Nagaraja and
Nagins give a touch of movement to the entire panel.
On both sides of the entrance at the bottom are seen maithuna sculptures. Right up to the level of the door to the garbhagriha, the wall is richly and ornately carved with hardly any empty spaces.
“The wealth of
ornament, detail, circumstance in Indian temples represents the infinite
variety and repetition of the worlds,—not our world only, but all the
planes, —suggests the infinite multiplicity in the infinite oneness.”
(CWSA 20: 278-279)
Close up of the richly decorated entrance to the garbhagriha
Like many other Hindu temples throughout
the length and breadth of India, the Durgadagudi temple also bears
witness to the destruction and iconoclasm at the hands of the Islamic
invaders. The empty pedestal in the garbhagriha of this
beautiful and unique temple stands as a testament to history when an
entire way of religio-cultural-social life had come under brutal attack.
What remains of the pedestal in the garbhagriha where the Lord used to reside
An empty garbhagriha, however,
need not be an obstacle to a heart full of reverence and a soul willing
to surrender to the Force of the Divine, for such a mind knows that the
Formless and Form are two aspects of the same One. Sit quietly for a few
minutes outside the garbhagriha and you may begin to feel the presence.
“The image to
the Hindu is a physical symbol and support of the supraphysical; it is a
basis for the meeting between the embodied mind and sense of man and
the supraphysical power, force or presence which he worships and with
which he wishes to communicate.” (CWSA 20: 147)
Photos by Suhas Mehra, text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra
“…everyone who
has at all the Indian spirit and feeling, can at least give some account
of the main, the central things which constitute for him the appeal of
Indian painting, sculpture and architecture.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20:
261)
Aihole, a village in Karnataka, was once
the playground of the architects, sculptors and engineers, conducting
research, innovating and advancing the state of knowledge of
constructing temples as abodes of Gods. The chief patrons of these
artists — the Chalukya Kings of Badami had indeed created this region of
Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal as the cradle of temple architecture.
A woman selling delicious guavas outside the Aihole temple complex
In Part 1
we focused on the Durgadagudi (Durga Temple), which is certainly a
great illustration of the innovation in temple architecture and
sculptural art. In this part we explore some of the other temples in the
same complex which houses over a dozen structures.
Walking through this temple complex,
presently maintained by Archaeological Survey of India, one can clearly
see the ravages of time. In addition to the destruction caused by the
attacks by invading armies, we also witness the impact of neglect,
vandalism, wear and tear over time, faulty repair work, etc. The absence
of principal deity in the garbhagriha at several temples, and particularly the larger Durga temple,
is a stark reminder that these temples which were once the abodes of
gods, now stand primarily as illustrations of the great architectural
marvels our ancestors were able to create. No worship is offered at any
of these temples.
As the above layout shows, there are
some ‘nameless’ temples in the Aihole complex; they are either nameless
because the absence of the deity in the garbhagriha has made it difficult to identify them. Or they were perhaps built only as ‘experiments’.
One of the ‘nameless’ temples at Aihole (#3)
Ladkhan Temple (#10)
After the Durga temple,
this is the second largest temple in the complex. It was earlier
believed to be the oldest temple built in 450 CE, though later studies
date this temple to seventh century.
As mentioned earlier
almost all the temples in this complex are part of the great
experimentation happening in temple architecture at the time. Ladkhan
temple (situated on the south of the Durga temple, #1 in the Temple
Complex picture above) stands out as one of the prime examples of a
significant innovation in temple geometry and the associated evolution
of the Chalukyan style of architecture.
The front of this Shiva temple has a distinctive plan, in the sense that it looks more like a mandapa with rows of pillars. This architectural design known as the Panchayatana
style indicates an early experiment in Hindu temple construction. It is
believed that Pulakesin II was coronated in the large pillared hall of
this temple.
Frontal view of the Ladkhan temple
An outstanding feature of this temple is that it starts off as a rectangular structure but ends up as a square. A small garbhagriha is seen at the rear end of a square sabhamandapa which one arrives at from a rectangular mukhamandapa. There is no pradakshinapatha in this temple.
Also, though built in sandstone, the
temple with its steep roof emulates the look of a structure made with
wooden logs. This use of wooden construction design as a template for
construction of the grand structure in stone can also be seen at
Chennakesava temple during the Hoysala period.
Another view of Ladkhan temple, showing the wooden log style of roof construction and floral lattice windows
Interestingly, the back portion of the
temple is a square in two tiers having a slight slope in all the four
directions. On the roof are placed stone rafters to give the appearance
of the wooden roof. The front mukhamandapa which is rectangular also has similar roof design.
Other architectural features which make this temple unique include an upper level smaller garbhagriha, which is nested above the center of the sabhamandapa and opens to the east with pillars and pilasters though without any shikhara (probably it used to be there at some point). On three sides of the upper level garbhagriha are sculptures of Vishnu, Surya and Ardhanarishvara.
Side view of the temple showing the upper level garbhagrihaLord Vishnu on the upper level garbhagriha
“Indian sacred
architecture of whatever date, style or dedication goes back to
something timelessly ancient and now outside India almost wholly lost,
something which belongs to the past, and yet it goes forward too, though
this the rationalistic mind will not easily admit, to something which
will return upon us and is already beginning to return, something which
belongs to the future.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 273)
The front courtyard of the Ladkhan temple has a set of stone stairs which connects the lower level main garbhagriha to the one on second floor. This access way is however now closed. The pillars in this front mandapa are highly decorative.
Courtyard of Ladkhan temple
The temple embeds three concentric squares facing the garbhagriha with a Shivalinga. Inside the inner third square is a seated Nandi.
Nandi, waiting to serve the Lord
The two square mandapas create the sabhamandapa
or community hall of the temple. The second concentric square is
supported by a set of 12 intricately carved pillars. These are
rectangular pillars, here we do not see cylindrical pillars which might
have evolved at a later time. Floral designs are seen on the ceilings
and walls.
The temple is lit with natural sunlight
coming in from lattice windows, often seen in the architectural styles
common in northern India. These lattice windows on three sides of the temple also provide good ventilation.
Walking through the temple one sees a
large number of eye-catching sculptures on the pillars and in the
niches, including various amorous couples.
How did this temple come to be known as Ladkhan temple? It
is believed by some that the temple was named so because during the
times when the region was facing numerous attacks at the hands of
Bahmani and Deccan Sultans, a Muslim general named Ladkhan had used this
temple as his residence.
But it is rather hard to believe that a
Muslim officer in those times would have lived in this temple without
his religious sensibilities of ‘no idolatory’ getting offended in
presence of all the divine carvings. Furthermore, while breaking of
idols was something most Muslim attackers carried on with great zeal,
would Ladkhan would have spared the Shivalingam and other divine
sculptures in this temple? One wonders.
Others believe that over a period of
time as many of the temples in the large complex at Aihole stopped
serving as living temples due to various reasons, many of these
structures were at some point were occupied by different people.
Sometime in the early 20th century, perhaps around 1920, some
British archaeologists who were documenting these temples randomly
named them after the individuals who were believed to have occupied
them.
Regardless of the mystery surrounding
the name of this temple, it remains as a marvelous exemplar of
innovation in Hindu temple architecture.
Gaudara Gudi (#11)
Believed to be one of the oldest temples
in Karnataka, Gaudara Gudi is named so because the village’s Gauda (or
Gowda) resided here. It is the third largest temple (after Durgadagudi
and Ladkhan temple) in this complex.
As per a two-line Kannada inscription found on the temple’s Navaranga
this temple was named Durga Bhagavati Devalaya. It also mentions that
500 mahajans of Aihole and 120 rulers from eight towns had donated land
for this temple. This 64-pillared Devalaya while being simple in design has a royal feel. The shikhara of the temple, like several others in the complex, is missing.
Gaudara Gudi
Nadyar Gudi (#7)
Nadyar Gudi was perhaps an experiment in
Trikutachala style of temple architecture with three shrines. However,
only one Dravida style vimāna can be seen today. Some parts of the temple are badly damaged. The
sandstone roof is sculptured to give a look of wooden logs, something
seen in several other temples in this complex. This style of
architecture is also found at several later temples built during the
Hoysala period.
Nadyar Gudi
Inside the temple we see cylindrical
ornate pillars, again an illustration of a technique perfected later
during the Hoysala times. Who can forget, once seen, the highly ornate
and polished pillars at Chennakesava temple at Belur!
Pillars inside the Nadyar Gudi
Suryanarayana Gudi (#8)
As indicated by the name, this temple built during 7th or 8th
century was dedicated to Surya, the Sun God. Constructed in Rekhanagara
style with curvilinear tower, the temple consists of a small mandapa with four pillars, rangamandapa with four tall pillars and 12 half-pillars leading to the garbhagriha.
Suryanarayana Temple (in the background is seen the Ladkhan temple)
The door frame of the garbhagriha
is intricately carved. On the top of the door frame is seen a seated
Surya, beneath him is Garuda holding two snakes. Ganga and Yamuna can
also be seen close to the bottom of the door frame. The garbhagriha has a two-feet tall mūrti of Lord Surya, which is much eroded with time. The shikhara of the temple is also partially damaged.
Garbhagriha at Suryanarayana templeLord Suryanarayana
Nameless Twin Temple (#9)
Next to the Suryanarayana temple stand two smaller temples. Absence of the main deity’s mūrti makes it difficult to give a name to this twin structure.
Chakra Gudi (#12)
Built in the 9th century,
this temple though simple in design is known for its 20 sculptures of
amorous couples engraved on the door frame of the garbhagriha. On
the top of the door frame, there is also a prominent sculpture of
Garuda holding two snakes. The temple is named so because of the shape
of the amalaka atop its Rekhanagara style of shikhara.
Chakra Gudi, notice the chakra atop the shikharaGarbhagriha with carved door-frame
Badiger Gudi (#13)
The name literally means carpenter’s
temple. It came to be known so because a carpenter’s family was residing
here when the Archaeological Survey took over the premises for
preservation and maintenance. This 9th century temple with three
distinct areas – mukhamandapa, rangamandapa and garbhagriha – is believed to have been a temple for Lord Surya.
Badiger Gudi
Chappar Gudi (#5)
This temple again has a unique
architectural feature – its slanting roof, which is also the reason
behind its name. The Kannada word ‘chappar’ means a house with thatched
roof; the slanting roof of this temple would have resembled such a house
with thatched roof. This suggests that many houses built during 8th century had slanting roofs.
Chappar Gudi
The Two Kalyani-s (#4 and #14)
As per the traditional wisdom, a source
of water was always ensured wherever a temple was constructed. This
source could be a river, a pond or a well. Aihole being situated on the
right bank of river Malaprabha had only a few wells in the village. Two
reservoirs or kalyani-s were built in the temple complex to ensure water supply for the temples.
The kalyani opposite Badiger
temple is larger than the one near Durga temple. Water stains on the
walls of these tanks clearly indicate dipping water-table over time.
Kalyani with Badiger temple in the backgroundKalyani near Durga temple
Walking through this temple complex,
going from one temple to the next, one can’t help but marvel at the
amazing creative genius and innovative spirit of the architects,
engineers, and sculptors who walked and worked in this land called
Bharat. The experimentation that happened at Aihole is perhaps unmatched
anywhere in the world.
“The long tradition of her architecture, sculpture and painting speaks for itself, even in what survives after all the ruin of stormy centuries: whatever judgment may be formed of it by the narrower school of Western aesthetics,— and at least its fineness of execution and workmanship cannot be denied, nor the power with which it renders the Indian mind,—it testifies at least to a continuous creative activity. And creation is proof of life and great creation of greatness of life.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 243, emphasis added)
Photos by Suhas Mehra, text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra
After Pulakeshin I established the
Chalukya kingdom making Badami its capital in 543 CE, a great phase of
experimentation and innovation in temple architecture began in the
southern region of Karnataka. In parts 1 and 2
we explored various temples at Aihole, some of which were built in the
Dravida architectural style, some in Nagara and some others that
represented a hybrid design known as Vesara.
Early Chalukyan temple building activity
also took the form of rock-cut caves. A fine example of rock-cut temple
is the Ravanaphadi Cave at Aihole, which was excavated around 550 CE,
shortly after Pulakeshin I came into power.
One of the oldest temples in Aihole and
located about 600 meters from the Durga Temple complex, Ravanaphadi cave
temple is known for its distinctive sculptural style. In the front is a
vast flat field, a common feature seen in most rock-cut temples in
India.
This temple stands on a platform and a short set of stairs takes you to the cave’s entrance which faces southwest direction. Two
smaller, free-standing pillared halls on both sides of the cave
entrance add great visual appeal to the overall architecture of the
temple. The simple entrance is flanked with two pillars adorned with a
few carvings. Next to the pillars are carved reliefs of Padmanidhi and
Shankhanidhi guards, the guardians of Lord’s riches.
A colossal monolithic pillar on a quadrangle base is also seen in front of the temple. Nearby is a temple amalaka
resting on the ground, just like the one seen at Durga temple. One
wonders where this came from or what was its intended place of use!
Facing the temple entrance is the seated Nandi Bull, in the service of
the Lord. Time has taken a heavy toll on this Nandi which is badly
eroded.
Fortunately, the day we visited
Ravanaphadi we were the only ones there. There was not even a guard at
this small but most exquisite temple. Thus having the entire complex to
ourselves we could really experience the wonders it has to offer in
complete quietness.
Entering the cave we were completely
awestruck. Everywhere — in front of us, behind us, on our left, on our
right we saw larger than life, full of life, massive and magnificent
sculptures of Gods and Goddesses. Even the ceiling of the mandapam are adorned with beautiful images including a huge, intricately carved lotus flower.
Surrounded by the Gods on all sides any open heart would definitely feel an unmistakable divine presence there. We were reminded of a beautiful passage of Sri Aurobindo where he speaks of the theory behind all great Indian art:
“Its highest business is to
disclose something of the Self, the Infinite, the Divine to the regard
of the soul, the Self through its expressions, the Infinite through its
living finite symbols, the Divine through his powers. Or the Godheads
are to be revealed, luminously interpreted, or in some way suggested to
the soul’s understanding or to its devotion, or at the very least to a
spiritually or religiously aesthetic emotion.” (CWSA 20: 267)
The closely knitted sculptural forms
throughout Ravanaphadi would strike any visitor. As one pays close
attention to the decorative details, carving of the drapery, jewellery
and also the standing postures, a clear sense of a unified aesthetic
sensibility is seen among all the sculptures — all of which are striking
in their bold features and expression.
Taking photographs is a challenge in
this cave temple, at least for amateurs like us, because most of the key
sculptures are too close to one another and there is paucity of light
in the cave. We tried our best given the equipment at our disposal, but
these in no way do full justice to the real beauties that are hidden at
Ravanaphadi temple.
We were most taken in by six great Gods
of this cave temple: Nataraja flanked by the Saptamatrikas,
Ardhanarishwara, Varaha, Durga as Mahishasuramardini, Harihara and
Gangadhara Shiva. The harmonious physical proportions, the various
attributes of the specific deities, the ornamentation — all of these
carved with perfection and delicate workmanship — would leave anyone
mesmerized. Standing in awe, we were witnessing divine stories carved in
stone, and we were the only ones witnessing this grand event.
“What Nature is, what God is, what man is can be triumphantly revealed in stone or on canvas.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 1: 451)
Meeting the Gods
Upon entering the cave, on our left, we
meet Ardhanarishvara, portraying the equivalence and essential
interdependence of the masculine and the feminine energies. Shiva on the
left and Parvati on the right, fused as One, stand gracefully in tribhanga
pose, a posture where body bends in one direction at the knees, in
another direction at the hips and then again in the first direction at
the shoulders. An eye interested in outer detail would notice that the
feminine side looks more graceful in form and contour while the
masculine side seems more rigid and stiff. But such details lose their
significance when one remembers the eternal truth:
“Without Him I Exist Not, Without Me He is Unmanifest.” (The Mother, CWM, 13: 32)
“Beyond the manifestation there is no differentiation, that is, there are not two, there is only one.
