Author: Rahul (Page 9)

THE TEMPLE FESTIVALS OF NORTH INDIA

The fundamental unity underlying diversity in Indian culture is best visualised from the festivals and fairs exultantly lionized throughout the year in all parts of the country. The inborn feeling of a great nation having a long cherished rich historical and cultural background is best reflected by the festivals observed by the people. The celebrated poet Kalidasa has said: Utsava priyah khalu manushyah.

The Hindus from the earliest times have been very spiritual and religious-minded. Amidst an intricate atmosphere, it was the conspectus that they should lead a very pious and meritorious life so as to free themselves from the unending chain of births and re-births and attain salvation.

They observed fasts, participated in the religious festivals and went out to holy places on pilgrimages. The idea of attaining Moksha finds expression in the verses of contemporary inscriptions: (that) the sovereignty over earth is as shifting as the clouds wafted on the wind, the enjoyment of objects is pleasing for a moment; the life of a man is like a drop of water (hanging) on the point of a blade of grass and dharma is one’s only real companion, in the journey to the next world.

THE SIKH SHRINES OF HARYANA AND PUNJAB

The Sikhs all over the world have a deep veneration for their shrines and gurudwaras. In Himachal Pradesh, there are very few shrines and gurudwaras, but there is an abundance of them in Punjab and Haryana. The Sikhs are proud of their Sangats and naturally so. Throughout the world, every stranger Sikh could just walk into a gurudwara and seek shelter and food for a few days. The Sikhs are still building new and massive shrines in Punjab and Haryana, not to speak of the ones in United States, Canada or Australia.

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, was a widely travelled man and he had visited and preached in many inaccessible places in India. Considering all the road hazards in his times, this indeed was a great achievement. Most of the famous shrines and gurudwaras are located in places visited by Guru Nanak.

This tradition was carried on by the successive gurus. Among the gurudvara associated with Guru Nanak, the most famous is the one at Kurukshetra, in Haryana, a place venerated by the Hindus also as the site where the Gita was disclosed to the wavering Arjuna by Lord Krishna Himself. The gurudwara at Thaneshar near Kurukshetra is also associated with Guru Nanak’s visit and is known as ‘Sidhbati.’ Thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit Sidhbati.

ARASAVILLI

Arasavilli in Andhra Prades  is perhaps one of the very few sacred places in India, where one can see a sun temple in a fine state of preservation in sharp contrast to the dilapidated sun shrines in other parts of the country. Historical evidence traces, the origin of the Arasavilli shrine to the seventh century. Inscriptions found on the outer walls of the Surya-Narayanaswami temple at Arasavilli reveal that Devendra Varma, a Kalinga ruler, constructed this temple as a mark of his respect to the Sun. The presiding deity of the temple depicts a five-foot tall black granite image holding lotus buds in both the hands. The hood of the divine serpent Adisesha, is spread over the figure. On either side of the Lord are His consorts Usha and Chaya. At the base of the figure are Pingala and Danda, gatekeepers of the solar world. A great spiritual significance is attached to this particular image of the Sun-god called Padmapani; Padma, the lotus, stands for wisdom and Usha and Chaya signify endless and timeless space.

Regarding the origin of the shrine, there is a Puranic episode. Once, Indra, the chief of the gods, tried to force his entry into the sacred shrine at Koteswara, where Shiva was enjoying the company of Parvathi. On learning of the audacious act of Indra, Shiva’s gate-keeper, Nandi, kicked the intruder. Humiliated and crest-fallen, Indra fell down unconscious at a place about two miles from Arasavilli. While he was in a state of unconsciousness, he had a vision that he would be relieved of his agony if he puts up a shrine to Surya and offer him worship. Accordingly, Indra built a temple to Suryanarayanaswami which, with the passage of age, acquired great spiritual power.

CHAR-CHALA STUPA-SIRSHA TEMPLES

It may be borne in mind when judging from the architectonic viewpoint that all the members of the edifices are not present in the standing buildings and ruined vestiges. It is possible to do so, if we bring together every bit of evidence in order to reconstruct the forms and features of the temples of Tripura. Built of bricks, the edifices of this groupare constituted of two individual structural members, e.g. torana and the singleperched main sanctum.

Torana is a docyala construction. The inner roof is spanned by pointed barrel vault. The outer roof, as a rule, is placed directly on the vault and follows its outline in the exterior. The Toranas are without any crowning member though some have wrongly viewed that they share identical finial with the sanctum. The construction of torana has been made of two pointed key-stone-arched doors in opposite directions and also windows of the same type on the side walls. In general, the main temple is built on a raised platform or courtyard, approached from the torana by ascending stair-cases.The plinth is constructed more or less on the same level of the raised courtyard. The shrine is the combination of charchala sanctum and a low-height porch, the hind edge of the latter being interlocked with the facade of the sanctum.

