MYTHOLOGICAL SCULPTURE IS SCIENCE FICTION
OF THOSE DAYS
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 recorded 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 18th 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...
