"The Writing on the Wall" -- (another version)

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

A few years ago adiyane visited the famous 'sannidhi' of Hayagriva

atop the GarudAdri Hill in the village of Tiruvaheendrapuram (near

Cuddalore).

 

After offering worship to the deity "vaagadeesan", I commenced the

custom-mandated circumambulation ("pradakshina") of the temple. As I

walked around the inner "prAkAram", the narrow corridor that winds

round the temple, I was struck by the number of messages "written or

scrawled on the wall". On a closer look at the scribbling I was

intrigued to note most of them were numbers in figures. The

'kOvil-bhattar' who was accompanying me explained that the extensive

writings on the wall were actually the handiwork ("crawling

masterpieces", he actually called them) of thousands of academic

students ... "SSLC, CBSE, BA, B.Com, B.E, CA, IIT entrance exam

candidates" ... who after praying to Lord Hayagreeva for success in

the examinations they had taken, made it a point to scrawl their

respective examination roll-numbers on the temple walls ... "just to

ensure the Deity didn't forget their numbers when the time for

announcement of exam-results drew near!".

 

Other than those anxious students' roll-numbers, adiyane also saw

some fresh and vivid frescoes on the 'prAkAra' walls. The entire

stretch of the walls had been freshly painted with images and

impressions from ancient religious lore and 'purAnAs' such as, for

example, motifs from the 'dasAvatAra', themes from the

'sthala-purAnA-s', artists's impression of Swami Desikan's penance on

the GarudAdri Hill and his direct encounter with Hayagriva, and his

obtaining 'mantra-upadesa' from the divine bird, Garuda... and so on,

so forth.

 

Yet another 'masterpiece' adiyane also saw written on the walls were

'chakkarai-pongal' stains that hundreds of pilgrims had left

behind.It is common practice these days that after one has eaten the

'kOvil-prasAdam' -- the delicious but gooey stew of rice, ghee and

jaggery that one is served on festival occasions in temples -- one

need look no farther than the nearest stretch of temple-wall or

pillar to wipe one's hands clean. No water needed for rinsing; no

tissue-paper; no fuss, no mess.... just good old, holy temple-walls

will do.

 

Writing, and more especially painting, on the walls of places of

worship has historically been a Judea-Christian tradition. The

magnificent frescoes of the great Michael-Angelo that adorn the walls

and roof of the Sistine Chapel to this day are monuments indeed to

the great art the Christian religion inspired during the European

Renaissance. The great 'Wailing Wall of Jerusalem' of the Jews (on

which they say are very archaic and ageless Hebrew inscriptions) is

yet another example of sacred relic in the Semitic world.

 

In comparison to their Biblical counterparts elsewhere in the world,

the temple-walls in India do not have such masterpieces written or

painted upon them. But when it comes to wall-sculpture, carvings or

engravings, Indian temples have some of the world's best on their

walls and pillars. The corridors and halls of temples like

Rameshwaram, or those in Tanjore, Sri Villiputtur, Konarak or

Kanchipuram are simply breath-taking. The ancient temple-builders of

India obviously didn't stop at merely writing (or painting) on walls;

they made stone-walls actually speak!

 

Despite however the long tradition we have in India of temple

sculpture, it has become a modern trend these days to have the walls

written/painted upon with frescoes (as in the temple of Hayagriva of

Tiruvaheendrapuram I visited)... which, I think, is quite a departure

from the ancient practice of sculpting them. The reason for the trend

seems to be that these days we do not have skilled sculptors

("sthapatis") or artisans in as many numbers as they were available

in the ancient days.

 

The Biblical phrase "writing on the wall" is generally used to

portend ill-tidings. It is an idiom one uses when one wants to point

out some dark and ominous event which may not be very obvious in the

present but is actually looming large in the future. As I walked down

the GarudAdri Hill that day after worship at the Hayagriva

"sannidhi", my thoughts were rather sombre as they dwelt upon the

sad state of temple walls today. "Are we condemned to witness only

garish painting on walls where once only finest sculpture stood?", I

asked myself. "What sad fate awaits these walls a hundred years from

now? Will they serve as nothing better than canvas for students to

scrawl their exam roll-numbers on? Or as tissue-paper for pilgrims

that have feasted upon 'chakkarai-pongal'?".

 

What tragic irony indeed that our great temples walls should have to

see their own "writing on the wall"!