It was at the moment of creation that it became two. But before that it
was one, and there was no difference; as it was one, it was only
one….The differentiation is not something eternal and co-existent. It is
for the creation, and in fact for the creation of this world only.”
(The Mother, CWM, 7: 155)
Walking past the Ardhanarishvara as we enter the first mandapam,
we notice a carved out narrow side chamber on the left. There we meet a
most magnificent Nataraja who has ten long slender arms which appear
like vines emerging from his back. This is perhaps one of the earliest
depictions of Nataraja Shiva and here he is surrounded by
larger-than-life-size depictions of seven divine mothers, the
Saptamatrikas — three to Shiva’s left and four to his right next to
Parvati.
With a snake wrapped around his torso,
this Nataraja Shiva also holds another snake in two hands raised above
his head. We see Ganesha on the right and Kartikeya on the left, while
the place next to him is reserved for Ma Parvati. A clear difference can
be seen in the draperies of Ma Parvati and that of the Saptamatrikas.
All the matrikas are tall with shapely bodies standing in delicately curved postures, each sporting short anatriya and tall cylindrical mukuta; one can see the diversity in the carvings of the mukuta-s.
The fine carved markings visible in their dhotis indicate pleating
details. The tall, slightly robust bodies with bends and curves are
similar to what are seen in Pallava sculptures.
This particular representation of Shiva, his family and the matrikas accompanying them is probably an ode to the Pauranic story in which Lord Shiva performs a dance after defeating the powerful asura king named Andhaka (who as per Shiva Purāna is actually the son of Shiva and Parvati but raised by the asura
Hiraṇyākṣa). This Andhaka had several special boons from Lord Brahma
which almost granted him immortality, the only exception was that he
could be killed by Lord Shiva.
Once in his
blind arrogance, he tried to abduct Devi Parvati who invokes the Gods
for her protection. A great battle ensues, but as per another boon
granted to Andhaka from every drop of his blood that falls on the
ground, a new Andhaka is born. To address this difficult situation Lord
Vishnu creates matrikas, the mother-goddesses who drink up the
falling blood drops so that finally Andhaka can be decapitated by Lord
Shiva’s trident. In one of the variations of this story, Lord Shiva is
said to have forgiven Andhaka because he takes refuge in the Lord.
Representations of Nataraja Shiva along with matrikas
are also seen in some of the caves at Ellora, including the famous
Kailasha temple (cave 14). With regard to the particular representation
at Ravanaphadi at Aihole, it is also interesting to note that the
Chalukya kings claimed to have been nursed by the Saptamatrikas. They considered them as giver of powers to defeat the enemies; matrikas thus figured prominently in their sculptural art, especially in the later Chalukyan period (11th to 13th century).
On the right side of the main mandapa
we meet Lord Harihara – representing harmonious synthesis of Shaivic
and Vaishnava approaches to the Divine. With Vishnu or Hari represented
on the right and Shiva or Hara on the left, Lord Harihara stands erect
and sports a spiked halo.
There is a clear distinction between the
parts representing Hari and Hara. The strong physicality of the image
with broad shoulders and strong limbs is distinctive. The third eye on
Shiva’s forehead as well as the crescent moon on the mukuta are clearly visible; the carved snake held in the upper right hand almost looks like a real one. Lord Harihara is accompanied by Lord Shiva, who has a similar halo but a slightly more robust form.
A short set of stairs leads one to the garbhagriha
where Lord Shiva is in the Lingam form. But before we go there, let us
spend some time with Gangadhara Shiva, who is on the wall opposite to
Lord Harihara.
Here we see Lord Shiva standing strong
and erect but in a state of complete calm. His two back arms are bent
upwards and hold his jata-s (hair) because it is in these jata-s will be descending the mighty rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati from the heavens .
The river goddesses represented on top of Lord’s head have their hands
in Anjali mudra, ready to submit to the Lord. Sage Bhagiratha is also
visible on the left, standing on one leg and performing his penance. Ma
Parvati is on the right witnessing the great event.
Just before we reach the garbhagriha,
on our left we meet Lord Varaha, the boar avatar of Lord Vishnu who is
depicted rescuing Bhu Devi, the Earth Goddess. The ceiling on this panel
features Garuda, the divine vehicle of Lord Vishnu.
To the right is Ma Durga in
Mahishasuramardini form, her trident killing the buffalo demon. Art
historians claim that most representations of Mahishasuramardini in
Karnataka temples followed a depiction similar to what was first created
at Ravanaphadi.
The eight-armed Mahishasurmardhini, shown with her mount, the lion, on her side, holds her various āyudha-s
or weapons. Standing with her left foot on the rump of Mahishasura, the
buffalo demon, the Devi is shown grabbing its snout with her front left
hand while her right front hand is thrusting the trident into its head.
Two of her other right hands hold a sword and an arrow. The fourth
weapon in her remaining right hand may be a chakra. In her
lower left hand she holds a bow and the two upper hands hold a conch and
a shield. The rhythmic arrangement of the limbs gives a great dynamism
to the form and also suggests the ease with which the Great Shakti kills
the evil. The gentle smile and tranquility on her face clearly capture
her divine protection for all those who come in her refuge.
“…terror and gloom are
conspicuously absent from the feelings aroused in it [the Indian mind]
by its religion, art or literature. In the religion they are rarely
awakened and only in order to be immediately healed and, even when they
come, are always sustained by the sense of a supporting and helping
presence, an eternal greatness and calm or love or Delight behind; the
very goddess of destruction is at the same time the compassionate and
loving Mother; the austere Maheshwara, Rudra, is also Shiva, the
auspicious, Ashutosha, the refuge of men. The Indian thinking and
religious mind looks with calm, without shrinking or repulsion, with an
understanding born of its agelong effort at identity and oneness, at all
that meets it in the stupendous spectacle of the cosmos. And even its
asceticism, its turning from the world, which begins not in terror and
gloom, but in a sense of vanity and fatigue, or of something higher,
truer, happier than life, soon passes beyond any element of pessimistic
sadness into the rapture of the eternal peace and bliss. Indian secular
poetry and drama is throughout rich, vital and joyous and there is more
tragedy, terror, sorrow and gloom packed into any few pages of European
work than we can find in the whole mass of Indian literature. It does
not seem to me that Indian art is at all different in this respect from
the religion and literature.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 281)
Almost every surface of the cave temple
has been carved and filled with representations of the Gods and
Goddesses, giving a divine ambiance to the entire place. The only
exception is a chamber which is to the east of the main mandapa, which was possibly left un-carved because of a fissure on the roof.
The ceiling too has carved reliefs. One
shows Vishnu and Lakshmi mounted on winged Garuda, another shows the
Vedic God Indra with Indrani on their Airavata elephant, and there is
another with lotus carving. The beams are also carved with flying apasaras.
After spending some time in the company
of all these Gods and Goddesses and admiring them in all their glory and
splendour, a quietness is bound to take over your mind and heart. That
is the time to just sit quietly in the garbhagriha facing the Shivalingam, and let the Divine Presence wash all over you.
Photos and video by Suhas Mehra, text by Beloo Mehra
Situated in the beautiful Nandi village at the foothills of the Nandi
Hills, about 60 kms from Bengaluru, Bhoga Nandishwara temple presents a
unique synthesis of architectural influences from several dynasties who
ruled the area from 9th century onward. The temple’s deeper
significance exists in its being a celebration of the brahmacharya and grihastha ashrama-s of life.
During the time we spent at this magnificent 1000-year-old
temple, we saw a few newly married couples come there with their
families to seek blessings of Ma Parvati and Lord Maheshwara who preside
there in their rupa as divine couple. The temple has three
main shrines and one of them specifically celebrates the Divine Marriage
of Shiva and Parvati, drawing many newly married couples who come to
seek Their blessings before starting their grihastha ashrama.
Let us soak in the grandeur and the beauty of a temple that celebrates this gṛhastha stage of life.
Human Development through Four Stages in Life
Our ancestors made a great attempt to mould the individual and
collective life in the light of India’s spiritual conception of life and
aim of human existence. This attempt acknowledged and celebrated the
principle of gradual spiritual progress and evolution through various
stages in an individual’s life journey.
They conceived of a naturally evolving scheme of human development
which was based on the four aims of human life called in the Indian
tradition as Purusharthas:
Artha: Fulfillment of the material and economic needs and interests
Kāma: Satisfaction of vital desires and enjoyment
Dharma: The need of our higher mental and moral being for knowledge, values, ideals and right living
Moksha: Finally, the spiritual need for the ultimate freedom, fulfillment and perfection.
These aims correspond roughly to the physical, vital, mental and
spiritual needs of the human being. They form a system of shared values
and are accepted almost by all the cultural traditions emerging from
within the Indian thought. These purusharthas are based on the
idea that our being must pass through different stages in its growth,
and the legitimate needs and desires of each level of the human being
have to be fulfilled before he can rise to a higher level.
The ancient Indian seers did not entirely leave the responsibility
for an individual’s difficult growth through life to his unaided inner
initiative. They recognised the need for a framework, something like a
scale and gradation which could be made into a kind of ladder to support
the individual’s growth through various stages of life. This led to the
framework of aśrama.
An individual’s life was divided into four natural periods or aśrama-s, each of them marking a stage in the working out of the ideal cultural idea of living:
the period of the student (Brahmacharya);
the period of the householder (Grihastha/gṛhastha);
the period of the recluse or forest-dweller (Vānaprastha);
and the period of the free supersocial man (Sannyasa).
The Student
The student life was framed to lay the groundwork of what the man had
to know, do and be. It gave a thorough training in the necessary arts,
sciences, branches of knowledge, but it was still more insistent on the
discipline of the ethical nature and in earlier days contained as an
indispensable factor a grounding in the Vedic formula of spiritual
knowledge.
Initially this training was given in suitable surroundings far away
from the life of cities and the teacher was one who had himself passed
through the round of this circle of living and, very usually, even, one
who had arrived at some remarkable realisation of spiritual knowledge.
Subsequently education became more intellectual and mundane. It was
imparted in cities and universities and aimed less at an inner
preparation of character and knowledge and more at instruction and the
training of the intelligence. But in the beginning the student was
really prepared in some degree for the four great objects of his life, artha, kāma, dharma, moksha.
The Householder
Entering into the householder stage to live out his knowledge, the
individual was able to pursue there the first three human goals of life (artha, kama and dharma).
He satisfied his natural being and its interests and desire to take the
joy of life; he paid his debt to the society and its demands; and by
the way he discharged his life functions he prepared himself for the
last greatest purpose of his existence.
The Sanskrit word gṛhastha or grihastha (गृहस्थ) is a composite of two words, grih (गृह) and astha (अस्थ). Grih means “home, family, house”, and asth means “situated in, devoted to, occupied with, being in”. The word grihastha
thus means that which is living in and occupied with home, family or
simply a householder. This stage of life follows the stage of
brahmacharya (bachelor student) and involves getting married, fulfilling
the duties of maintaining a home, raising a family, educating one’s
children, and leading a family-centered and dharmic social life.
This stage is essential to completing the full development of a human
being and fulfilling the needs of the individual and society. It is in
his stage that the individual actually applies all that he/she has
learned in the student stage and engages in productive activity to
generate wealth (pursuing the goal of artha), and thus
contribute to the well-being of the family and society. This is also the
phase of life for pursuing various legitimate desires (kāma) within the ethical-moral restraints of dharma, the harmonizing principle.
From a psychological perspective, both the individualistic and
cooperative/group tendencies of an individual’s vital-emotional nature
find expression and satisfaction in this stage of life. On an individual
level, the person gets to experience a sense of fulfillment of his need
to acquire and possess. The individual’s need for companionship, sexual
satisfaction and procreation are also duly satisfied. The cooperative
tendency in the individual, one that is satisfied by having close
association with a group is also satisfied through the immediate and
extended family circles.
“In
the family the individual seeks for the satisfaction of his vital
instinct of possession, as well as for the joy of companionship, and for
the fulfilment of his other vital instinct of self-reproduction…. [The
growing cooperative tendency in the vital nature of the individual]
shows itself first in the family ideal by which the individual
subordinates himself and finds his vital satisfaction and practical
account, not in his own predominant individuality, but in the life of a
larger vital ego. This ideal played a great part in the old aristocratic
views of life; it was there in the ancient Indian idea of the kula and the kuladharma, and in later India it was at the root of the joint-family system which made the strong economic base of mediaeval Hinduism.”
Photos and videos by Suhas Mehra, text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra
After experiencing the splendour of the magnificent rock cut cave-temples at Badami,
before heading back to Hampi, we stopped at Mahakuta group of temples.
Chikka Mahakuteshwara Temple complex or Mahakuta temple as it is known
in short, is a group of living temples, less than 30-minutes drive from Badami. The drive was a pleasant one and provided good views of Badami hills.
The banyan tree in the parking lot
As we got out of our
car, we were greeted by the above view . The old banyan tree in the
parking lot which allowed a perfect mix of shade and filtered sunlight
was an apt preview to the many delights that waited inside.
Like the bigger temple
sites of Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami, Mahakuta group of temples are
also located near the banks of river Malaprabha. Located on the eastern
slope of two hillocks and situated in the Bagalkot district of
Karnataka, these temples were built during the reign of the Chalukyas
between the time period of 6th-7th CE. The two hillocks are believed to
represent the remains of two asuras — Vatapi and Ilvala, the brothers who were vanquished by Rishi Agastya.
The story is told in
the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as well as other scriptures. In the
version from the Aranya Kanda of Valmiki’s Ramayana as translated by
Hari Prasad Shastri, we find Rama narrating the story to Lakshmana on
their way to the hermitage of Rishi Agastya.
"Here formerly the cruel demons Vatapi and Ilvala lived, two great asuras who together conceived a plan for slaying the brahmins."Assuming the form of a sage, the pitiless Ilvala, using the sanskrit language, invited the ascetics to partake of a feast. Preparing his brother disguised as a ram in a dish, he fed the Twice-born, according to traditional rites. When the ascetics had eaten, Ilvala cried out in a loud voice: 'O Vatapi, come forth.'"At the sound of his voice, Vatapi, bleating like a ram, tearing the bodies of the ascetics, emerged.
"Thus thousands of brahmins were slain by those devourers of human flesh, who changed their shape at will and were full of deceit.
"At the request of the Gods, the great Rishi Agastya went to the feast and ate up the huge asura, after which llvala said: 'It is well,' and offering the guest water to wash his hands, cried out: 'Come forth O Vatapi!'"But as this slayer of ascetics was speaking thus, Agastya, that excellent sage, breaking into laughter, said to him: 'How can that demon come forth, since I have consumed him? Thy brother in the shape of a ram, has entered the abode of Yama.'
"Hearing that his brother was dead, the demon in anger rushed at the ascetic, hurling himself on that Indra of the Twice-born, but the sage, blazing with spiritual power, by a single glance consumed him, and he perished.
"This is the hermitage, beautified by lakes and groves, belonging to the brother of that sage, who in compassion for the ascetics performed that arduous feat."
Artistic rendition of Chikka Mahakuteshwara temple complex
Almost all of the
sites where the ancients built magnificent temples have rich
religio-spiritual histories making their location even more significant
and more importantly, strengthening the continuity of the sacred lore of
the place. Mahakuta temple complex is believed to have been at a place
which was an old centre of Shaivites and Shaktas, and came to be known
as Dakshina Kashi. Some scholars believe that this complex at one point
of time might have been a Yoni Peetha.
Another big banyan
tree greets one at the entrance to the temple complex. The sight of a
group of families and energetic children of different ages, waiting in
the shade of the tree, reiterated the living charm of the temple.
Short stairs leading to Chikka Mahakuteshwara temple complex
Very close to this
banyan tree is a pond; many people bathe in this pond perhaps as a way
to cleanse before entering the temple complex.
