Landscapes Of The Mind
  • Home
  • Musings & Reflections
  • Glimpses Through The Lens
    • The Feathered Beauties
    • I Saw,I Clicked... >
      • Vishnupur
      • The Tantalizing Landscape Of Uttaranchal
      • Amidst The Sand Dunes Of Khuri
      • Chatris Of Shekawati
      • Havelis Of Shekawat
    • I Saw, I Clicked Part II >
      • Hosaholalu
      • Pristine Havelock
      • Pichavaram
      • Chidambaram
    • I Saw I Clicked Part III >
      • Yosemite
      • A Day At The Vatican Museum
      • Norcia
      • Moscow
    • Butterflies & Flowers
    • Close Encounters At Corbett
    • Bijapur & Beyond
    • Enchanting Athirapalli
    • Splendours of Seatlle
    • Monet's Garden
  • Glimpses Through The Lens: II
    • Poetry in stone >
      • Brihadeeswarar Koil
      • Gangaikondacholapuram
      • Dharasuram
      • Thanjavur Art Gallery
    • In The Land Of Enlightenment
    • Charming Chitrapu
    • Exploring Orissa >
      • Mesmerizing Mangalajodi
      • Bewitching Bhetnoi
      • Daksa Prajapati Temple
    • Birding Down Under >
      • Parrots Galore!
      • Lyrical Lyre Bird
      • Honey Eaters
      • Kingfishers, Wrens, Wagtails, Warblers...
      • Orioles, Golden Whistlers
      • Cockatoos, Kookaburras & Magpies
      • Pigeons, Doves
      • Birds Of Prey, Bower Birds
      • Water Birds & In Flight
      • Others
    • Murals of Pundarikapuram
  • Contact Me

Ashtadikpalakas

10/10/2021

15 Comments

 
Picture
Often when we visit temples, we head straight to the sanctum sanctorum to have a darshan of the main deity. In our hurry, we fail to notice myriad intricate sculptures carved into the pillars and the ceiling.
For example, images of ashtadikpalakas can be seen in many temples on the ceiling of the central pavilion (Māhamandapa) facing the main deity.

One of the best preserved friezes of these images is at the temple at Avani, Kolar district. There are superbly carved figures of Uma Mahesvara surrounded by the Ashta Dikpalakas, divine guardians of eight directions of the universe. Each one of them is depicted on their vahanas: Indra on elephant, Agni on goat, Yama on buffalo, Nirurti on horse, Varuna on crocodile, Vayu on deer, Kubera on Man, Isana on bull. Ashta means eight, “dik” means quarters or directions and ”pālas“ means rulers. As their collective name suggests, they rule the eight quarters or the eight directions of the universe and act as their chief guardian spirit.

When we make an atma-pradakshina (revolving around one self) in front of God, we are not only saluting the self with in, the God in front, but also these divinities that are around us in all directions. As guardians of the sky, Ashtadikpalakas watch over us from eight different directions and keep an eye on all our activities as we enter the temple!

It is also interesting to note that there are no goddesses among them, just as there are none in the navagrahas too!

Horoscopes continue to play a major role in arranged marriages in India. Number eight plays a crucial role in that too! Marital compatibility in horoscopes is assessed on eight parameters. Each of the parameters gives a certain amount of marks, adding up to 36 marks. If the couple has at least 18 marks, it is considered safe to proceed!

The number eight also figures when we offer Saashtaanga Namaskaaram. Sa means with, Ashta means eight and Anga means limbs, Namaskara means prostration. Saashtaanga Namaskaara means, reverential prostration performed with eight limbs (Ashta-Anga) viz. two hands, two legs, two arms, chest and forehead touching the ground as a mark of respect, obeisance and total surrender to the deity.

Of course, God is everywhere and in every direction. In whatever direction you proceed or offer your prayers, you will ultimately find Him. There is a famous story of a saint stretching his feet in the direction where there was a god’s statue. When people objected to it, he asked them to show the direction where God was not present, emphasizing the omnipresence of God.

If you look carefully, symbol for infinity is like an 8 on its side!


​Glimpses At: photos.app.goo.gl/XjFtWxE7xFfYknMy5

Feel free to post your comments here!

15 Comments
V Ramakrishnan
4/17/2022 09:41:04 pm

Excellent. Thank you for for your note on Ashtadikpalakas. I will be on the lookout for these, when I visit temples next time.

Reply
Dr Raguram
4/18/2022 05:36:21 am

Thank you

Reply
Arun Kishore
4/17/2022 10:44:54 pm

Your attention to detail and descriptions are fascinating. I will now watch out for the ashtadikpalakas in temples I visit. Thank you

Reply
Dr Raguram
4/18/2022 05:36:38 am

Thanks Arun

Reply
Gautam Moorthy
4/18/2022 12:51:11 am

Thank you Ragu for this detailed explanation. On this day, the World Heritage Day, let us hope that the guardians of our heritage sites continue to work towards their preservation and continuing discoveries.

Reply
Dr Raguram
4/18/2022 05:36:57 am

Thanks Gautam

Reply
Rajan Iyyalol
4/18/2022 02:09:22 am

Thanks a lot sir for chronicling the eternal beauty of the structures and sculptures of various temples that translate literal creations of human imaginations into frozen poetries in granite, wood and sandstones.

Most devotees ritualistically entering the temples for worship have nil or very scant aesthetical taste to appreciate the highest actualisations of human creativity crystallised in those walls,roofs and panels.They are just there, totally immersed in the singular agenda of personal salvation, without any capacity or inclinations to attend to the aesthetical refinements of the place. And the artists that created all those divine works were and are always ignored and kept in annonimity. Their commitments and contributions absolutely discounted. All the privileges and credits always capitalised only by the greedy priest class that even kept those temples out of bounds to those artists and artisans who actually created those structures. In a way these beautiful edifices are structural relics of the inhuman ignonimity towards those ultimate creative talents in human history😔

Reply
Dr Raguram
4/18/2022 07:24:46 am

More than places of worship temples have been repositories of rich architectural heritage. Unfortunately this doesn't get as much attention as it richly deserves. The consequent neglect is palpable in many of these heritage structures. People should be encouraged to read up about a place before they visit it

Reply
Vivek Kirpekar
4/18/2022 02:57:27 am

Very beautiful description of a keen and learned observer of temple structure and the meaning behind every small thing that any ancient temple has. Definitely will look for the beauty in temple sculptures..

Reply
Dr Raguram
4/18/2022 07:25:06 am

Thanks for your appreciation Vivek

Reply
Senthil
4/18/2022 03:27:39 am

Pranams to you Sir for your excellent description and instilling enthusiasm to look beyond…
I will look up on my next visit Sir!

Reply
Dr Raguram
4/18/2022 07:25:41 am

Thanks Senthil. Lots of things to see on your next visit!

Reply
Narendra Kumar MS
4/19/2022 11:40:14 am

Dear Sir. It's just not the description of the architecture, but the knowledge that oozes out with each of those descriptions in detail. Our sashtanga namaskaram to yourself sir.🙏

Reply
Lalitha
4/20/2022 07:26:54 pm

Very detailed description about Ashtadikpalakas since it’s all new to me thanks once again for enriching my knowledge 🙏

Reply
TMVGOWDA
4/28/2022 11:33:58 pm

Excellent description sir being doctor you did better than Art historians.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Dr Raguram

    Someone who keeps exploring beyond the boundaries of everyday life to savor and share those unforgettable moments....

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    May 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly