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A Sculpted Poem

8/19/2013

Watching the delicately sculpted figures on the walls of the Hoysala Temples on a drain drenched day, I was reminded of a Tamil poem by Kutti Revathi...

STONE GODDESSES
The sculpture, peeling away its skin
of stone, and coming to life,
too shy of the light,
becomes a dark shape
lurking within its curtain of shadows.

Time’s nail
hammered to its feet
has cursed the rain and the wind
also
the flung droppings of bats
and the desolate spaces of solitude.

It is possible that
sculptures overflowing with God’s grace
walk about as goddesses
where man’s gaze is unknown,
in ruined halls, perhaps,
or in the recesses of tall temple towers

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Reflections On The Hoysala Trail

8/13/2013

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While on the Hoysala Trail, I was very much struck by the similarity between this region and that of Thanjavur delta. The profusion of temples (Hoysalas were reported to have built over a thousand of them!) and the finesse of architecture suggest that there must have been some kind of a cultural exchange which cut across narrow linguistic barriers at that period of time.

Many of Hoysala temples were built by chieftains and local administrators unlike those erected by members of the Royal Family in the Chola Kingdom. It is also reflective of the kind of relationship that existed between creative artisans and those in power, unlike that which is prevalent now. Art was seen as an expression which need to be nurtured, facilitated and given a space to express itself.

And the artisans of the Hoysala period were indeed exceptional. They made sure that you take notice of them. Perhaps for the first time in temple architecture, they signed their names beneath their creations. Like Mallithamma who built the Somnathpur Temple. His sculptures were signed as Malli or simply Ma.

As I was photographing them in fading light and gentle showers, I was also struck by the play of light and shadows on the richly carved walls. The sculptures seem to take a different expression as you shifted your perspective. Perhaps the cholitric stone also lent itself for the filigree like craftsmanship.

In addition to depiction from the epics, there is also portrayal of creative pursuits like dance and music. The temples would have been built in uncertain times when territorial conflicts were quite imminent, but there is hardly a reflection of these in these portrayals…which highlights the importance of sublimation as a way of coping with conflicts within and without.

Art is the essence of life
As if flowers, it gives us the seed of life
isn’t it time that we nurture it…

Penned In The Age Of Digital Sublimation,,,,

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On The Hoysala Trail

8/10/2013

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The Annual Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society, Karnataka Chapter, held at Hassan provided an opportunity for Ahalya and myself to savour the rich architectural heritage of Hoysalas. Besides the well-known Belur and Haleebedu, the region is dotted with scores of temples which are off the tourist gaze. In spite of the monsoon showers and non-existent roads, it was a wonderful sojourn.

On the way we stopped at Nuggehalli, a small non-descript town off Hirisave. Manoeuvring our way through small lanes and pouring rain, we finally reached the Lakshmi Narayana Temple. Unfortunately there was a death in the agraharam and the priest informed us that he won’t be able to open the sanctum till the last rites are over. But he permitted us to look around the temple. It’s outer walls are richly decorated with fine sculptures. They are mostly Vaishnavite images though there are a few images of Shiva in the form of Bhairava. The sculptures on the southern side are lovely and have a certain grace and dignity about them. Glimpes at: http://flickr.com/gp/24876955@N02/ygL7QP/

After lunch at the well maintained Hoysala Village Resort, we venture onto Koravangala. It was an arduous journey as we had to tread on roads which were akin to lunar landscapes. With gentle guidance of the village folks we were able to locate the Bucesvara Temple. It is a small but elegant structure built in the typical Hoysala style with images of gods and goddesses. On top of the shikara of the temple is a lovely, well preserved Hoysala Crest of a warrior in fight with a lion.
Glimpses at: http://flickr.com/gp/24876955@N02/H00E53/

The next day was spent in the conference where I was bestowed with the Eminent Psychiatrist Award by the society. It was a deeply touching and poignant moment for me and Ahalya. Unfortunately it was raining the whole day and we couldn’t venture out at all.

The last day of our stay started with a visit to the Lakshmi Devi Temple at Doddagaddavalli. The approach was quite difficult as the narrow lanes were muddy and slushy. We were fortunate to catch up with the (rather grouchy) priest who had just finished the morning puja and was coming out of the temple. He instructed perfunctorily that we can look around the place. Unlike other places we visited the temple precincts were not so clean and it was an arduous task to negotiate the slippery floors and though I tiptoed carefully I almost did a Fosbury Flop! The sanctum was quite dark and dingy. Two tall fierce looking demonic figures of Betal flanked the main deity. I haven’t seen these corpse like figure in any other temple and wondered about the significance of their presence. In dimly lit ceiling we were able locate a fine circular panel depicting the dancing Shiva in the form of Tandaveswara. Glimpses at: http://flickr.com/gp/24876955@N02/5RBdZm/

After finishing Doddagaddavalli, we proceeded towards Belavadi. We had to go through Halebeedu and couldn’t resist a visit! It’s sheer beauty and immaculate artistry is absolutely bewitching! Though the large lovely figures catch one’s attention, this time around, I was drawn to plethora of small sculptures delicately etched in the lower walls of the temple. They portray various scenes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha. It was quite intriguing to see sexually explicit depictions in between portrayals of these epics. Above the main entrances there are wonderfully carved sculptures which are preserved very well.
Glimpses at: http://flickr.com/gp/24876955@N02/79r27g/

We wound up our Hoysala Trail with visit to Belavadi. The road from Halebeedu to Belavadi was in much better shape and we travelled through verdant countryside with sprawling fields of sunflowers and chrysanthemums. It set the stage for what was perhaps the most wonderful moment in our visit. Belavadi is a fascinating . Two richly carved elephants guard the entrance and all the three sanctums have wonderfully carved figures of Veera Narayana, Venugopala and Yoga Narasimha. The idol of Venugopala was particularly enchanting. I have never seen main deities which are so full life grace and poise like the ones in Belavadi. Glimpses at: http://flickr.com/gp/24876955@N02/1U35i8/

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A Sculpted Poem

Reflections On The Hoysala Trail

On The Hoysala Trail

Dr Raguram

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