Opposite to the tree, that is, on the other side of the pond, is a small devalaya which houses beautiful vigraha
of Lord Ganesha. A swing is attached on a thick branch of the banyan
tree. This swing is used by the devotees to make an offering to Lord
Ganesha who gladly accepts it from across the pond, so to speak! What a
fun and unique way to offer one’s love and gratitude to Lord Ganesha.
“A God who cannot smile, could not have created this humorous universe.”
Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 12: 490
The Chikka
Mahakuteshwara Temple complex has several shrines devoted to Lord Shiva,
all of which face east and have a Nandi in front. Examples of
Dravidian, Nagara and Vesara style of architecture can be seen in the
complex. The temples have a close resemblance to other Chalukya temples
seen at Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami.
As we worked our way going from one temple to the next, with the permission of the archaka-s we were able to take a few pictures of the Lord in His majesty and splendour. This way, we can have the Lord’s darshan anytime we want to revisit this beautiful temple complex in our mind. Here is a small compilation:
“Devotion
is not utterly fulfilled till it becomes action and knowledge. If thou
pursuest after God and canst overtake Him, let Him not go till thou hast
His reality. If thou hast hold of His reality, insist on having also
His totality. The first will give thee divine knowledge, the second will
give thee divine works and a free and perfect joy in the universe.”
Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 12: 481
Typical of the Chalukyan style, the exterior walls of the temples have several murti-s, predominantly of different forms of Lord Shiva and also a few of Lord Vishnu. The different rupa-s
of the Lord beautifully highlight the One and Many aspects of the
Supreme, and remind the devotees of the Absolute and the Infinite, the
One who manifests in All and Everything and is All and Everything.
“Be
wide in me, O Varuna; be mighty in me, O Indra; O Sun, be very bright
and luminous; O Moon, be full of charm and sweetness. Be fierce and
terrible, O Rudra; be impetuous and swift, O Maruts; be strong and bold,
O Aryama; be voluptuous and pleasurable, O Bhaga; be tender and kind
and loving and passionate, O Mitra. Be bright and revealing, O Dawn; O
Night, be solemn and pregnant. O Life, be full, ready & buoyant; O
Death, lead my steps from mansion to mansion. Harmonise all these, O
Brahmanaspati. Let me not be subject to these gods, O Kali.”
Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 12: 429
At all Shiva temples
Nandi waits patiently in the service of the Lord. At Mahakuta also, we
see Nandi in various sizes, some inside the temple, some slightly
outside the temple and some in a separate dedicated mandapa. Owing to
the genius of the shilpi-s for whom their work is sadhana and offering for their Lord, some of the Nandi vigraha-s especially seem so full of life and very realistic in their details, posture and overall aura.
While there is a
general feeling of reverence and devotion in the whole complex, one
can’t help but recognise a slight tinge of un-ease mixed with pain when
the eye catches the overall dilapidated condition of the temple complex.
It is not only a matter of temples needing structural restoration or
renovation, at many places in the complex one finds beautiful murti-s of
various devi-s and devata-s just laying around in more or less
neglected condition.
But a devotee’s heart
is such that it can see and feel sacred beauty and divine charm there as
well. And indeed it is that all-pervasive divinity which gives a sense
of beauty to the whole complex.
Lajja Gauri was a major deity for the Chalukayas
“He
who recognises not Krishna, the God in man, knows not God entirely; he
who knows Krishna only, knows not even Krishna. Yet is the opposite
truth also wholly true that if thou canst see all God in a little pale
unsightly and scentless flower, then hast thou hold of His supreme
reality.”
Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 12: 443
Towards the rear of the temple complex is Shiva Pushkarni – the scared pond with a shrine in the middle housing a panchamukha Shivalingam. Some people also speak of it as Vishnu Pushkarni.
On the day we visited,
we found several children, men and women bathing and overall having fun
at this pond. The atmosphere was filled with joyous sounds of devotees
taking dip in the cold water. It is said that the source of the water in
this pushkarni and also the Ganesh Pushkarni near the temple
entrance is same, a mountain spring from the nearby hills. But no open
stream can be seen near either of the scared ponds.
We
were also told that these ponds are never without water, and that a
constant water level is maintained during all the seasons. It seems that
there are some underground channels to remove the excess water
collected during rains, which is then used for irrigation purposes.
“When
will the world change into the model of heaven? When all mankind
becomes boys & girls together with God revealed as Krishna &
Kali, the happiest boy & strongest girl of the crowd, playing
together in the gardens of Paradise. The Semitic Eden was well enough,
but Adam & Eve were too grown up and its God himself too old &
stern & solemn for the offer of the Serpent to be resisted.”
Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 12: 490
“O
soul of India, hide thyself no longer with the darkened Pandits of the
Kaliyuga in the kitchen & the chapel, veil not thyself with the
soulless rite, the obsolete law and the unblessed money of the dakshina;
but seek in thy soul, ask of God and recover thy true Brahminhood &
Kshatriyahood with the eternal Veda; restore the hidden truth of the
Vedic sacrifice, return to the fulfilment of an older & mightier
Vedanta.
“Limit
not sacrifice to the giving up of earthly goods or the denial of some
desires & yearnings, but let every thought and every work &
every enjoyment be an offering to God within thee. Let thy steps walk in
thy Lord, let thy sleep and waking be a sacrifice to Krishna.”
“The crisis in
which the Avatar appears, though apparent to the outward eye only as a
crisis of events and great material changes, is always in its source and
real meaning a crisis in the consciousness of humanity when it has to
undergo some grand modification and effect some new development. For
this action of change a divine force is needed; but the force varies
always according to the power of consciousness which it embodies; hence
the necessity of a divine consciousness manifesting in the mind and soul
of humanity. Where, indeed, the change is mainly intellectual and
practical, the intervention of the Avatar is not needed; there is a
great uplifting of consciousness, a great manifestation of power in
which men are for the time being exalted above their normal selves, and
this surge of consciousness and power finds its wave-crests in certain
exceptional individuals, vibhūtis, whose action leading the
general action is sufficient for the change intended. The Reformation in
Europe and the French Revolution were crises of this character; they
were not great spiritual events, but intellectual and practical changes,
one in religious, the other in social and political ideas, forms and
motives, and the modification of the general consciousness brought about
was a mental and dynamic, but not a spiritual modification. But when
the crisis has a spiritual seed or intention, then a complete or a
partial manifestation of the God-consciousness in a human mind and soul
comes as its originator or leader. That is the Avatar.” (Sri Aurobindo,
CWSA 19: 168-169)
We celebrate this auspicious day of the
descent of the Avatar Sri Krishna by taking our readers to a highly
unique temple in Goa. Devaki Krishna Ravalnath temple, located at Marcel
in Goa, is said to be the only temple in India where Krishna is
worshipped with his birth mother Devaki.
A view from outside
Hindu temples in general are always much
more than mere places of worship. They are, first and foremost, the
abode of the deity. But that is not all. In the words of Sri Aurobindo,
an Indian temple is in its inmost reality “an altar raised to the divine
Self, a house of the Cosmic Spirit, an appeal and aspiration to the
Infinite” (CWSA 20: 273). Additionally, most Hindu temples are also
great expressions of the artistic and architectural genius of Indian
civilization.
Traditionally, temples have been the
cultural, social and spiritual centers of the surrounding communities.
Thus, most temples, regardless of the time of their construction, are
also living repositories of the historical-socio-cultural lore of the
region. This is particularly true of the temples in Goa, where temples
also hold records of family lineages. This Devaki Krishna temple has a
special significance for Parrikar clan of Goa for whom this form of
Krishna with Devaki is principal deity.
Most Indians today have grown up with
delightful stories of Krishna playing all sorts of games with his
friends and creating trouble for his mother Yashoda. We have also seen
countless portrayals of baby Krishna with Ma Yashoda in various visual
and performing arts throughout our land, including the special jhankis
displayed around Krishna Janmashtami. But other than a few songs and
some stories, not much remains in our collective memory about the
practice of worshipping Sri Krishna with Devaki, his biological mother.
People in Goa believe that a small
ancient temple of Devaki-Krishna existed on Chorão island (also known as
Chodan or Choodamani prior to that) in the Mandovi river. The presiding
deity of the island and the temple was Devakikrishna, who is
represented as Ma Devaki holding on her left side baby Krishna and
supporting him with her left arm. It is said that once Vasco de Gama
during his visit to the island saw the mūrti (originally made
in black stone), and mistaking it to be an image of Mother Mary holding
infant Jesus immediately went down on his knees. But when his companions
pointed out what the mūrti represented, he quickly got up and was visibly annoyed!
This ancient temple was destroyed by the
Portuguese Christian missionaries whose sole mission was to bring every
Hindu into the fold of Christianity, which they saw as the ‘only true
religion’. Sometime between 1530 and 1540 CE the devotees first shifted
the temple from Chorão island and installed the deity in Mayem in
Bicholim taluka. There the temple remained and the worship continued for
more than two centuries. But when Bicholim also came under Portuguese
control, the temple had to be moved once again, this time to Marcel in
Ponda.
Walk to the temple
This was the story of many Hindu temples
in Goa. The 400+ year Portuguese colonial rule from 1510 onwards was a
brutal period for Hindus of that region. They were not only not allowed
to practice their religion, but were also forcibly converted,
prosecuted, tortured, their property confiscated. Several temples were
levelled to the ground. Even books written in Sanskrit, Arabic, Marathi
or Konkani were destroyed. The infamous Goan Inquistition (1560 to 1812)
was established to enforce Catholic orthodoxy in the Indian dominions
of the Portuguese Empire.
Faced with such tormenting
circumstances, Hindu devotees with steadfast faith in their deities took
great risks and stealthily managed to shift away the deities from
almost all the temples in the Portuguese controlled districts to areas
that were not controlled by the Portuguese. Most of the deities were
transported across the Cumbarjua waterway and the Zuary river to Ponda
in the territory of the Sonda Rajas (feudatory vassals, first to the
Vijayanagara kings, then to Bijapur Sultanate, and later to Maratha
Empire).
Ponda was a safe haven for Hindus
fleeing persecution by Jesuits and the Portuguese. The forests in the
area allowed Hindus to design makeshift temples and install the deities
they had salvaged from the temples destroyed in other regions,
particularly the area known today as Salcette. By housing their beloved
deities in small huts and modest dwellings, hidden from the destructive
gaze of the missionaries, Hindu devotees managed to ‘save’ their gods,
and patiently waited for the time to turn so they could build grand
temples for their beloved gods. To this day most of the major Hindu
temples in Goa are found in Ponda.
View from the temple porchThe wide open porch
The Story of the Deity: When Devaki Met Krishna
We hear a delightful story behind this unique rūpam
of Devaki-Krishna. It is said that once when Krishna and Balarama were
taking rest on Gomanchala Parvat, they happened to meet Devaki. But
Devaki could not recognize Krishna as she had only known him as a child,
Balakrishna. The all-knowing Krishna read her confusion, and in his
infinite compassion took the form of a child Krishna, exclusively for
her. He climbed on to the lap of Ma Devaki. Not only that, the
all-attractive Krishna also gave Devaki the ananda of witnessing the delightful play, līla of Balakrishna — all that we hear in the countless stories of Krishna with Yashoda. Devaki’s joy knew no bounds.
It is believed that this meeting of
Devaki and Krishna happened at the island of Chodan or Choodamani, which
was a dense forest at the time. Later a temple came up on the island as
an abode of Devakikrishna; some traces of the old temple still remain
there.
View of the garbhagriha
This Devaki-Krishna temple is an expression of the eternal love of a mother. The garbhagriha houses the beautiful mūrti of Devaki with Balakrishna. This is believed to be one of the most rare mūrti-s
of Sri Krishna as a child, resting comfortably on the hips of Ma Devaki
who is standing with her arm encircling and protecting her son. It is
also believed by some that perhaps this form served as an inspiration
behind the iconography of Mother Mary with baby Jesus seen in the nearby
churches.
At the time of our visit to this beautiful temple, the doors of the garbhagriha had been shut close, but the beautiful Devaki Krishna could still be seen clearly through the bars. The priest was kind enough to allow us to take a picture of the beautiful deity through the bars.
Devaki Krishna in garbhagriha
These bars actually remind any Krishna-premi
of the prison where the Lord took his human birth when Devaki and
Vasudeva were kept in captivity by Kansa, the brutal king of Mathura.
Krishna’s birth in the prison is
symbolic of the humanity imprisoned by the chains of a limiting and
limited consciousness, from which liberation is required in order to be
ready to consciously participate in the creation of a new world in the
greater and more luminous Light of the Supramental Consciousness.
“Krishna is the
Anandamaya, he supports the evolution through the Overmind leading it
towards his Ananda.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 28: 499)
Close up of Devaki Krishna
In the garbhagriha, we also see the beautiful utsava mūrti
of the Lord which is made of the stem of the sacred Tulsi tree. While
we could not take a picture of this delightful rupam of Sri Krishna, we
were able to find a stunning image via the trusty google!
Utsava mūrti of Krishna, Devaki Krishna temple (Source)
Temple Architecture
All the original temples in Goa were
demolished by the Portuguese, and the deities were saved and moved by
Hindu devotees to safer places. Most of the old temples were built using
sedimentary rocks, stones, wood and limestone. Tambdi Surla Mahadev
temple is the only ancient temple of Goa that survives today.
The present-day Goan temples are unique
in India. This is because while they follow the basic layout of Nagara
style temple architecture, they also incorporate several key variations.
The Goan temple has an entrance porch or mukhamandapam, sabhamandapam or hall and a garbhagriha
or inner shrine, all along an axis. But the main hall has several
doors, which is something typically seen in churches in Goa and
elsewhere. There are clear influences of the basilican floor plan, with
European Renaissance style arches, pillars, pilasters and mouldings. We
see these features in Goan churches as well.
In the Goan temples, we also see Islamic architectural influences such as the dome-like shikhara;
domes are typically seen in the mosques. In addition to the use of
bright tropical colours, there is also good use of local materials in
construction as seen in the mud and laterite walls, as well as in
pitched and tiled roofs. When seen from different angles, a present-day
Goan temple could be perceived even as a mosque, church or simply a
palace.
Sri Devaki Krishna temple also has a similar layout: a porchway leading to the pillared mandapam, and then a smaller garbhagriha, surrounding which is a free area or a passage for pradakshina or circamambulation. Above the garbhagriha is the dome-shaped shikhara.
Pradakshina
Hare Krishna
Time for darshan of the Lord, once again!
Sit quietly in the hall for some time.
Concentrate and contemplate on the beautiful baby Krishna with his
mother. Recall to your inner eye all his bala–līla. He
is the same Krishna who is also “the Krishna of the Gita who is the
transcendent Godhead, Paramatma, Parabrahma, Purushottama, the cosmic
Deity, master of the universe, Vasudeva who is all, the immanent in the
heart of all creatures, or the Godhead who was incarnate at Brindavan
and Dwarka and Kurukshetra” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 35: 431-432).
