Study of Temples turned into Fort reveals past..

MYTHOLOGICAL SCULPTURE IS 

SCIENCE FICTION OF THOSE DAYS

Study of Temples turned into Fort reveals past...... N.Nandhivarman

Temples in Tamilnadu were turned into forts and the fortification of such temples were found in water colour paintings of French Engineers in archives at Hague and Paris. Having found such maps of temples which were used as Forts, though no vestiges of military structures are found around their enclosures now, since most of them were dismantled by the British at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Jean De Loche, octogenarian scholar who lives in Pondicherry for more than 52 years and had number of books to his credit, had written a book Ancient Fortifications of the Tamil Country as recoded in Eighteenth Century French Plans..

Temples of South India are unique in the world for their sculptural art. Temples were not only home of the deities, they were centres of learning, socializing and schools of art, music and philosophy, in short a place everyone can gain knowledge in every field.

In a  book titled  “Mysteries of the Dravidian Sculptural Art depicting the Hindu version of the Supreme, the birth, growth and death of the Sun, Stars, the human and standard of living “ its author P.S.Subramanyam , Palace Architect of Mysore hailing from Thanjavur says “ Our mythological sculpture is rooted in deep scientific thought  and mastery of the sublime cosmic truths. Cosmology, Cosmogony, Biology, the Stellar Universe, all about Earth and the Heavens , inter relation between man and planets, and stars, the place of man in divine scheme of things, his duties and aims in his voyage through existence , these and other kindred topics form the subject of our mythological sculptures.”

 We forget to undergo comparative study of our mythology and that of other civilizations and if we do, we can understand everywhere mankind is one in its quest to understand our living on earth and its meaning. Sculptures of our Temple failed to attract us because we forgot it was a planetarium of those days. The Death of the Sun and Stars depicted in our sculptures is proven by NASA findings now. Devotion to deity which offers solace to us and total neglect of other sculptures, stone carvings, inscriptions etc led to idol thefts which are hitting headlines nowadays. Temples were demolished when early invaders came into India.

During the rule of Muslim emperors (1310-1311) Srirangam was captured and the riches plundered .They took off the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal. The statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal was sent to Delhi. In Delhi the daughter of the Sultan persuaded the Sultan to return the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal back to Guru Ramanujar. She possesses a separate temple near Srirenganathar temple and people worship her as "Thulukka Nachiyar". This mythology is proof of stolen artefacts returned to original places of worship.  There is also a legend “ that the temple of Srirangam which was plundered by Muslim invaders of the 14 th century [ Malik Kafur in 1310-1311 and Ulugh Khan in 1323 ] and recaptured by Hindu Prince Kumara Kampanna in 1371 had its enclosures fortified after this Hindu restoration to prevent a new invasion “writes R.Orme in his History of the Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan.  

The Srirangam temple is enclosed by 7 concentric walls (termed prakarams (outer courtyard) or mathil suvar) with a total length of 32,592 feet or over six miles. These temple has 21 gopurams (towers), 39 pavilions, fifty shrines, Ayiram kaal mandapam (a hall of 1000 pillars) and several small water bodies inside. The space within the outer two prakarams (outer courtyard) is occupied by several shops, restaurants and flower stalls. Non-Hindus are allowed up to the second outer courtyard) but not inside the gold topped sanctum sanctorum.

Speaking about the temple enclosures Jean Deloche writes “ The temple enclosures were not meant to be defence works as specifically mentioned in technical treatises of Indian Architecture such as the Ajitagama and the Mayamata which note enclosure walls but do not bring the idea that they could be considered military structures to the fore. The outward wall is called mahamaryadabhitti wall of the great sacred boundary., the pyramidal tower over the entrance gate to the precinct of the temple is known as the gopura i.e protector, a word which might evoke a defence function but purely has symbolic value said P.S.Filliozat.”

“ The second half of the 18^th century , however the armies of the Muslim rulers and the British companies used these walls as fortifications, in spite of protests by the temple authorities.  The desecration of these temples is specifically mentioned in English and French sources which show the looting soldiers had become the objects of horror to the local population. When the temple for Achalpuram surrendered to the British in 1749 they forced an entry to the sanctuary  and the Hindus of Thanjavur army enraged at the pollution to which their shrine was exposed, attacked the English in the temple.”

“ At Kovipapakudi in April 1755 when the British seized the temple the soldiers were permitted to plunder and nothing as usual escaped them., for findings in the temple of the pagoda a great number of brazen images, worshipped by the people of the country,they tore them down from their pedestals, hoping to sell them at least for the metal weight be worth” wrote R.Orme in the History of Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan. Similar protest welcomed the French when they entered Chidambaram in 1750.

 In Srirangam however in 1751 when the English troops as well as those of the Nawab entered the temple they did not enter the sanctum sanctorum  . Rajputs in Chanda Sahib’s army and Hindu allies of the Europeans would not have permitted such sacrilegious act .  During Karnatic Wars both French and British kept their troops within the temples.  During Karnatic Wars temples were commonly used as forts.

Jean Deloche in his book mentions Kanchipuram,Vandavasi, Sethupattu, Karunguli, Tiruvannamalai, Arakantanallur, Valudavur Tirukoilur, Sankarapuram, Kallakurichi, Thiyaga Durgam, Elavasanoor Kottai, Ulagiyanallur, Chidambaram, Devikotta, Tirumalpatti, Mettupatti, Srirangam, Thanjavur and Madurai temples which were made into forts.  The first prakara was fortified for shielding the people from the attack of the enemy. There was also space to walk over the wall for defence purposes. 1,2,3 rd prakaras were used for defence purposes he says.

Forts and Temple Fortification after gun powder was introduced in battles had undergone changes. These modifications have come to light with books of Jean Deloche. But people who live in these places don’t have an inkling of what had happened to their temples. British had demolished these fortifications , but after so much plunder, modifications, the focus of Tamilnadu Government should be to form a team of epigraphists to study the stone inscriptions in temple walls. During periodical renovations , ignorant about epigraphy , masons have misplaced many in the wall. By cementing to join them, the last lines were covered. They should be re-arranged in original chronological order to bring to light past history hidden, distorted and buried beneath cement. Also all the surrounding walls of temples be freed of encroachments and while kumbabishegams performed , the inscriptions in those walls not be painted, but must be restored to its original format.

In our pious nature we were used to fix or eyes on the prime deities, present generation does not even know the mythology. We must dig in  our mythological past and mythological art to trace current proven scientific facts, such as the predicted death of sun forecast now even by scientists is chiselled in our sculptures...and scriptures.

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