The ground plan of the sanctum is round inside and square from outside. From the measurements of the outer surface and the inner space, it appears that the wall is sufficiently thick. The inner roof of the char-chala is not visible. The walls of the porch and the sanctum have been made so thick that the inner sides of the chalas became solid and the rounded sanctum wall rises gradually tapering to the inner vault of the crowning which is made by corbelling, supported by key-stone at the centre of the top. The inner walls are provided with small niches with pointed arch shape. No pillar or pilasters were used inside the construction.

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE OF TRIPURA RATNA DAS 

It is not known when building activity started in Tripura. But the discovery of some of the cult icons of the 7th-8th century, provided with temons, appears to testify the existence of temples in the same period for enshrining them. Not a single piece of lintel or a door-Jamb or even a fragment of a pillar, be it religious or secular throwing light on the genesis of ancient architecture has so far been discovered. The probable reasons for the non-availability of old monuments lie in the damp climate, perishable building materials, thick growth of vegetation and the iconoclastic zeal of Muslim invaders. Thousands of large-sized bricks with smooth surface and moulded plaques, similar to those of Mainamati, have been found scattered in the same area and they point to the existence of brick edifices which were contemporaneous with Mainamati culture-complex. Like Pilak, the other notable site, Unakoti, has also yielded a number of bricks and a plinth (little of which is exposed now).

Presumably, many such architectural monuments are lying buried only to be revealed by the spade of archaeologists in the near future. In regard to the architectural relics, the position of Tripura is worse than her neighbour, Bengal. While the materials in the shape of representations of templetypes depicted in sculptural art and manuscript paintings have enabled us to reconstruct the history of architecture of ancient and Mediaeval Bengal, Tripura has not yielded any such remains except a single type of stupa, portrayed on the backslabs of Buddhist sculptures as well as some terracotta sealings recovered from the Pilak Jolaibadi region. This stupa-type, carved on sculpture and terracotta sealings, is exactly similar in form to the 7th century bronze votive stupa found at Ashrafpur (Dacca, Bangladesh)! This type of stupa architecture was also prevalent at Mainamati in Comilla district, as evident from some sealings, three stupas exposed in its Kotilamuda section.

The stupas at Ashrafpur, Mainamati and Pilak belong to one type: it consists of a square base, a circular drum, a hemispherical dome and a harmika with finials. The dome bulges a little towards the top in each case and this feature is pronounced in the Ashrafpur example. As a result, the stupas are endowed with a contour like that of the bell-shaped stupas of Burma of later days.

THAIPOOSAM

Every month has its own star of importance. In the month of Thai, the asterism Poosam, (Pushyam) is considered auspicious and sacred. This is the day where on, Lord Nataraja is said to have given darshan of His “Pancha Krithya Paramanandha Thandavam” to the two great rishis, Patanjali and Vyaghrapadar at Chidambaram. This is held in great reverence and very grandly celebrated at Vadalur, near the modern Neyveli Township in South Arcot district, since this happens to be the day, Saint Ramalingar of ThiruArutpa fame, attained his final bliss and lakhs of people from all over Tamilnadu congregate at Vadalur to have the ‘Jyothi darshan of the holy Thaipoosam.’

Thaipoosam festival of Thiruvidaimaruthur temple is most ancient and important as well. Devotees bathe in the water of the holy tank in the temple and worship Lord Mahalingar. The saints Thirugnanasambandhar and Thirunavukkarasar have alluded to this festival in their songs of Thevaram. The day is also important in many famous Murugan temples such as Palani and Vaideeswaran koil.

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH INDIA

The temples of Tamilnadu as extant in great numbers offer a coherent and uninterrupted series of fanes that begins in point of time from the seventh century A.D. and extends to the present-day constructions. They remain preserved, since they are of enduring stone, the earliest extant structures being monolithic as the well-known rathas of Mahabalipuram. These are followed closely by structural constructions built from the base or the upana at ground level to the finial or stoopi at the apex of the primary structure, the vimana that is raised over a pedestal or adhishthana and contains the sanctum or garbha-griha in its body (womb=garbha). It carries a super-structure, rising as a pyramid of super-posed stages or the talas, one or more in number. The ultimate roof or shikhara (head) on the top-most storey or tala, square, octagonal or circular in section, all dome shaped or apsidal or of rectangular section with roof shaped like a wagon-top, is raised up by a clerestory or greeva (neck) of identical plan; the summit of the shikhara carrying the finial or stoopi, single in the dome-shaped ones and many in a row on the top ridge of the wagontopped and apsidal ones. In its primary form, the temple unit consists of the vimana that enshrines in its sanctum cell the deity in worship with an ardha-mandapa or antarala in front and a large hall, the mahamandapa preceding it. In its complex form, the central unit consisting of the principal vimana with its axial ardha and maha-mandapas is surrounded by an enclosure wall, the prakara with an area of perambulation or circuit, called the pradakshinapatha, between it and the central unit.