Darshan, once again
“The historical
Krishna, no doubt, existed. We meet the name first in the Chhandogya
Upanishad where all we can gather about him is that he was well known in
spiritual tradition as a knower of the Brahman, so well known indeed in
his personality and the circumstances of his life that it was
sufficient to refer to him by the name of his mother as Krishna son of
Devaki for all to understand who was meant. In the same Upanishad we
find mention of King Dhritarashtra son of Vichitravirya, and since
tradition associated the two together so closely that they are both of
them leading personages in the action of the Mahabharata, we may fairly
conclude that they were actually contemporaries and that the epic is to a
great extent dealing with historical characters and in the war of
Kurukshetra with a historical occurrence imprinted firmly on the memory
of the race. We know too that Krishna and Arjuna were the object of
religious worship in the pre-Christian centuries; and there is some
reason to suppose that they were so in connection with a religious and
philosophical tradition from which the Gita may have gathered many of
its elements and even the foundation of its synthesis of knowledge,
devotion and works, and perhaps also that the human Krishna was the
founder, restorer or at the least one of the early teachers of this
school. The Gita may well in spite of its later form represent the
outcome in Indian thought of the teaching of Krishna and the connection
of that teaching with the historical Krishna, with Arjuna and with the
war of Kurukshetra may be something more than a dramatic fiction. In the
Mahabharata Krishna is represented both as the historical character and
the Avatar; his worship and Avatarhood must therefore have been well
established by the time—apparently from the fifth to the first centuries
B.C.—when the old story and poem or epic tradition of the Bharatas took
its present form. There is a hint also in the poem of the story or
legend of the Avatar’s early life in Vrindavan which, as developed by
the Puranas into an intense and powerful spiritual symbol, has exercised
so profound an influence on the religious mind of India. We have also
in the Harivansha an account of the life of Krishna, very evidently full
of legends, which perhaps formed the basis of the Puranic accounts.”
(Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 19: 15-16)
As we begin to walk out of the temple, time to take in some views of the outside.
View from the sabha mandapamTemple surroundings
“Whether
Krishna existed or not in a human form, living on earth, is only of very
secondary importance (except perhaps from an exclusively historical
point of view), for Krishna is a real, living and active being; and his
influence has been one of the great factors in the progress and
transformation of the earth.” (The Mother, CWM 10: 61)
We are thankful to Sawani Shetye of Exclamations Goa
for organizing and accompanying us on a beautiful heritage trail which
covered several relatively ‘off-the-tourist-map’ places in Goa and also
included a visit to this unique temple. Anyone interested in exploring
‘Goa beyond the beaches’ should definitely reach out to Sawani for more
details.
The Wonder of Kanchi Kailashnathar
The magnificent Kanchi Kailasanathar temple is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram, built in the Dravidian style during 685-705CE by Pallava
king Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha), and completed by his son
Mahendravarman III. This temple was first of its kind to be built of
stone architecture unlike the rock cut architecture built into hallowed
caves or carved into rock outcrops as in Mahabalipuram. It became a
trend setter for many later temples in Southern India.
This photo-feature is dedicated to some
of the beauty that abounds at this amazing temple. Selected words of Sri
Aurobindo on the inner dimension of Indian sculptural art add depth and
meaning to this visual tour.
India has had an assured history of more
than two millenniums of accomplished sculptural creation. Its survival
was made possible because of the survival of the cast of the ancient
Indian mind in its deepest philosophy and religion. This, as Sri
Aurobindo explains, is a mind that is familiar with eternal things,
capable of cosmic vision, has its roots of thought and seeing in the
profundities of the soul, in the most intimate and abiding experiences
of the human spirit.
It is this Indian mind that has put its unique stamp on the highest Indian sculptural art forms.
“The greatness and continuity of Indian
sculpture is due to the close connection between the religious and
philosophical and the aesthetic mind of the people.” (Sri Aurobindo,
CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 288).
The
58 small shrines built into the niches of the compound wall that
encloses the main shrine. Each of these shrines depict reliefs of Shiva
and Parvati in many dance forms.
The greatness of Indian sculpture arises from a cast of mind which is founded on a deeper vision and is stable in temperament.
“The art of making in stone or bronze
calls for a cast of mind which the ancients had and the moderns have not
or have had only in rare individuals, an artistic mind not too rapidly
mobile and self-indulgent, not too much mastered by its own personality
and emotion and the touches that excite and pass, but founded rather on
some great basis of assured thought and vision, stable in temperament,
fixed in its imagination on things that are firm and enduring.” (Sri
Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 287).
Lord Shiva, the Cosmic DancerNandiThe legendary lion mounts on the pillars, insignia of Pallava architecture
The best of Indian sculptural art, like
all great Indian art, springs from spiritual realisation. It aspires to
express the spirit in form, the soul in body, or some particular living
soul power in the divine or the human (or even the animal-human forms
like the numerous lion pillars we see at the Kanchi Kailashnathar
temple).
Lord Shiva as Tripurantaka
It aims to lead the viewer’s eye, the
inner eye, to the impersonal supporting a not too insistent play of
personality; to the abiding moments of the eternal. Through the form it
intends to express the presence, the idea, the power, the calm or potent
delight of the spirit in its actions and creations.
Something
of this intention broods and persists and is suggested even where it
does not dominate the mind of the Indian sculptor. Appreciation of such art necessitates a different capacity of vision and response, we have to go deeper into ourselves to see.
Dwarapala, the gatekeepers and guards at the service of the Lord
Appreciating Indian Art
In the highest Indian art it is the spirit that carries the form.
The predominant style of Western art
appreciation seems to be to dwell scrutinisingly on the technique, form
and the obvious story it is expressing, and then pass to some
appreciation of beautiful or impressive emotion and idea being
expressed.
Indian visual arts have been largely a
hieratic aesthetic script of India’s spiritual, contemplative and
religious experience. Therefore, an intuitive and spiritual art must be
seen with the intuitive and spiritual eye.
Sri Aurobindo emphasises that beyond the
ordinary cultivation of the aesthetic instinct necessary to all
artistic appreciation a spiritual insight or cultural training are also
needed if we are to enter into the whole meaning of Indian artistic
creation. Otherwise we get only at the surface external things or at the
most at things only just below the surface.
A rasika of Indian art should
not see solely with the physical eye informed by the reason and the
aesthetic imagination, but make the physical seeing a passage to the
opening of the inner spiritual eye and a moved communion in the soul.
“…soul realisation is its method of
creation and soul realisation must be the way of our response and
understanding.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 291)
And the cosmic dance continues….
Ancient Indian sculptors created gods
which are cosmic beings, embodiments of some great spiritual power,
spiritual idea and action, inmost psychic significance. The human form
of these Indian gods is simply a vehicle of the divine soul, an outward
means of divine’s self-expression.
Ganesha
Everything in the gods created by the
Indian sculptor, the face, the hands, the posture of the limbs, the
poise and turn of the body, every accessory, has to be made instinct
with the inner meaning, help it to emerge, carry out the rhythm of the
total suggestion. On the other hand everything is suppressed which would
defeat this end, especially all that would mean an insistence on the
merely vital or physical, outward or obvious suggestions of the human
figure.
Lord Shiva as Dakshinamurty
“A
great oriental work of art does not easily reveal its secret to one who
comes to it solely in a mood of aesthetic curiosity or with a
considering critical objective mind, still less as the cultivated and
interested tourist passing among strange and foreign things; but it has
to be seen in loneliness, in the solitude of one’s self, in moments when
one is capable of long and deep meditation and as little weighted as
possible with the conventions of material life.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA,
Vol. 20, pp. 271-272).
Photos by Suhas Mehra. Text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra.
“Le Pakshi!” said Lord Rama to Jatayu.
Grief-struck Rāma and Lakshmana had been desperately searching for Sita when they met Jatayu. Sita
had mysteriously disappeared one afternoon when both the brothers were
gone in chase of a golden deer. (Rāma had gone first, but then Sita
feeling concerned about her husband compelled Lakshmana to go and look
for his elder brother.) When the brothers returned Sita was missing.
This happened at a place near the modern day Nāsik.
Meeting Jatāyu
In their frantic search for Sita, they saw some pieces of her jewellery scattered around and started following the trail. They came across a badly mutilated big bird called Jatāyu, struggling with his last breath.
Wondering if Jatāyu was the one to
kidnap Sita, the brothers approached with caution and sympathetically
inquired about the cause of his state. Introducing himself as the son of
Aruna, the charioteer of Surya, and a nephew of Garuda, the vehicle of
Lord Vishnu, Jatayu informed Rāma and Lakshmana that he had seen a rākshasa named Rāvana forcefully taking Sita on his vimāna
(flying vehicle). He had tried to free Sita and fought against Rāvana
with all his strength. But being too old he was no match for mighty
Rāvana who chopped off his wings. Being badly injured Jatāyu fell on top
of a small hill and waited for the arrival of the brothers to convey
the news of Sita’s abduction.
Having done his divine service for the Lord, Jatāyu gave up his body. Sri Rāma in his infinite compassion granted him moksha and uttered the words “Le Pakshi,” which in Telugu means “Arise, O bird.”
This is the story behind the name
Lepakshi, a small village in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh, famous
for its grand temple dedicated to Veerabhadra, Lord Shiva in his fiery
form. A temple dedicated to Shiva in a village which gets its name from a
story in the life of Rama, an avatāra of Visnhu – this tells
us something important about the vast openness, pluralism and
inclusiveness of the eternal religio-spiritual tradition of this land, sanātana dharma, popularly known today as Hinduism. Something not generally seen in other religious traditions.
We drove to Lepakshi from Bengaluru, it
is about 120 km north. Even before entering the village of Lepakshi one
sees a monument dedicated to Jatāyu, who by the grace of Sri Rāma
attained spiritual liberation.
Jatayu at Lepakshi
Meeting Nandi
Very close to this monument is a giant
monolithic granite Nandi, one of the largest Nandis in the world,
measuring 27ft long and 15ft high. It is proportionally accurate, and
artistically decorated with a bell necklace and earrings around small
horns.
Our guide told us that the head of this
Nandi is held aloft at an angle higher than what is usually seen in
other Nandis. The slightly lower angle suggests an expression of
submission, which is appropriate for Nandi when he is before his Lord
Shiva. In most other temples we find Lord Shiva along the Nandi’s line
of vision; but here one can’t see the Lord from this location. A small
garden surrounds the Nandi statue making the entire place soothing and
inviting.
Nandi at Lepakshi
Veerabhadra Swamy Temple
The Skanda Purāna speaks of this temple
as one of the 108 most significant Shaivite temples in India. It is
believed to have been millennia old and first built by sage Agastya. But
according to the historians, the only available historical sources are
the inscriptions which clearly mention the patronage of the temple by
Virupanna, the representative of the Vijayanagara king, Achyuta
Devarāya, in the Penukonda region where the temple is located.
During the Vijayanagar empire (1336–1646
CE), Lepakshi and Veerabhadra Swamy temple were famous as centers of
trade and pilgrimage. The
present-day temple complex, a glowing example of the Vijayanagara style
of art and architecture, was built in the 16th century by two
chieftains, brothers named Virupanna and Veeranna, during the reign of
King Achyuta Devarāya (1529-1542). According to the inscriptions, the main artistic activity at the temple happened between 1531-1541 CE.
The temple is dedicated to Veerabhadra, a fierce and fearsome form of the Lord Shiva. He destroyed the yagna
of Daksha, after Daksha’s daughter and Shiva’s consort Sati
self-immolated in the sacrificial fire. The temple is built on top of a
short hill known by the name Kurmasaila because it resembles the form of a tortoise. While the main shrine is dedicated to Swamy Veerabhadra, true to the spirit of sanātana dharma the temple also has shrines dedicated to Vishnu, Durga and other deities.
“The secular
buildings of ancient India, her palaces and places of assembly and civic
edifices have not outlived the ravage of time; what remains to us is
mostly something of the great mountain and cave temples, something too
of the temples of her ancient cities of the plains, and for the rest we
have the fanes and shrines of her later times, whether situated in
temple cities and places of pilgrimage like Srirangam and Rameshwaram or
in her great once regal towns like Madura, when the temple was the
centre of life. It is then the most hieratic side of a hieratic art that
remains to us. These sacred buildings are the signs, the architectural
self-expression of an ancient spiritual and religious culture. Ignore
the spiritual suggestion, the religious significance, the meaning of the
symbols and indications, look only with the rational and secular
aesthetic mind, and it is vain to expect that we shall get to any true
and discerning appreciation of this art.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 20: 272)
In addition to its great spiritual and
religious significance this temple is also renowned for its magnificent
sculptures, particularly the ones seen on the pillars of the unfinished Kalyān Mandapa, the majestic Nāgalingam, the mysterious footprint which is attributed to Ma Sita, and the beautiful murals and frescoes in the Nātya Mandapa and Ardha Mandapa.
The glorious dhwaja stambha
The temple premises are typical of Dravidian temple architecture, with a large open passage as you walk in from the gopuram
and a covered courtyard along the periphery wall. This covered
courtyard might have served as a meeting point, housing people during
calamities, hosting wedding invitees, conducting educational activities,
or even as a guest house for devotees traveling from far distances.
Nāga Lingam
Walking clockwise along the courtyard
and turning a corner to the right, one is awestruck with one of a kind
Nāga Linga. The Nandi we met earlier on the way to the temple is facing
this monolithic, 20-feet high Shivalingam covered by a seven-hooded
Nāga.
This Lingam is believed to have been
carved at an unbelievable speed, in just in a few hours. The story goes
that the chief sculptor and his associates working on the temple were on
their lunch break. It turned out the cook, who happened to be the
mother of one of the sculptors, was running late. While waiting for the
food to be cooked, the sculptors started carving a stone – just to pass
some time. And lo and behold, a beautiful Shivalingam was finished just
before the cooking was done. The sculptor’s mother was absolutely
spell-bound when she saw this. She started praising her son and his team
profusely, which caused an evil spell and the boulder behind the Nāga
split at that instant.
This Nāga Lingam is one of the most picturesque spots at the temple, with people taking group photo and selfies.
On one side of the Nāga Lingam is a
beautiful Lord Ganesha, again carved from a single stone. A snake is
tied at the belly of the Lord. This is very similar to the Sasivekalu Ganesha at Hampi, though a much smaller version. At the feet of Ganesha is seen his vehicle, the cutely carved mouse.
Adjacent to the Lord Ganesha is a
bas-relief of a warrior praying to a Shivalingam; many believe that it
is Lord Rama praying before going to Lanka for war.
Another view of the temple when walking around the Nāga Lingam
Kalyāna Mandapa
“True art is a
whole and an ensemble; it is one and of one piece with life… In India,
too, painting and sculpture and architecture were one integral beauty,
one single movement of adoration of the Divine.” (The Mother, CWM, 3:
109-110).
A connoisseur of Indian art finds great delight walking through the magnificent kalyāna mandapa of this temple. The mandapa has 38 pillars with intricate carvings which are sure to leave you awestruck.
The story goes that this large
open-to-ceiling pavilion was being built to commemorate the celestial
marriage of Lord Shiva and Devi Pārvati. During its construction the
royal treasurer was accused of utilizing the funds from the treasury
without the King’s permission. The enraged king ordered Virupanna,
officer in charge of the state treasury of the local government, to be
blinded.
Unable to bear the false accusation,
Virupanna blinded himself and threw his eyes on the wall. Two red spots
still seen on a wall near the kalyāna mandapa are said to be the marks left by his bleeding eye. Since then the mandapam remains incomplete. Incidentally, the word ‘Lepa-akshi‘ also means “One with painted eyes.”
No marriage celebration can be complete
without guests! Naturally, all the gods and goddesses have to be present
at the marriage of Shiva and Pārvati. So this kalyāna mandapa features magnificent sculptures of various gods and goddesses assembled to bless the couple!
Shiva and Parvati holding hands at their marriage ceremony
Varuna
Sita’s Foot and Around
Upon crossing the the kalyāna mandapa,
one sees a large footprint. It looks as if some one had stomped on the
floor with full force, making a slight cavity on the hard stone.
This footprint always has a thin layer
of water in it. People there will tell you that many visitors have tried
to to soak the water dry from this cavity, and mysteriously the water
again seeps through keeping the footprint wet. The mystery is that no
known source of water is present in vicinity!
Many believe that it is the divine
footprint of Mā Sita, when she was forcibly taken to Lanka by Rāvana. On
the way they had stopped here, and in her resistance she stomped her
foot on a stone. The strength of her inner being made the dent in the
stone.
Across from this footprint is a shrine with with a large Shivalingam where devotees offer diyas, flowers and fruits to the Lord.
Just a little further we come across
another shrine with a canopy, built in Vijayanagara style, housing a
carved relief of Lord Hanumān.
