Each time i go any historical architectural sites in India i get a altogether different perspective of the place , similarly although I had visited Belur thrice before , my fourth visit this weekend gave altogether a new perspective of the place and Indian heritage.
Let me put down my findings of my recent visit to Belur also some facts known but that got re-enforced .As i had innumerable clicks from my earlier visits i decided to put down my camera and just look through my eyes.
Firstly i was asked a question by my friend , do you know why every temple has a garuda kamba? I was actually surprised i didnt know! He then told that it supposedly acts like an antenna and resonates all the bhajan's or mantra's that are chanted inside the temple.That was
cool ,Then my rusted brain remembered that in Hampi one another explanation was they would light the tip of garuda kamba with fire and thus enitre village would know of the occasion.
Thankfully we hired a guide[I still feel guilty for having given a wrong info before hiring a guide though] . It started off bland with same old things that I had heard before. He then mentioned makara animal with trunk of an elephant (for its strength ), ear of a cow(for its sensitivity) , tail of a peacock (beauty), and many more but i was already admiring , how beautifully the best of all in one was captured was amazing. Just imagine makara as a society !! best of everything!
Our guide then moved on to statue of vishnu with four hands each holding different ayudha/weapon and he mentioned that there were 24 different forms of vishnus ! suddenly there was something itching in my brain.. OMG he was talking of permutation!! 4!! I wonder why the hell had i not realized this in my earlier visit! But then there were other bustling bubbles four weapon;s would also indicate 4 purushartha's(dharma artha kama and moksha).
But then my thoughts were curtailed when I realized he had moved on to 42 shilabalika's , For all those who think it is just statues of beautiful young women , No it is not , You cannot but admire the intricacy in each carving , expression in each one. But beyond all!! statues there are not just dancing poses but there are statues of huntress and other professions as well , one that caught my attention when he told that was the statue of a woman who appeared to be proud because she knew how beautiful was , but i didnt think that was the reason, probably that scultoror who had created that great a masterpiece would not have cared .. she must have known/loved herself so well to be that proud!
There were many many such beauties like a statue representing ecological balance / jeevo jivasya jeevanam [ reminded me of aja putram balim dadyat devaha durbala ghatakaha]
Also one amazing thing reminded me of open source development model was there was a small block which was empty.. among all the sculptures , it apparently was because the scultor with humilty left it to someone who could fill that space with something that would give more justice than what he would do to that space.
Let me complete this writing by mentioning this last important point , there are layers of miniature sculpturing as a base with elephant at the bottom to indicate strenght , then comes lion representing power , above which is horse that shows speed and then flowers with the significance of beauty.Also above layers are adored with simple daily life of humans , ramayana , mahabharatha and then sculputre if gods and godesses indicating a blending demarcation of jeevatma and paramatma.
This ended my visit to belur with darshan of chennakeshava in mohini alankaara, sayonara...
Let me put down my findings of my recent visit to Belur also some facts known but that got re-enforced .As i had innumerable clicks from my earlier visits i decided to put down my camera and just look through my eyes.
Firstly i was asked a question by my friend , do you know why every temple has a garuda kamba? I was actually surprised i didnt know! He then told that it supposedly acts like an antenna and resonates all the bhajan's or mantra's that are chanted inside the temple.That was
cool ,Then my rusted brain remembered that in Hampi one another explanation was they would light the tip of garuda kamba with fire and thus enitre village would know of the occasion.
Thankfully we hired a guide[I still feel guilty for having given a wrong info before hiring a guide though] . It started off bland with same old things that I had heard before. He then mentioned makara animal with trunk of an elephant (for its strength ), ear of a cow(for its sensitivity) , tail of a peacock (beauty), and many more but i was already admiring , how beautifully the best of all in one was captured was amazing. Just imagine makara as a society !! best of everything!
Our guide then moved on to statue of vishnu with four hands each holding different ayudha/weapon and he mentioned that there were 24 different forms of vishnus ! suddenly there was something itching in my brain.. OMG he was talking of permutation!! 4!! I wonder why the hell had i not realized this in my earlier visit! But then there were other bustling bubbles four weapon;s would also indicate 4 purushartha's(dharma artha kama and moksha).
But then my thoughts were curtailed when I realized he had moved on to 42 shilabalika's , For all those who think it is just statues of beautiful young women , No it is not , You cannot but admire the intricacy in each carving , expression in each one. But beyond all!! statues there are not just dancing poses but there are statues of huntress and other professions as well , one that caught my attention when he told that was the statue of a woman who appeared to be proud because she knew how beautiful was , but i didnt think that was the reason, probably that scultoror who had created that great a masterpiece would not have cared .. she must have known/loved herself so well to be that proud!
There were many many such beauties like a statue representing ecological balance / jeevo jivasya jeevanam [ reminded me of aja putram balim dadyat devaha durbala ghatakaha]
Also one amazing thing reminded me of open source development model was there was a small block which was empty.. among all the sculptures , it apparently was because the scultor with humilty left it to someone who could fill that space with something that would give more justice than what he would do to that space.
Let me complete this writing by mentioning this last important point , there are layers of miniature sculpturing as a base with elephant at the bottom to indicate strenght , then comes lion representing power , above which is horse that shows speed and then flowers with the significance of beauty.Also above layers are adored with simple daily life of humans , ramayana , mahabharatha and then sculputre if gods and godesses indicating a blending demarcation of jeevatma and paramatma.
This ended my visit to belur with darshan of chennakeshava in mohini alankaara, sayonara...
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