The prakara wall is pierced by a storeyed gateway carrying a pyramidal super-structure of talas, even as the vimana does, the gopura, a feature that is found to be the characteristic and the most developed feature in the southern temples, particularly the temple-complexes of Tamilnadu. There can be more such gopura entrances on one or more of the other three sides or cardinals. The gopura carries on top a wagon-topshaped shikhara or roof with a row of stoopis or finials and has the main passage way through its ground-floor and similar ones open at both ends on every tala or storey. Inside the prakara or enclosure wall there is a series of lesser vimanas for the subsidiary deities, the parivara shrines as they are called, set close to the inner face of the wall, along the four sides and at the corners, most often inter-connected by lengths of mandapas forming a cloister called the malika (garland) by virtue of the string investing the principal vimana, even as a garland does. This is the name by which the peripheral cloister is referred to in the shilpa texts and the inscriptions on the temples. This pattern on ground-plan of the central structure having its body or ground tala (moolatala) surrounded by the peripheral cloister stringing a number of lesser shrines is reproduced in essence, on every stage or tala on the rise of the vimana.

In its super-structure of super-posed talas of gradually diminishing magnitude and dimensions, that results in the characteristic pyramidal form, the central body of tala-harmya is surrounded by a number of aedicules or shrine motifs strung together by inter-connecting lengths of cloister or walls of lesser height than the aedicules they connect. This is repeated on every storey till the ultimate clerestory (greeva) and head or roof (shikhara) is reached. The elements of this encircling string of aedicules of the hara as it is called, constitute in the most developed cases of the larger multi-storeyed vimanas, the square ones at the corners with domical roof and single finial-the karnakootas (koota forms at the comers or kama), while in the centre they are oblong in plan with wagontop roofs, the shalas or koshthas-there may be more such shalas on either side of the centre on each face, the third element being the miniature apsidal form, the needa or panjara. The inter-connecting cloister or wall-lengths, in miniature again, are the harantara, the whole forming the hara (garland), even as the malika (garland) does at the ground level. This forms the essential concept of the southern storeyed vimana described in the simplest terms. It, therefore, differs perceptibly from the form and rise of the northern temples or prasadas.

THE NORTHERN STYLEREKHA TEMPLE PRASADA

In the realm of religious art, India can claim to have established a close coordination between cannons and formulations, therefore, between concepts and visual concretisations, between symbolism and aesthetics. The Brahmanical temple form is a perfect synthesis of macrocosmic divinity and the microcosmic at-man-the inherent, eternal and inextricable spark of functional continun. Howsoever we look at the temple, as a rich panorama of the entire gamut of creation, human and divine, fauna and floral or the static structural scale of the earth, firmament and the ether; as the mystique of the causational sphere of the ‘Subject’ and ‘object’; We find it a suave summation of Indian thought, philosophy and ritual aims. No wonder that the temple models grew to perfection by the early mediaeval times, consistent with the administration of the elite and the intelligentsia and were the formalised design of vocalised or even contemplated ideas. Two basically inter-related but formally dichotomised versions of temples prevailed, popularly called the ‘Northern and the ‘Southern’ temple types- the RekhaPrasada and the Vimana categories of the hieratic texts and the Agamas. Our purpose here is to show how the temple concepts and designs snow-balled from the 6th century A.D. onwards to about the 11th century A.D. when they attained their fullness of form and ancillary lay-outs.

The northern temple is a trivarga typewith three elevationally identifiable zones, respectively designated in early texts like Vishnudhar-mottara, etc., as the jagati, kati and manjari-the base, the body and the superstructure. The jagati is not merely the foundational terrace base but also the plinth proper of the temple structure, the kati, (also called bhitti or jangha is customarily divisible into two registers, the tala jangha and the upari jangha) the former coruscating with either cardinal koshthas or; niches or with an unfolding canvas of several carved images on the facets of the walls which minimally are triratha (triple faceted) or maximally navaratha. It is interesting to note that the ground spread of the temple matches the faceting of the kati and also the elaborations of the superstructure. The chaste Nagara temple of the latina type first gets formulated in the Gujarat region a part of what is to be called the MahaGurjara style not withstanding ritual layout progressing already under the basic panchayatana formula for both Saivasm and Vaishnavism and marginally for the Saura (of Surya) cults also.