Some More Views
Temples in India were not merely places of worship and performing religious ceremonies, but served various key functions in the life of the community. They were educational and cultural centers where regular classes and satsangs
were held for children and adults. Several businesses existed and
thrived because of the temples, creating prosperity for the whole
community. Temples gave a stage to local artists and performers to
exhibit their talents; music, dance, painting, sculpture and all other
arts flourished in the times when temples were living souls of the
communities.
Temples were also the places where
people would get together to socialize with one another, discuss local
problems, meet with their local officials, perform marriages, and even
use as rest stops while traveling.
Can you picture a group of people
sitting in the cool, covered courtyard of a temple like Veerbhadra
temple at Lepakshi? The old champa tree there provides the necessary
shade.
Coming up in Part 2…
In the next part, we will go inside the temple and take a closer look at what awaits us there.
For now, let us appreciate one more
interesting detail about Lepakshi. Did you know that Nasik, Hampi,
Lepakshi and Lanka are all situated along a straight line, on the
shortest path from Nasik to Lanka?
After experiencing some of the splendour that fills the compound of Swamy Veerabhadra Temple, let us now proceed toward the interior of the mandir.
As noted before,
according to the earliest inscriptions available, the present temple is
about 500 years old, built in 1533, but the tradition maintains a much
longer existence of this mandir. Rishi Agastya who is believed
to have stayed here in a cave on the Kurmashila (tortoise shaped hill)
had built a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The present-day mandir
stands on top of the same Kurmashila hill. One uniqueness of this
temple built in Vijayanagara style is that it has no foundation. The mandir has three sections typically seen in Dravidian style temples: a large, open hall called mukha mandapa or natya mandapa or ranga mandapa which served as the assembly hall; ardha mandapa or antarala or the ante chamber; and the garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum. The antarala is surrounded by a pradakshina, and the mukha mandapa has a pillared corridor.
The
main temple is encircled by two enclosures. The outermost walled
enclosure has three gates; this enclosure has covered porches which
served as resting places for devotees coming from far off distances.
Out of the three gates to the temple, it is the northern gate adorned with a gopuram which is used regularly by the devotees. In front of the gopuram is the majestic dhwaja stambha.
One walks a little to get to the eastern gate on the second walled
enclosure; from there a short flight of stairs leads one to the mukha mandapa or natya mandapa.
Gopuram and Dhwaja stambha
Go within
The Sculpted Pillars
Entering the mukha mandapa
one is awestruck by the high carved ceiling and the profusion of
beautiful, ornate sculptures. On some parts of the ceiling are sketchy
remains of what may have been once glorious paintings.
Lepakshi temple is also famous for its exquisite frescoes and murals, many of which are found in the ardha mandapa; we
will explore some of these paintings in the final part of this series.
Let us first explore some of the marvelous sculptural art that awaits
us.
Ornately carved ceiling – even through the massive damage, its splendour mesmerises
The magnificent mukha mandapa – a panaromic view
Looking towards the garbhgriha
There are 70 pillars in this mandapa, and
each pillar is ornately carved on all four sides. On most pillars we
see a different image on each side, but these images are generally all
part of a story. As you walk around the pillar, you are actually
witnessing a story carved in stone.
“To
appreciate our own artistic past at its right value we have to free
ourselves from all subjection to a foreign outlook and see our sculpture
and painting,…, in the light of its own profound intention and
greatness of spirit.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 286)
Lord Brahma playing manjira
The pillars have carved images of various Gods and Goddesses, including several avatars and rupa-s of Lord Shiva, and various other vibhutis, divine beings, saints, guardians, musicians, dancers and warriors.
“An
assured history of two millenniums of accomplished sculptural creation
is a rare and significant fact in the life of a people.This
greatness and continuity of Indian sculpture is due to the close
connection between the religious and philosophical and the aesthetic
mind of the people.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 20: 288)
Bhikshatana Shiva, the Supreme Mendicant
One of the most exquisitely carved pillars in the mukha mandapa or natya mandapa tells the story of Lord Shiva in his Bhikshatana rupam.
The
story goes that Lord Shiva in his terrifying Bhairava form had once
severed Brahma’s fifth head to help him get rid of his arrogance. As an
atonement for this act, Shiva then becomes a mendicant wandering in the
forest, naked, begging for alms.
In the natya mandapa
of the Veerabhadra temple, the four-armed Bhikshatana Shiva with matted
hair is shown wearing ornaments covering his body, and holding a damru and a kapala
in his two hands. The heeled sandals worn by Bhikshatana Shiva also
help us identify this form of the Lord. We also see a deer and a gana
carrying a basket on his head accompanying the Lord. On the side of the
pillar, we see a woman reaching out to the mendicant Shiva. Her clothes
are somehwat dishevelled but she doesn’t seem to be aware of it.
There
is another interesting story behind this image of the woman. When Lord
Shiva roamed the forests in the form of a mendicant, his ascetic form
was so endearing that the wives of the forest-dwelling rishis would get
highly enamoured of him. They would leave their homes and their
husbands, and begin to follow this mendicant Shiva. The deeper sense
behind similar stories found in several puranas is to establish the
Supreme Divinity of Lord Shiva and to humble and enlighten the sages who
had become too arrogant and proud of their knowledge.
On another pillar, we meet Lord Shiva as Nataraja. How can a natya mandapa not have the Lord of Dance!
Shiva as Nataraja, vanquishing Apasmara, the demon of Ignorance
“Nataraja,
the Dancing Shiva…the self-absorbed concentration, the motionless peace
and joy are within, outside is the whole mad bliss of the cosmic
movement.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA 1: 584)
Shiva is not only the Lord of Dance, he is also the Divine Musician here at Lepakshi. We see him playing the mridangam and a harmonium.
Lord Shiva playing mridangam
Lord Shiva playing a harmonium type instrument
On
another pillar we find a beautiful sculpture of sage Bhringi, the great
devotee of Lord Shiva, who was blessed with three legs by the Lord.
Sage Bhringi is also believed to be the ‘Dance Master of the Gods’ and
is associated with many nritya murtis of Lord Shiva. One such beautiful depiction is seen at the natya mandapa of Sri Veerabhadra Swamy temple at Lepakshi.
The story goes that there once lived a sage named Bhringi whose love and bhakti
for Lord Shiva knew no bounds. He used to offer his prayers exclusively
to Lord Shiva and completely ignore Ma Parvati. After observing this
for some time, the Goddess decided to teach the sage that She, the
Shakti, and Lord are indeed One Consciousness.
One
day when Bhringi came to worship the Lord, Ma Parvati was seen seated
on the lap of Lord Shiva. He was dumbstruck at this situation for a few
moments. But then using his yogic powers he transformed himself into a
snake. This way he could do his devotional pradikshina only around the Lord by slithering through the gap between Him and the Goddess.
Bhringi – the three legged sage who also conducts the ceremony when Lord Shiva does his Tandava
Hurt
by the sage’s behaviour Ma Parvati asked Lord Shiva, “When you and I
are one, why does Bhringi ignore me and offers prayers only to you? Does
he not realise that Shakti is one with Shiva?” The benevolent Lord
comforts his consort and reminds her that she should not be bothered by
Bhringi’s childish behavior.
Next day, before the sage’s arrival, the Lord unites with Goddess Parvati and thus the Two emerge in One form of Ardhanarishvara.
On seeing this splendid form of the Lord, the rishi was again confused
for a little while. But then using his yogic powers he took the form of a
bee (some say it was a beetle). In this tiny form, he could now bore a
hole through the navel of Ardhanarishvara and go around Lord Shiva’s
half only, avoiding the Goddess again. This is what gave him the name
Bhringi, which means a bee or a beetle.
Ma
Parvati was now enraged and cursed the sage which made him lose all
those parts of his body which he received from his mother, especially
the flesh, blood and muscles. He fell down at the feet of Lord Shiva and
realised the power of the Goddess. The Lord in his infinite compassion
blessed his ardent devotee with a third leg which could provide support
to his body. Bhringi, having seen the force of Shakti and experienced
the mercy of the Lord, danced out of joy and praised both the God and
Goddess, realising the Oneness of Shiva and Shakti.
One can spend hours admiring the beauty that abounds at this magnificent natya mandapa, the dancing hall of the temple. Here are a few more that caught our attention.
A divine musician
She is believed to be Ma Parvati, dressed in her wedding attire
“Escaped from surface sight and mortal sense The seizing harmony of its shapes became The strange significant icon of a Power Renewing its inscrutable descent Into a human figure of its works That stood out in life’s bold abrupt relief On the soil of the evolving universe, A godhead sculptured on a wall of thought, Mirrored in the flowing hours and dimly shrined In Matter as in a cathedral cave.” (Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, CWSA 34: 373)
Lord Brahma just outside the garbhgriha
Inside the garbhgriha resides the main deity of this mandir; we
see there a near life-size image of Swamy Veerabhadra, the fiery Shiva,
fully armed and decorated with a garland of skulls. No photography is
allowed in the garbhgriha.
There is also a cave chamber inside where Rishi Agastya is said to have lived when he installed a Shivalinga at this site.
Hanging Pillar
The temple at Lepakshi is famous for its one of a kind ‘hanging pillar’. Out of the 70 pillars of the natya mandapa or mukha mandapa,
one pillar seems to be hanging from the ceiling. Its base barely
touches the ground. All first-time visitors to the temple try to pass a
piece of cloth through the base of this pillar to ensure that it is
indeed hanging!
As
per a legend, an intrigued British engineer tried to uncover the
mystery of its structural support. But while he could not find out the
secret, in that attempt the pillar was dislodged a bit from its original
position.
To be concluded…
In the next and final part of this series, we will take a closer look at some of the paintings seen in the ardha mandapa and natya mandapa of the magnificent temple at Lepakshi.
Text by Beloo and Suhas Mehra; some photos by Suhas Mehra, some taken from the website of IIACD (International Institute for Art, Culture and Democracy).
In
this final part of the series, we zoom in on the magnificent mural
paintings of the Veerabhadra Swami Temple at Lepakshi. Many of the
murals found primarily in the natya mandapa of the temple portray interesting stories from our itihāsa-s and purāna-s.
These fine pieces of art not only continue to mesmerise us with their
aesthetic appeal even after 500 plus years, they also become our means
to get acquainted with some of the social-cultural-political practices
of that time. Looking carefully at these paintings we also get a good
idea of the contemporary fashion trends.
The magnificent paintings at Lepakshi express a continuation of the long and glorious tradition of painting in India.
The Origin of Painting
According
to art historian Stella Kramrisch, since ancient times painting played a
big role in life of the Indian people leading to legends being invented
to explain the origin of this art. The Vishnudharmottara, an appendix
to Vishnu Purana, links the origin of this art form with the very act of
creation by Narayana, who on discerning the motive of apsaras
who were trying to distract him when meditating, extracted the juice of a
mango tree and drew the most beautiful female figure with it on the
ground. Having seen her, the apsaras went away in shame. The woman came
alive and was named Urvashi.
Citralaksana
is one of earliest treatises on Indian painting. Unfortunately the only
surviving copies of this text are in Tibetan language. According to a
legend recorded in Chitralaksana, a King and his kingdom were steeped in
sorrow at the death of the high priest’s son. Every day the king prayed
to Lord Brahma who moved by the prayer asked the king to paint a
portrait of the boy on the floor so that he could breathe life in to it.
Both the above tales underline the belief in the life-giving power of this art form.
The Motive of Indian Painting
“Painting
is naturally the most sensuous of the arts, and the highest greatness
open to the painter is to spiritualise this sensuous appeal by making
the most vivid outward beauty a revelation of subtle spiritual emotion
so that the soul and the sense are at harmony in the deepest and finest
richness of both and united in their satisfied consonant expression of
the inner significances of things and life.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 20:
302).
Indian
painting has travelled from the earliest stone age rock paintings to
the patterns found on excavated seals and pottery to modern-day rangoli
and kolam patterns, from Bhimbetaka cave art to classical frescoes of
Ajanta, from the bold and beautiful Thanjavur or Mysore styles to richly
detailed Vijayanagara style, from delicate lines of Pahadi and Rajput
miniatures to the imitative Company school, from the academic realism of
Raja Ravi Varma to the search for a new nationalism in the Bengal
school of Abanindranath Tagore, from the culture-specific modernism of
Rabindranath Tagore’s Kala Bhavan to Progressive school of Raza,
Hussain, Ram Kumar and to some of the present-day artists inspired by
modernism of Baroda school and a few more.
Throughout
its long history, Indian painting has understood that to illustrate
life and Nature is only the first and primitive object of art. In great
hands Indian painting has risen to a revelation of the glory and beauty
of the sensuous appeal of life or of the dramatic power and moving
interest of character, emotion and action.
It
must be remembered that Indian painting over the ages was not only
based on religious themes. It was always reflective of the culture that
existed at each point of time, be it in the prehistoric age of spearmen,
or the monks of Buddha’s tutelage or the elites of Ashoka’s empire or
the indomitable chieftains of the hill kingdoms.
But
even from behind the most mundane or the most profuse depictions of
human nature and culture, the Indian painter attempted to convey a
deeper significance, a spiritual flavour, a hint of the unseen.
The
true appreciation of Indian painting must, therefore, be in the light
of its second and more elevated aim, which is in fact the starting-point
of the Indian motive of art. That aim is the interpretation or
intuitive revelation of existence through the forms of life and Nature,
described by Sri Aurobindo as “to spiritualise the sensuous appeal.”
Only when an inner psychic or spiritual vision is awakened in us that we
can truly appreciate the classical Indian art in all the depth of its
significance.
Our
ancients saw the potency and value of painting – it was not merely an
art form to illustrate life and nature; it was at its highest a means to
connect with the unseen, create a bridge between the known and the
unknown, a way to express the unseen.
Indian Treatises on Painting
According
to the Vishnudharmottara, paintings instruct and enliven the mind of
the people as permanent or temporary decoration on the floors, on the
walls and ceilings of private houses, palaces, temples, and in the
streets.
Among the Śilpa Shastras,
we have Narada Śilpa Shastra (chapters 66 and 71 are dedicated to
painting), Saraswati Śilpa Shastra which describes various types of chitra (full painting), ardhachitra (sketch work), chitrabhasa (communication through painting), varna samskara (preparation of colours).
Treatises codified after Ajanta experience (earliest paintings at Ajanta were made circa 2nd century BCE) include:
Brihat-samhita (6th century)
Kamasutra (6th century)
Vishnudharmottara (7th century)
Samarangana-sutradhara (11th century)
Kamasutra speaks of ‘Sadanga’ or Six Limbs of Painting, which are found to be common elements in all great works.
Rūpabheda – the distinction of forms
Prāmanam – proportion, arrangement of line and mass, design, harmony, perspective
Bhāva – the emotion or aesthetic feeling expressed by the form
Lāvanya – infusion of grace the seeking for beauty and charm for the satisfaction of the aesthetic spirit
Sādrysam – resemblance, truth of the form and its suggestion
Varnikābhangam – the turn, combination, harmony of colours
These
are the first constituents to which every successful work of art
reduces itself in analysis. But as Sri Aurobindo explains, it is the
turn given to each of the constituents which makes all the difference in
the aim and effect of the technique and the source, and the character
of the inner vision guiding the creative hand in their combination which
makes all the difference in the spiritual value of the achievement.
“Indian
painting, sculpture and architecture did not refuse service to the
aesthetic satisfaction and interpretation of the social, civic and
individual life of the human being; these things, as all evidences show,
played a great part in their motives of creation, but still their
highest work was reserved for the greatest spiritual side of the
culture, and throughout we see them seized and suffused with the
brooding stress of the Indian mind on the soul, the Godhead, the
spiritual, the Infinite.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 20: 227-8)
The Murals of Lepakshi
Ten painted panels adorn the ceiling of the natya mandapa of the Veerabhadra temple; six
of these panels are oriented north-south. Panel number 9 is circular in
shape and is located at the center of the north-south panels. The
circular panel is circumscribed in a rhombus, which in turn is contained
in two concentric squares. The following figure gives a layout of the
various panels.
“The
materials of the art of painting are unfortunately more perishable than
those of any other of the greater means of creative aesthetic
self-expression and of the ancient masterpieces only a little survives,
but that little still indicates the immensity of the amount of work of
which it is the fading remnant.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 20: 298)
Unfortunately,
murals being delicate works of art are highly vulnerable to damage,
both caused by the human and natural factors. Several of the paintings
at Lepakshi temple have been damaged due to neglect, vandalism, over
exposure to strong sunlight, as well as unethical or improper methods of
conservation such as water seepage, insects, bat infestation, white
washing, sandblasting, etc. Yet, whatever remains is sure to make the
interested visitor stand in awe of the great spread of beauty that
surrounds.
In
2011, the Department of Science & Technology, Cultural Heritage and
Tourism Studies, and IIACD launched a multi-institutional initiative
called Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) with an objective to document,
research and digitally archive the murals of the Virupaksha Temple at
Hampi and the Veerabhadraswamy Temple at Lepakshi.
The overall light conditions in the mandapa
provides a challenge when it comes to photographing the ceiling murals.
Some of the photographs used in this post are taken from the website
of IIACD, while others are taken by Suhas Mehra, one of the Matriwords
authors. Another more important reason in using the IIACD pictures is
their greater clarity, given the project’s more sophisticated camera and
editing equipment.
Draupadi Swayamvara (Panel 1)
This
panel tells the story of Draupadi from the Mahabharata, starting from
her divine birth to her marriage with the five Pandava brothers. The
story is presented in 3 scenes, from right to left. In the first scene,
King Drupad is seen worshiping to Kalabhairava to bless him with
children who will help avenge the disgrace he had experienced at the
behest of Dronacharya.
In
the next scene, we see King Drupad seated with Draupadi on his lap, and
his wife and son standing on his left watching Arjuna pierce the eye of
revolving fish with his face down looking at the reflection of the fish
in water. The third and final scene portrays Sri Krishna, Drupad and
Dhristadyumna (Draupadi’s brother) blessing the five Pandava brothers.
This
is one of the most well-preserved panels, but unfortunately due to some
reason we missed photographing it. The following three photos are taken
from the website of IIACD.
King Drupad praying to Kala Bhairav
King is seated with Draupadi on his lap. Also seen are Drupadi’s mother and brother.
From right to left: Krishna watching Draupadi adoringly, Draupadi with King Drupad and five Pandavas.
Veneration of Veerabhadra and Vatapatrasayi Krishna (Panel 2)
In
this interesting panel one quarter of the painting – from the south end
– portrays Vatapatrasayi Krishna, Krishna on banyan leaf, and the
remaining three quarters are dedicated to the principal deity of the
temple, Swami Veerabhadra who is being worshipped by his devotees.
Panoramic view of the complete panel
Vatapatrasayi Krishna and Veneration of Veerabhadra Swamy
The
story goes that Rishi Markandeya once visited Narayana and sought the
vision of the form of the Divine Maya. Narayana showed him the illusory
vision of deluge. Narayana then appeared in the form of an infant
floating on a banyan leaf. Seeking refuge from the deluge Markandeya
entered into the mouth of the infant, where he saw the entire Existence,
the Vishwaroopam of the Divine. In ecstasy he started singing the
Balamukundashtakam.
In
the rest of the panel we see Lord Veerabhadra accompanied by his
consort Bhadrakali being venerated. Daksha is depicted with a ram’s
head, wearing a dhoti and uttariya, worshipping Veerabhadra. Behind
Daksha are five noble or royal ladies, richly draped and bejeweled.
Behind the ladies is a man wearing a long-sleeved upper garment and a
knee-length bottom. His head gear appears much different from the kullavi which was popular among the people with a higher social standing such as those working for the royalty or other rich noblemen.
A clearer image from the IIACD website shows us distinct patterns of the headgear of the noblemen.
Here we see the embroidered kullavi-s of the two noblemen dressed in Indo-Islamic attire standing in front of Lord Veerabhadra holding pranamanjali
mudra. The higher or perhaps royal status of these two men is also
depicted with the help of two smaller male figures standing behind them,
reverently with crossed arms. Behind these two smaller male figures we
see another man in Indo-Islamic clothing with a different headgear,
showing the cosmopolitan character of the contemporary polity and
society.
While all the kullavi-s are finely detailed with intricate motifs, the kullavi-s
of the two members of the royalty standing in front of Swamy
Veerabhadra appear to be much grander than those of the others. As per
the temple priests, local tour guides and some scholars, the two
noblemen depicted prominently are King Achyutaraya’s treasurer Virupanna
and his brother Viranna, the duo in-charge of the Veerabhadra Temple’s
construction. Several inscriptions from the period of the reign of King
Achyutaraya (1530-1542 AD) mention the grants and offerings made by the
brothers for this temple.
Girija Kalyana (Panel 3)
The
panel titled Girija Kalyana presents in beautiful colours and forms the
timeless story of the marriage of Devi Girija (another name for
Parvati, daughter of the mountain Giriraj / Himavant) with Lord Shiva as
told in Shiva Purana. Kalidasa in his Kumarasambhava speaks of the
grace of Himavant’s daughter and her complete dedication and love for
Shiva.
A
Warrior God had to be born to destroy the demon named Tarakasura. Only
the progeny of Mahadeva Shiva could have the right valour needed to kill
the powerful demon. The Devatas concocted a plan with the help of
Madan, the God of Love to awaken Lord Shiva who was in deep meditation
so that from his union with Devi Girija a warrior god could be born.
Notice the detailing of the panel with elaborate designs on the borders
About three fourth of the panel depicts the auspicious occasion of the panigrahana
– marriage between Shiva and Girija. The Devatas assembled at the
ceremony include Ishana, the guardian of the north-east direction; Agni
depicted with two heads, the guardian of the south-east direction;
Indra; and Lord Brahma, the purohita of the marriage ceremony.
Devatas assembled for the wedding
Shiva
is seen wearing the lion-skin, and near the Lord’s feet we see a small
Nandi looking adoringly towards Parvati. Parvati is accompanied by Shri,
her attendant, and standing slightly behind them are her parents,
Giriraj and Mena.
Vishnu, seen next to five-headed Vishwakarma, with his raised arms is blessing the divine couple.
At the middle is Vishnu and standing on his left is five-headed Vishvakarma
Moving
left from Vishnu as our vision proceeds, the direction of the faces
changes indicating the change of scene. At the far left of the paining
sits Girija getting ready for the marriage with the help of several
female attendants.
The pasapalli
pattern of Girija’s garment pays homage to the Ajanta murals. The
beautiful patterns of the garments worn by all the women can be seen to
this day on the sarees woven in Lepakshi.
Devi Girija getting ready for marriage
Kiratārjuneeyam (Panel 4)
This unique panel includes four smaller panels which portray the entire narrative of the story of Kiratārjuneeyam beginning
on the western side, running south to north. The story from the Vana
Parva of the Mahabharata (further immortalised in Sanskrit kāvya by Bhāravi) is
depicted in richly detailed landscapes filled with an array of flora
and fauna. One can also see different attires for the characters in
different scenes, giving a sense of motion to the story.
The narration on this four-part panel begins with Rishi Vyāsa advising the Pāndavas
that given the certainty of the war with Kauravas they should begin the
preparations and that Arjuna must seek celestial weapons from Shiva. As
one walks through looking carefully at the paintings, one witnesses
Arjuna doing tapasyā, Indra blessing
him with the weapon Vajra, and finally Lord Shiva blessing Arjuna with
the celestial weapon Pashupatastra, but not before testing him disguised
as Kirata, the mountaineer.
In
the finely detailed panel 4c, we see Shiva and Parvati in their court
listening to sages describe the severity of Arjuna’s tapasya. Also shown
are Bhringi, Nandi and Brahma. Moving from Brahma to left the direction
of the faces indicates change of scene; here Shiva and his entourage
are seen traveling. The panel also shows Shiva and Parvati disguised as
Kirata and Kirati and demon Mukasura in the form of wild boar.
Panel 4c
Panoramic view of panel 4c
The
last of the four panels showing the killing of the boar Muka, duel
between Arjuna and Shiva as Kirata, and Arjuna surrendering to Lord
Shiva, is however badly damaged.
Nataraja/Anandatandavamurti (Panel 6)
Bits and pieces of this panel have been restored. Here one can see Shiva in various rupas including Nataraja and Ardhanarishvara.
Ardhanarishvara
Anandatandava Murti
Other panels
Panel
5 shows Shiva and Parvati playing chausar. Panel 7 depicts Rama
Pattabhisheka, the coronation of Rama as King. Another panel depicts
the entire story of Manuneeti Cholan in a continuous narrative.
Unfortunately all these panels are badly damaged.
Appreciating the Details
Looking up at the painted ceilings of Lepakshi temple, and slowly walking through the mandapa
one is awestruck at the rich details – the fine outlines, the subtle
colours, the beautiful eyes, the curves of the hands, the ornate designs
on garments, jewelry and head-gear. But in order to truly appreciate
these details, we must recall the motive of Indian painting as presented
earlier.
The
Indian artist used everything at his disposal including his technique,
skill and materials, to express through his art that deeper motive of
art — to express the truth of the essence of the form, the likeness of
the soul to itself. He was trying to reproduce not the exact likeness of
any form – human, animal, or any object, but the subtle embodiment
which is the basis of the physical embodiment, the purer and finer
subtle body of an object which is the very expression of its own
essential nature.
And how did he achieve this, particularly when painting the human form? We see plenty of evidence of this at Lepakshi.
“It
is done by a bold and firm insistence on the pure and strong outline
and a total suppression of everything that would interfere with its
boldness, strength and purity or would blur over and dilute the intense
significance of the line. In the treatment of the human figure all
corporeal filling in of the outline by insistence on the flesh, the
muscle, the anatomical detail is minimised or disregarded: the strong
subtle lines and pure shapes which make the humanity of the human form
are alone brought into relief; the whole essential human being is there,
the divinity that has taken this garb of the spirit to the eye, but not
the superfluous physicality which he carries with him as his burden. It
is the ideal psychical figure and body of man and woman that is before
us in its charm and beauty…The almost miraculously subtle and meaningful
use of the hands to express the psychic suggestion is a common and
well-marked feature of Indian paintings and the way in which the
suggestion of the face and the eyes is subtly repeated or supplemented
by this expression of the hands is always one of the first things that
strikes the regard, but as we continue to look, we see that every turn
of the body, the pose of each limb, the relation and design of all the
masses are filled with the same psychical feeling…The same law of
significant line and suppression of distracting detail is applied to
animal forms, buildings, trees, objects. There is in all the art an
inspired harmony of conception, method and expression. Colour too is
used as a means for the spiritual and psychic intention… It is this
common spirit and tradition which is the mark of all the truly
indigenous work of India.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, 20: 308-309)
Of Ahimsa, War and Warriors (Chennakesava Temple, Belur – 1)
A photo-feature aimed to throw some light on the truth of
destruction, truth of violence as well as the truth of
Ahimsa – non-violence, harmlessness. All passages are from the works of Sri Aurobindo (selected with help from Beloo Mehra). All photos are by Suhas Mehra, taken at Chennakesava temple, Belur.
“The web of life has been made a mingled
strain of good and evil and God works His ends through the evil as well
as through the good.” (Bande Mataram, CWSA, Vol. 7, pp. 1119-1120)
“War and destruction are not only a
universal principle of our life here in its purely material aspects, but
also of our mental and moral existence. It is self-evident that in the
actual life of man intellectual, social, political, moral we can make no
real step forward without a struggle, a battle between what exists and
lives and what seeks to exist and live and between all that stands
behind either. It is impossible, at least as men and things are, to
advance, to grow, to fulfil and still to observe really and utterly that
principle of harmlessness which is yet placed before us as the highest
and best law of conduct…Evil cannot
perish without the destruction of much that lives by the evil, and it is
no less destruction even if we personally are saved the pain of a
sensational act of violence.” (Essays on the Gita, CWSA, Vol. 19, p. 42)
“The gospel of universal peace and
goodwill among men—for without a universal and entire mutual goodwill
there can be no real and abiding peace—has never succeeded for a moment
in possessing itself of human life during the historic cycle of our
progress, because morally, socially, spiritually the race was not
prepared and the poise of Nature in its evolution would not admit of its
being immediately prepared for any such transcendence. Even now we have
not actually progressed beyond the feasibility of a system of
accommodation between conflicting interests which may minimise the
recurrence of the worst forms of strife. And towards this consummation
the method, the approach which humanity has been forced by its own
nature to adopt, is a monstrous mutual massacre unparalleled in history;
a universal war (reference to WWI), full of bitterness and
irreconcilable hatred, is the straight way and the triumphant means
modern man has found for the establishment of universal peace! That
consummation, too, founded not upon any fundamental change in human
nature, but upon intellectual notions, economic convenience, vital and
sentimental shrinkings from the loss of life, discomfort and horror of
war, effected by nothing better than political adjustments, gives no
very certain promise of firm foundation and long duration. A day may
come, must surely come, we will say, when humanity will be ready
spiritually, morally, socially for the reign of universal peace;
meanwhile the aspect of battle and the nature and function of man as a
fighter have to be accepted and accounted for by any practical
philosophy and religion.” (Essays on the Gita, CWSA vol. 19, pp. 48-49)
“The doctrines of Ahimsa and
non-violence and altruism are early steps on the road to spiritual
knowledge—but once advanced on the road what is true behind them takes
its place, as a thread in the complex weft of spiritual truth and
feeling, not as a rigid ethical rule or all-swallowing dogma. The
Manifestation here is too complex in its concealed Unity for such mental
or emotional formulas to be unerring guides.”
* * *
“The impersonal Truth, precisely because
it is impersonal, can contain quite opposite things. There is a truth
in Ahimsa, there is a truth in Destruction also. I do not teach that you
should go on killing everybody every day as a spiritual dharma. I say
that destruction can be done when it is part of the Divine work
commanded by the Divine. Non-violence is better than violence as a rule,
and still sometimes violence may be the right thing. I consider dharma
as relative; unity with the Divine and action from the Divine Will the
highest way. Buddha did not aim at action in the world, but at cessation
from the world-existence. For that he found the eightfold Path a
necessary preparatory discipline and so proclaimed it.
“It [Ahimsa] had nothing to do with the Yuga [at the time of Buddha],
but with the path towards liberation found by Buddha. There are many
paths and all need not be one and the same in their teaching.”
“Destruction in itself is neither good
nor evil. It is a fact of Nature, a necessity in the play of forces as
things are in this world. The Light destroys the Darkness and the Powers
of Darkness, and that is not a movement of Ignorance!
“It all depends on the character of the
destruction and the forces that enter into it. All dread of fire or
other violent forces should be overcome. For dread shows a weakness—the
free spirit can stand fearless before even the biggest forces of
Nature.”
* * *
“This world is so arranged that it is
not possible to live without some destruction of life—so for this there
need be no remorse. Only one should not destroy life wantonly or inflict
needless suffering on animals or any living things.” (Letters on Yoga, CWSA, Vol. 28, p. 434-435)
“The physical fact of war, however, is
only a special and outward manifestation of a general principle in life
and the Kshatriya is only the outward manifestation and type of a
general characteristic necessary to the completeness of human
perfection. War typifies and embodies physically the aspect of battle
and struggle which belongs to all life, both to our inner and our outer
living, in a world whose method is a meeting and wrestling of forces
which progress by mutual destruction towards a continually changing
adjustment expressive of a progressive harmonising and hopeful of a
perfect harmony based upon some yet ungrasped potentiality of oneness.