The prasada gradually thus moves from its ekanda of single superstructural sikhara and often of a triratha ground plan and wall facet, to the panchanda and navanda categories wherein subsidiary miniature sikhara forms get fixed on the kamas of the bhoomis of the tower, equal to the thickness of the wall and shell section of the structure.

TANTRISM IN KERALA TEMPLES SRIKANT

Modern scientific investigations, especially in the field of parapsychology, seems to be slowly finding out that behind the material phenomena there are subtle psychic and spiritual forces. This basic spiritual field has its own subtle laws which an explorer of the material world is not normally aware of. This subtle field can be explored by spiritual investigations and the serious investigator the seer-often develops the know-how to apply its subtle laws to create circumstances for the ethical and spiritual evolution of man. This method of practical application of the laws and powers of the higher levels of Supernature forms the science of Tantra.

Kerala has ever been a field of various experiments. People dwelling in this land of surpassing panoramic beauty have been adventurous explorers and seekers who perfected many sciences and arts. The astounding feats of the martial art, kalarippayattu has to be seen to be believed, as well as the subtle nuances of the classical dance-drama kathakali. It is no wonder that this region gave birth to great masters in the psychic and spiritual fields. This land where Sri Sankaracharya was born had nurtured many saints and Siddhas. In every field masters existed who perfected their fields of pursuits-medical sciences, physical feats, arts, occult sciences, etc. That is why Kerala has the unique distinction of producing some of the greatest saints of the world as well as many talented people in the field of modern circus!

BIRLA MANDIR

SHRI LAKSHMI NARAIN TEMPLE,

Lakshmi Narain Temple in New Delhi, popularly known as Birla Mandir has, over the years, attracted lakhs of visitors, pilgrims and devotees from all over the world. The foundation-stone of this famous temple was laid by Maharana Udai Bhan Singh of Dholpur on the 26th of March 1933. Pandit Vishwanath Acharya of the Hindu University, Banaras, assisted by 100 Pandits from different parts of the country, performed the installation ceremony of the idols of Gods and Goddesses in the Temple and on the 18th of March 1939, Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, performed the opening ceremony of the Temple. Birla Mandir was built by Raja Baldeo Dass Birla at a cost of several lakhs of rupees. To accomplish this task, Raja Sahib drew inspiration from Sanatan Dharma Sabha, New Delhi, and Goswami Ganesh Dutt, a prominent religious leader. The temple, which took about six years to build, epitomises the best of all the ancient Aryan religions as adjusted to modernism.

The Temple has been a pioneer in removing the barriers of caste, creed, and colour, as its doors are open to all. There are separate sanctums of Shri Lakshmi Narain in the centre, Goddess Durga on the left and Lord Shiva on the right. The dome of Lakshmi Narain sanctum is 165 feet high while those of Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva are 116 feet in height. On the right side of Lord Shiva’s sanctum is Gita Bhavan which has been adorned with an attractive idol of Bhagwan Shri Krishna and beautiful paintings of legends from the Mahabharata and the Gita. On the left side of the central structure is an exquisite temple of Bhagwan Buddha with walls having fresco paintings depicting his life and teachings.

The walls and upper gallery of the central structure have been beautified with numerous paintings of breath-taking charm which project fundamental teachings of the Aryan Dharma. The paintings have been done by known artists from Jaipur while experienced masons again from Jaipur are responsible for the sculptured panels. All Hindus, following different branches of Hindu (Arya) Dharma, namely, Sanatanists (including Harijans), Arya-Sarnajisrs Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, etc. are welcome to participate in the daily worship, Satsang and Kirtan held in the Temple in perfect harmony and mutual good-will, according to the best traditions of the Temple.

To provide accommodation to pilgrims and devotees from outside Delhi, there is a Dharmasala in the temple which has a number of rooms. The rooms on the first floor are reserved for foreigners who come to the temple with a view to learning Hindu Religion or Sanskrit and Hindi languages. The temple also has a well-equipped library and a reading room. The back-side of the temple adjoining the ridge has been developed as an artificial mountainous landscape. Indraprastha Vatika has caves, waterfalls, fountains and canopies, besides Vyayamshala, Natyashala and Yagashala, All these present a beautiful spectacle.