The Kshatriya is the type and embodiment of the fighter in man who
accepts this principle in life and faces it as a warrior striving
towards mastery, not shrinking from the destruction of bodies and forms,
but through it all aiming at the realisation of some principle of
right, justice, law which shall be the basis of the harmony towards
which the struggle tends. The Gita accepts this aspect of the
world-energy and the physical fact of war which embodies it, and it
addresses itself to the man of action, the striver and fighter, the
Kshatriya,—war which is the extreme contradiction of the soul’s high
aspiration to peace within and harmlessness without, the striver and
fighter whose necessary turmoil of struggle and action seems to be the
very contradiction of the soul’s high ideal of calm mastery and
self-possession,—and it seeks for an issue from the contradiction, a
point at which its terms meet and a poise which shall be the first
essential basis of harmony and transcendence.” (Essays on the Gita, CWSA, Vol. 19, p. 52)
“Under certain circumstances a civil
struggle becomes in reality a battle and the morality of war is
different from the morality of peace. To shrink from bloodshed and
violence under such circumstances is a weakness deserving as severe a
rebuke as Srikrishna addressed to Arjuna when he shrank from the
colossal civil slaughter on the field of Kurukshetra.” (Bande Mataram, CWSA, Vol. 6, p. 278)
“A certain class of minds shrink from
aggressiveness as if it were a sin. Their temperament forbids them to
feel the delight of battle and they look on what they cannot understand
as something monstrous and sinful. “Heal hate by love, drive out
injustice by justice, slay sin by righteousness” is their cry. Love is a
sacred name, but it is easier to speak of love than to love. The love
which drives out hate, is a divine quality of which only one man in a
thousand is capable. A saint full of love for all mankind possesses it, a
philanthropist consumed with the desire to heal the miseries of the
race possesses it, but the mass of mankind do not and cannot rise to
that height…. To ask masses of mankind to act as saints, to rise to the
height of divine love and practise it in relation to their adversaries
or oppressors, is to ignore human nature. It is to set a premium on
injustice and violence by paralysing the hand of the deliverer when
raised to strike. The Gita is the best answer to those who shrink from
battle as a sin and aggression as a lowering of morality.” (Bande Mataram, CWSA, Vol. 7, p. 1117)
“Aggression is unjust only when
unprovoked, violence unrighteous when used wantonly or for unrighteous
ends. It is a barren philosophy which applies a mechanical rule to all
actions, or takes a word and tries to fit all human life into it. The
sword of the warrior is as necessary to the fulfilment of justice and
righteousness as the holiness of the saint. Ramdas is not complete
without Shivaji. To maintain justice and prevent the strong from
despoiling and the weak from being oppressed is the function for which
the Kshatriya was created. Therefore, says Sri Krishna in the
Mahabharat, God created battle and armour, the sword, the bow and the
dagger.” (Bande Mataram, CWSA, Vol. 7, p. 1121)
Virtue (Chennakesava Temple, Belur – 2)
All aphorisms of Sri Aurobindo are
taken from Complete Works, Vol. 12 (Essays Divine and Human). The
Mother’s quotes are from Collected Works, Vol. 10 (On Thoughts and
Aphorisms). All photographs by Suhas Mehra, taken at Chennakesava Temple at Belur, Karnataka.
Hoysala EmblemHoysala Emblem 2
In the Buddhists’ view to have saved an
ant from drowning is a greater work than to have founded an empire.
There is a truth in the idea, but a truth that can easily be
exaggerated.
To exalt one virtue,—compassion
even,—unduly above all others is to cover up with one’s hand the eyes of
wisdom. God moves always towards a harmony. (Sri Aurobindo)
Any exaggeration, any exclusiveness, is a
lack of balance and a breach of harmony, and therefore an error in one
who seeks perfection. For perfection can only exist in supreme harmony.
(The Mother)
Gajasursamhara ShivaVaraha Avatar of Lord VishnuPrince Bhima of Mahabharata
In God’s providence there is no evil, but only good or its preparation.
Virtue and vice were made for thy soul’s
struggle and progress; but for results they belong to God, who fulfils
himself beyond vice and virtue. (Sri Aurobindo)
Vice and virtue are inventions of human
thought for the needs of evolution and progress—but in the Divine
Consciousness, vice and virtue do not exist.
The whole universe is in a slow ascending evolution towards That which it must manifest. (The Mother)
My lover took away my robe of sin and I
let it fall, rejoicing; then he plucked at my robe of virtue, but I was
ashamed and alarmed and prevented him. It was not till he wrested it
from me by force that I saw how my soul had been hidden from me. (Sri
Aurobindo)
Let us drop our robe of virtue so that we may be ready for the Truth. (The Mother)
Bahubali, the Strong-armed One (Gommateshwara, Shravanabelagola)
As you approach the hill from afar, you see him. Slowly appearing
in the distance. The majestic Bahubali in his simple grandeur awaits for
the pilgrims as they climb up the 600+ steps carved in the steep hill
in the holy town of Shravanabelagola, Karnataka.
We had the opportunity to make this journey last year. Today, through
some of the photographs taken at that time, we share some moments from
that experience.
Let us begin the climb to meet Bahubali.
“Bahubali (One with Strong Arms), a much revered figure among Jains was the son of Rishabhanatha, the first tirthankara of Jainism. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture (kayotsarga) and that during this time, climbing plants grew around his legs. After his year of meditation, Bahubali attained omniscience (Kevala Jnana). Bahubali’s soul was liberated from the cycle of births and deaths (moksha) at Mount Kailash. He is revered as a liberated soul (Siddha) by the Jains. (Wikipedia)
After you make the strenuous and tiring climb – somehow the last few
steps might feel the most challenging once you are inside the complex
and still not there – the first thing your eyes go toward are the feet
of Bahubali.
And you begin to feel small, very small. In front of such majesty,
such immensity, such towering grandeur, our littleness comes out in
front in stark contrast. Maybe as a way to remind us that:
“We must learn that whatever our efforts, whatever our
struggles, whatever even our victories, compared with the path still to
be traversed what we have already travelled is nothing.” (The Mother,
CWM, 14, p. 152)
The majestic statue of Bahubali, the Gommateshwara, one of the
largest free-standing statues in the world, was built by Chavundaraya,
the minister and commander of Ganga dynasty around 981 A.D. It
is a 57-foot (17 m) monolith (statue carved from a single piece of rock)
situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola.
You spend some time there in the presence of Bahubali, in silence, in
awe, in a spirit of quiet reverence. And somewhere along with
the feeling of reverence and devotion, an understanding also begins to
somehow dawn upon the mind:
“Not the ideal physical or emotional beauty, but the
utmost spiritual beauty or significance of which the human form is
capable, is the aim of this kind of creation. The divine self in us is
its theme, the body made a form of the soul is its idea and its secret.
And therefore in front of this art it is not enough to look at it and
respond with the aesthetic eye and the imagination, but we must look
also into the form for what it carries and even through and behind it to
pursue the profound suggestion it gives into its own infinite….
…The statue of a king or a saint is not meant merely to give the idea
of a king or saint or to portray some dramatic action or to be a
character portrait in stone, but to embody rather a soul state or
experience or deeper soul quality, as for instance, not the outward
emotion, but the inner soul-side of rapt ecstasy of adoration and
God-vision in the saint or the devotee before the presence of the
worshipped deity. (Sri Aurobindo, Indian Art – III, CWSA 20, pp.
290-291)
Photographer: Suhas Mehra. Please do not reproduce any of the photographs without explicit permission.
The more I look through some of the photographs shot at or around Chandragiri Hillin Shravanabelagola,
Karnataka, the more alive they seem to become. There is something
deeply real, living, a mysteriously hidden spirit in these rocks and
stones. An image of a climb, an upward movement, from matter to spirit,
seems to be the story being expressed through these pictures.
Nowhere else do we find this story of ascent, of the involution and the evolution, told better than in Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri.
With some help from Beloo I have selected a few verses from the epic
poem which breathe life, meaning and soul into these photographs.
A long dim preparation is man’s life,
A circle of toil and hope and war and peace
Tracked out by Life on Matter’s obscure ground. (Book I, Canto III, p. 24)
In his climb to a peak no feet have ever trod,
He seeks through a penumbra shot with flame
A veiled reality half-known, ever missed,
A search for something or someone never found,
Cult of an ideal never made real here,
An endless spiral of ascent and fall
Until at last is reached the giant point
Through which his Glory shines for whom we were made
And we break into the infinity of God. (p. 24)
Out of the rich wonders and the intricate whorls
Of the spirit’s dance with Matter as its mask
The balance of the world’s design grew clear,
Its symmetry of self-arranged effects
Managed in the deep perspectives of the soul,
And the realism of its illusive art,
Its logic of infinite intelligence,
Its magic of a changing eternity. (p. 40)
The world was a conception and a birth
Of Spirit in Matter into living forms,
And Nature bore the Immortal in her womb,
That she might climb through him to eternal life. (p. 43)
In Matter shall be lit the spirit’s glow,
In body and body kindled the sacred birth;
Night shall awake to the anthem of the stars,
The days become a happy pilgrim march,
Our will a force of the Eternal’s power,
And thought the rays of a spiritual sun.
A few shall see what none yet understands;
God shall grow up while the wise men talk and sleep;
For man shall not know the coming till its hour
And belief shall be not till the work is done. (Book I, Canto IV, p. 55)
This is our deepest need to join once more
What now is parted, opposite and twain,
Remote in sovereign spheres that never meet
Or fronting like far poles of Night and Day. (p. 56)
We must fill the immense lacuna we have made,
Re-wed the closed finite’s lonely consonant
With the open vowels of Infinity,
A hyphen must connect Matter and Mind,
The narrow isthmus of the ascending soul:
We must renew the secret bond in things,
Our hearts recall the lost divine Idea,
Reconstitute the perfect word, unite
The Alpha and the Omega in one sound;
Then shall the Spirit and Nature be at one. (pp. 56-57)
Two are the ends of the mysterious plan. (p. 57)
Two seem his goals, yet ever are they one
And gaze at each other over bourneless Time;
Spirit and Matter are their end and source.
A seeker of hidden meanings in life’s forms,
Of the great Mother’s wide uncharted will
And the rude enigma of her terrestrial ways
He is the explorer and the mariner
On a secret inner ocean without bourne:
He is the adventurer and cosmologist
Of a magic earth’s obscure geography. (p. 69)
To see a few more of the pictures from Chandragiri Hill, please
visit Beloo Mehra on her other blog, where she weaves them into
her meditative musings on Forgetting and Remembering.
To view some more photo-features on this blog, click HERE.
Panchakuta Basadi, Kambadahalli: A Treasure to Cherish
Photographer: Suhas Mehra. Please do not reproduce any of the photographs without explicit permission.
“Indian architecture, painting, sculpture are not only intimately one
in inspiration with the central things in Indian philosophy, religion,
Yoga, culture, but a specially intense expression of their significance.”
(Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 269)
“The long tradition of her architecture, sculpture and painting
speaks for itself, even in what survives after all the ruin of stormy
centuries….” (p. 245)
Located in the Kambadahalli village of the Mandya district, Karnataka, about 18 kms from the famous Jain heritage town of Shravanabelagola, Panchakuta Basadi (Jain temple) is one of the finest examples of South Indian Dravidian architecture of the Western Ganga
variety. Some historians assign this temple to the period 900-1000 CE,
while some assign an earlier date of 8th century, based on traces of
early Pallava–Pandya and Chalukya–Pallava influences. (From Wikipedia)
Kambadahalli (the word in Kannada language literally translates to “village with pillar”) gets its name from the Brahmadeva pillar (Manasthambha) erected in front of the temple complex. The entire complex is oriented towards the impressive Brahmadeva pillar and faces north. Generally, Brahmadeva pillars found in front of ancient Jain temples do not house sculptures of the Brahma Yaksha or the god Brahma, rather have images of the Sarvanubhuti Yaksha. (From Wikipedia)
From inscriptions, it is known that the temple complex was renovated during later centuries, including during the rule of the Hoysala Empire. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a national monument. (From Wikipedia)
“…beyond the ordinary cultivation of the aesthetic instinct necessary
to all artistic appreciation there is a spiritual insight or culture
needed if we are to enter into the whole meaning of Indian artistic
creation, otherwise we get only at the surface external things or at the
most at things only just below the surface. It is an intuitive and
spiritual art and must be seen with the intuitive and spiritual eye.”
(Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 269)
“There is no ethical idea which [Indian thought] has not stressed,
put in its most ideal and imperative form, enforced by teaching,
injunction, parable, artistic creation, formative examples. Truth,
honour, loyalty, fidelity, courage, chastity, love, long-suffering,
self-sacrifice, harmlessness, forgiveness, compassion, benevolence,
beneficence are its common themes, are in its view the very stuff of a
right human life, the essence of man’s dharma. Buddhism with its high
and noble ethics, Jainism with its austere ideal of self-conquest,
Hinduism with its magnificent examples of all sides of the Dharma are not
inferior in ethical teaching and practice to any religion or system,
but rather take the highest rank and have had the strongest effective
force. For the practice of these virtues in older times there is
abundant internal and foreign evidence. A considerable stamp of them
still remains in spite of much degeneracy….” (p. 148)
“Indian civilisation did not develop to a last logical conclusion its
earlier political and social liberties,— that greatness of freedom or
boldness of experiment belongs to the West; but liberty of religious
practice and a complete freedom of thought in religion as in every other
matter have always counted among its constant traditions. The atheist
and the agnostic were free from persecution in India. Buddhism and
Jainism might be disparaged as unorthodox religions, but they were
allowed to live freely side by side with the orthodox creeds and
philosophies; in her eager thirst for truth she gave them their full
chance, tested all their values, and as much of their truth as was
assimilable was taken into the stock of the common and always enlarging
continuity of her spiritual experience. That ageless continuity was
carefully conserved, but it admitted light from all quarters.” (p. 188)
The
main central shrine at Panchkuta Basadi houses the image of Adhinatha,
an early Jain tirthankara. The west and east facing shrines have the
images of later day tirthankaras, Shantinatha and Neminatha
respectively.
“These sacred buildings are the signs, the architectural self
expression of an ancient spiritual and religious culture. Ignore the
spiritual suggestion, the religious significance, the meaning of the
symbols and indications, look only with the rational and secular
aesthetic mind, and it is vain to expect that we shall get to any true
and discerning appreciation of this art.” (p. 272)
“An assured history of two millenniums of accomplished sculptural
creation is a rare and significant fact in the life of a people. This
greatness and continuity of Indian sculpture is due to the close
connection between the religious and philosophical and the aesthetic
mind of the people. Its survival into times not far from us was possible
because of the survival of the cast of the antique mind in that
philosophy and religion, a mind familiar with eternal things, capable of
cosmic vision, having its roots of thought and seeing in the
profundities of the soul, in the most intimate, pregnant and abiding
experiences of the human spirit. ” (p. 288)
To view other photo-features on this blog, click HERE.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram: A Journey Within
All quotes used in this photo essay are from Volume 20 of the Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo.
Photographer: Suhas Mehra. Please do not reproduce or copy any of the photographs without explicit permission.
***
Indian architecture, painting, sculpture are not only intimately one
in inspiration with the central things in Indian philosophy, religion,
Yoga, culture, but a specially intense expression of their significance.
(Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 269)
To appreciate our own artistic past at its right value we have to
free ourselves from all subjection to a foreign outlook and see our
sculpture and painting,….in the light of its own profound intention and
greatness of spirit. When we so look at it, we shall be able to see that
the sculpture of ancient and mediaeval India claims its place on the
very highest levels of artistic achievement. (p. 286)
Walk towards me, He calls.
Indian sacred architecture constantly represents the greatest oneness
of the self, the cosmic, the infinite in the immensity of its
world-design, the multitude of its features of self-expression, lakṣaṇa,
(yet the oneness is greater than and independent of their totality and
in itself indefinable), and all its starting-point of unity in
conception, its mass of design and immensity of material, its crowding
abundance of significant ornament and detail and its return towards
oneness are only intelligible as necessary circumstances of this poem,
this epic or this lyric—for there are smaller structures which are such
lyrics —of the Infinite. (p. 276)
Cosmic Unity
For the Indian mind form does not exist except as a creation of the
spirit and draws all its meaning and value from the spirit. Every line,
arrangement of mass, colour, shape, posture, every physical suggestion,
however many, crowded, opulent they may be, is first and last a
suggestion, a hint, very often a symbol which is in its main function a
support for a spiritual emotion, idea, image that again goes beyond
itself to the less definable, but more powerfully sensible reality of the
spirit which has excited these movements in the aesthetic mind and
passed through them into significant shapes. (p. 270)
Ardhnarishwara
The gods of Indian sculpture are cosmic beings, embodiments of some
great spiritual power, spiritual idea and action, inmost psychic
significance, the human form a vehicle of this soul meaning, its outward
means of self-expression; everything in the figure, every opportunity it
gives, the face, the hands, the posture of the limbs, the poise and turn
of the body, every accessory, has to be made instinct with the inner
meaning, help it to emerge, carry out the rhythm of the total
suggestion, and on the other hand everything is suppressed which would
defeat this end, especially all that would mean an insistence on the
merely vital or physical, outward or obvious suggestions of the human
figure. Not the ideal physical or emotional beauty, but the utmost
spiritual beauty or significance of which the human form is capable, is
the aim of this kind of creation. (p. 290)
The Goddess of Harmony, Sri Lakshmi
The dignity and beauty of the human figure in the best Indian statues
cannot be excelled, but what was sought and what was achieved was not
an outward naturalistic, but a spiritual and a psychic beauty….(p.296)
Dwarpala
The more ancient sculptural art of India embodies in visible form
what the Upanishads threw out into inspired thought and the Mahabharata
and Ramayana portrayed by the word in life. (p. 289)
God lives in details
For this unity on which all is upborne, carries in itself the infinite
space and calm of the spiritual realisation, and there is no need for
other unfilled spaces or tracts of calm of a lesser more superficial kind.
The eye is here only a way of access to the soul, it is to that that
there is the appeal, and if the soul living in this realisation or
dwelling under the influence of this aesthetic impression needs any
relief, it is not from the incidence of life and form, but from the
immense incidence of that vastness of infinity and tranquil silence, and
that can only be given by its opposite, by an abundance of form and
detail and life. (p. 280)
Let there be Light
The religious or hieratic side of Indian sculpture is intimately
connected with the spiritual experiences of Indian meditation and
adoration, —those deep things of our self-discovery which our critic
calls contemptuously Yogic hallucinations,—soul realisation is its
method of creation and soul realisation must be the way of our response
and understanding. (pp. 290-291)
Our visit to the Sun Temple, Modhera
was a special feature of our trip to Gujarat last year. And to think of
it, this temple was a last minute addition to our itinerary! But once
we saw some pictures on the net and read about it, we were determined to
experience its magic in person, even at the cost of canceling our
tickets and forgoing the advance paid for our accommodation at another
place we were earlier planning to visit.
Once we stood in front of the majestic temple, we knew all that change of plans was completely worth it.
Hope our readers have enjoyed the last two photo-essays (here and here) inspired by what we saw, felt and experienced at the Sun Temple. The last set of photographs shared in this photo-feature seems to be speaking of harmony.
These pictures seem to be
speaking of something that is whole, behind all the partial truths of
existence, perhaps because the hundreds of unnamed artists who worked on
this temple were working to express something that is harmoniously
divine within them. Maybe in their artistic process they
experienced what true art is supposed to be – a means to express and
realise the Divine.
The more we heard the pictures speak to
us, a few deeply insightful and inspiring words and passages from some
of the writings and talks of our gurus, the Mother and Sri
Aurobindo, kept coming to our minds. For this photo-feature we are
focusing mostly on the words of the Mother, with a couple of references
from Sri Aurobindo.
Today being the birthday of the Divine Mother, may this be our humble offering of love and gratitude at Her Lotus Feet.
“Only those parts of India which are a little too anglicised have lost the sense of beauty.” (The Mother, CWM, Vol. 5, p. 340)
“…true art is the expression of beauty
in the material world; and in a world entirely changed spiritually, that
is to say, one expressing completely the divine reality, art must act
as a revealer and teacher of this divine beauty in life; that is to say,
an artist should be capable of entering into communion with the Divine
and of receiving inspiration about what form or forms ought to be used
to express the divine beauty in matter. And thus, if it does that, art
can be a means of realisation of beauty, and at the same time a teacher
of what beauty ought to be, that is, art should be an element in the
education of men’s taste, of young and old, and it is the teaching of
true beauty, that is, the essential beauty which expresses the divine
truth. This is the raison d’etre of art. Now, between this and what is done there is a great difference, but this is the true raison d’etre of art.” (ibid., pp. 331-332)
“Don’t you think that there are many people who have realised the Divine, who have never said anything about it, known nothing about it? There are people who have spoken about it—philosophers, whose very profession necessarily is to express what happened to them. But there are people who have had experiences but never said anything. And I know there are artists who purely by their art attained the divine realisation.” (ibid., p. 82)
***
“If you were doing manual work, there
are any number of artisans who have had a wonderful conversion. There is
the example of a shoe-maker who became one of the greatest Yogis of the
world. It does not depend on what one does, happily! You have to sit in
meditation, like that, with an orange robe on, under a tree, to be able
to realise the Divine?” (ibid., p. 83)
“Here [in India], the majority of
creations…, the majority of works, I believe even almost all the
beautiful works, are not signed. All those paintings in the caves, those
statues in the temples—these are
not signed. One does not know at all who created them. And all this was
not done with the idea of making a name for oneself as at present. One
happened to be a great sculptor, a great painter, a great architect, and
then that was all, there was no question of putting one’s name on
everything and proclaiming it aloud in the newspapers so that no one
might forget it! In those days the artist did what he had to do without
caring whether his name would go down to posterity or not. All was done
in a movement of aspiration to express a higher beauty, and above all
with the idea of giving an appropriate abode
to the godhead who was evoked. …Whilst today, there is not a tiny
little piece of canvas, painted or daubed, but on it is a signature to
tell you: it is Mr. So-and-so who made this!” (ibid., p. 341)
“When this craze for utility – that is
the modern tendency – comes, beauty dies; people now look at everything
from the point of utility as if beauty were nothing.” (Evening Talks
with Sri Aurobindo, 24-1-1939, p. 252)
“What Nature is, what God is, what man
is can be triumphantly revealed in stone or on canvas.” (Sri Aurobindo,
CWSA, Vol. 1, p. 450)
“Skill is not art, talent is not art.
Art is a living harmony and beauty that must be expressed in all the
movements of existence. This manifestation of beauty and harmony is part
of the Divine realisation upon earth, perhaps even its greatest
part. For, from the supramental point of view beauty and harmony are as
important as any other expression of the Divine. But they should not be
isolated, set up apart from all other relations, taken out from the
ensemble; they should be one with the expression of life as a whole.
People have the habit of saying, “Oh, it is an artist!” as if an artist
should not be a man among other men but must be an extraordinary being
belonging to a class by itself, and his art too something extraordinary
and apart, not to be confused with the other ordinary things of
the world. The maxim, “Art for art’s sake”, tries to impress
and emphasise as a truth the same error. It is the same mistake as when
men place in the middle of their drawing-rooms a framed picture that has
nothing to do either with the furniture or the walls, but is put there
only because it is an “object of art”. True art is a whole and an
ensemble; it is one and of one piece with life.” (The Mother, CWM, Vol
3, p. 109)
“All those who have a sure and developed
sense of harmony in all its forms, and the harmony of all the forms
among themselves, are necessarily artists, whatever may be the type of
their production.” (The Mother, CWM, Vol. 5, p. 324)
“She creates and creates…” (Sun Temple, Modhera – 2)
This month’s photo-feature showcases a few photographs taken at the iconic Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat.
These images are not of the main temple, but rather of a few ‘ruins’
placed at a few places in the temple complex, particularly near the
small Archaeology museum that is located on the site.
Looking through the photographs from our visit made us recall the
sublime experience of being in that majestic temple, taking in silently
the grandeur as well as the delicate beauty of that architectural and
sculptural marvel, imagining the splendour and magnificence
of this place when this would have been a ‘living’ temple about a
thousand years ago.
But after sorting through the photographs of the main temple area, we
were equally struck by a few additional photographs which seemed to be
whispering a little story. After a bit of photo-editing the story
started to become more audible. At least that is how we felt.
These are the images you see here.
The story we heard was about India’s ceaseless creative spirit. But
this was no ordinary urge to create. This was an inexhaustible vitality
that constantly sought to express the deepest spiritual truth of life,
and combined with a powerful intelligence reached for the harmony
which was the hallmark of the spirit and rhythm of ancient Indian
culture.
We hope you will be able to hear this story too.
All photographs and photo-editing by Suhas Mehra. Introductory text and quotes selection by Beloo Mehra.
[Don’t miss two more photo-features from our visit to Sun Temple – HERE and HERE]
“[A]n ingrained and dominant
spirituality, an inexhaustible vital creativeness and gust of life and,
mediating between them, a powerful, penetrating and scrupulous
intelligence combined of the rational, ethical and aesthetic mind each
at a high intensity of action, created the harmony of the ancient Indian
culture.” (Sri Aurobindo, The Renaissance in India, CWSA, Vol. 20, p.
10)
“[India] has been creating
abundantly and incessantly, lavishly, with an inexhaustible
manysidedness, republics and kingdoms and empires, philosophies and
cosmogonies and sciences and creeds and arts and poems and all kinds of
monuments, palaces and temples and public works, communities and
societies and religious orders, laws and codes and rituals, physical
sciences, psychic sciences, systems of Yoga, systems of politics and
administration, arts spiritual, arts worldly, trades, industries, fine
crafts,—the list is endless and in each item there is almost a plethora
of activity. She creates and creates and is not satisfied and is not
tired; she will not have an end of it, seems hardly to need a space for
rest, a time for inertia and lying fallow.” (ibid, pp. 7-8)
“[I]n art it is not the head that dominates, it is the feeling for beauty.” (The Mother, CWM, Vol. 5, p. 332)
“The long tradition of her
architecture, sculpture and painting speaks for itself, even in
what survives after all the ruin of stormy centuries: whatever
judgment may be formed of it by the narrower school of Western
aesthetics,— and at least its fineness of execution and
workmanship cannot be denied, nor the power with which it renders the
Indian mind,—it testifies at least to a continuous creative activity.
And creation is proof of life and great creation of greatness of life.”
(Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 245)
“Validity of human knowledge
is not dependent on physical science alone. Physical science is only
one side of knowledge. The poet’s and the mystic’s and the artist’s
experience have equal validity.” (Sri Aurobindo, Evening Talks, compiled
by A. B. Purani, p. 84)
“If we would understand the
essential spirit of Indian civilisation, we must go back to its first
formative period, the early epoch of the Veda and the Upanishads, its
heroic creative seed-time. If we would study the fixed forms of its
spirit and discern the thing it eventually realised as the basic rhythm
of its life, we must look with an observing eye at the later middle
period of the Shastras and the classic writings, the age of philosophy
and science, legislation and political and social theory and many-sided
critical thought, religious fixation, art, sculpture, painting,
architecture. If we would discover the limitations, the points at which
it stopped short and failed to develop its whole or its true spirit, we
must observe closely the unhappy disclosures of its period of decline.
If, finally, we would discover the directions it is likely to follow in
its transformation, we must try to fathom what lies beneath the still
confused movements of its crisis of renascence. None of these can indeed
be cut clean apart from each other; for what developed in one period is
already forecast and begun in the preceding age: but still on a certain
large and imprecise scale we can make these distinctions and they are
necessary for a discerning analytic view.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol.
20, pp. 169-170)
The intricately carved pillars lead you into the chamber of Beauty and Divinity. Beauty in Divinity; Divinity in Beauty.
Your eyes want to linger on the details
of the pillars, take in every piece of carving and beauty. At the same
time the inner quietude pulls you in.
Disciple: Is form inseparable from the experience of beauty? Sri Aurobindo:
On the plane of matter it seems so, but it is not true on planes of
consciousness above mind. There, beauty can be formless. (Evening Talks
with Sri Aurobindo, 12-10-1942)
Disciple:What is the utility of aesthetic refinement in spiritual development? Sri Aurobindo:The
aesthetic sense is easily purified and it can then open the path of
approach to the Supreme through beauty. It is very difficult to purify a
rough and gross being. (Evening Talks, 12-8-1926)
Your footsteps slowly take you in,
quietly, with a sense of awe and quiet anticipation. No rush, no
hurrying through, you just walk through the space slowly, purposefully
or with no purpose at all but just to experience the majesty and glory
that is all around you.
Or
you don’t walk at all. You just stand still. Quietly, in silence, you
just stay there. For as long as you must. For as long as you hear the
poetry of those stones, the music in that silent space.
The experience
is not merely an aesthetic one, for that would last only till you are in
the physical presence of the art. This is also not only your mind’s or
heart’s journey back into the glorious past of India of thousands of
years ago when thousands of Sun-worshippers would have gathered in this
temple dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun God.
This is more than that.
This is a journey within. A journey into
the chambers of the inner you where you want the Light of the Sun God
to shine, into all those corners from where you want those pesky little
darknesses to be gone. A journey that gradually leads you to a bright
and vast openness, that makes you, the inner you more receptive to the
new Light that must fill in those spaces within.
“An Indian temple, to
whatever godhead it may be built, is in its inmost reality an altar
raised to the divine Self, a house of the Cosmic Spirit, an appeal and
aspiration to the Infinite.” (Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 20, p. 273)
It is in this aspiration and appeal to
the Infinite that all details find their rightful place and purpose. You
begin to know intuitively why and how the detailed abundance of the
majestically carved pillars and the intricately elaborate gateway are
steps to experiencing the sublime beauty of the divinity within, and
also the divinity of beauty within.
A
certain type of critical mind, which often fails to see the inner
significance of what the outer eye meets, looks at the profusion of
artistic detail on the ancient Indian temple walls, gateways and
pillars, on the hallways of old palaces and other buildings and asks –
why is everything so crowded, why every little space is filled up, where
is the blank space, how can one take it all in?
But to an Indian heart and mind,
“that is the necessity of
[India’s] superabundance of life, of the teeming of the infinite within
her. She lavishes her riches because she must, as the Infinite fills
every inch of space with the stirring of life and energy because it is
the Infinite.” (p. 8)
And long after you come back, the
beauty of that experience still lingers within, quietly and often
without your awareness. It is not really a memory, maybe something more,
something subtler. It is a vibration, perhaps. And you know what you
need to do to re-experience that vibration.
You just need to go back, no not to the physical space, but that space within where you first felt that touch of delight. You sit quietly and go to that space and recall.
And the words begin to resonate –
As the Infinite fills every inch of space…
…with the stirring of life and energy…
…because it is the Infinite…
These words reverberate inside, quietly. You let them. You stay in gratitude for that experience, for that vibration.
Disciple: What is it in beauty that gives us delight? Sri Aurobindo:
Beauty is the Divine himself in his Ananda power seeking to express
himself in perfect form. That is, perhaps, the only definition that
could be given. Since you are particular about it one can say that there
are several elements of beauty: one is the power of Ananda that seeks
expression, the other is the form – or you can say, the manner in which
it expresses itself. (Evening Talks, 27-8-1926)
For another photo-essay inspired by the Sun Temple at Modhera, Gujarat, click HERE.
All photographs by Suhas Mehra. Please do not reproduce or copy without permission.
Something
of this intention broods and persists and is suggested even where it
does not dominate the mind of the Indian sculptor. Appreciation of such art necessitates a different capacity of vision and response, we have to go deeper into ourselves to see.