 

******* ********* **********

 

After considerable time spent on such grim contemplation, adiyane

however suddenly recalled to mind a stanza from Peria-AzhwAr's famous

hymn "senniyOngu". In the 'pAsuram' Peria-AzhwAr actually spoke quite

admiringly of the uses of "writing on walls" contrasting sharply

with the dark Biblical connotation given to the term :

 

"UnnUdaya vikramam onru OzhyiAmmal ellAm

ennUdaya nenjakkambAl suvar-vazhi ezhyudhikkOndEn ;

man adanga mazhu valangaikkonda irAma nambi!

ennidai vandu emperUmAn!

ini engup-pOginradhE!" ("sennniyongu" - Stanza#6)

 

(meaning):

 

"Like so many inscriptions scrawled upon a temple wall, I too have

written on the walls of my heart, O Rama! O valiant one! all the

tales of your extraordinary deeds and exploits ("purAnA-s) without

exception! And having thus written, I have had you come unto my soul!

Do you think I'll ever again let you slip out of my grasp?"

 

The AzhwAr's delightful expression "ennUdaya nenjakkambAl suvar-vazhi

ezhyudhikkOndEn" explains to us the great significance of indelibly

"writing on the walls of our heart" ("suvar-vazhi ezhyudhi") all the

ancient accounts of God's 'avatArA-s' as found in our hoary

'itihAsas" and "purANa-s". And which was why adiyane was thus finally

left with this one thought to ponder for long:

 

If one must learn to write upon the walls of one's heart (as the

AzhwAr exhorts us), what better way indeed to start than with the

walls of a temple?

 

 

Warm Regards to all of you,

 

peria-AzhwAr tiruvadigale sharanam

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

> In comparison to their Biblical counterparts elsewhere in the world,

> the temple-walls in India do not have such masterpieces written or

> painted upon them. But when it comes to wall-sculpture, carvings or

> engravings, Indian temples have some of the world's best on their

> walls and pillars. The corridors and halls of temples like

> Rameshwaram, or those in Tanjore, Sri Villiputtur, Konarak or

> Kanchipuram are simply breath-taking. The ancient temple-builders of

> India obviously didn't stop at merely writing (or painting) on walls;

> they made stone-walls actually speak!

 

In this context, I would like to refer the readers to the work of Dr.Dennis

Hudson of Smith College, USA who has done extensive research on the

allegoric significane of the sculptures found on the gopurams of south

indian temples. During the times of yore, each architectural style was the

signature of the kingdoms which exsisted during those times.

 

For example, I quote from the article: "According to Prof. Hudson, the

temple reveals a visual theology, the doctrine of the `four formations'

(chatur-vyuha) and the vimana as three-dimensional Mandala and its divisions

into exoteric and esoteric dimensions. He identifies the central figure in

the sanctum of the ground floor as Vasudeva facing west, i.e. the Earth,

Sankarshana facing north, the realm of human life, Pradyumna facing east

towards heaven and Aniruddha facing south, the realm of ancestors. The

sculptural scheme matches the Pancharatra concept, representing the six

`glorious excellences' and the 12 murthis (dwadasa-namas). The six

excellences are: the omniscient knowledge (jnana), power (bala), sovereignty

(aishwarya), action (virya), brilliance (tejas) and potency (sakthi). The

sanctum of the third floor represents the realm of space-time, depicting

Vasudeva as he appeared in the human form of Krishna. The temple per se

signifies the `body of God."

 

Each sculpture on the temple wall communicates a universal message. I thank

Sri.Sadagopan Iyengar and Sri.Sudharshan Mama for bringing out this topic. I

hope readers will try to understand the esoteric meanings behind the

sculptures whose voice unfortunately has fallen to deaf ears today! (So the

saying goes that the Walls can talk..........in this sense EDUCATE AS

WELL!!!)

 

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/04/15/stories/2002041500130300.ht

m

 

Regards,

 

Adiyen ramanuja dasan,

 

Malolan Cadambi

[Guest guest]

vaNakkam

 

The sorry state of affairs in Hindu temples is worsened further

with such scribblings on most of the temple walls by Hindus.

Not to mention the politics in temple management !

 

However sarcastic the tone may be in the lines below,

I kindly request people to NOT to write so in future.

The dangerous tendency is not to recognise the sarcasm

and take it as an advice might well set in the minds of people.

Another forseeable danger is a new generation might come up

not knowing anything about AzvAr-s or even Tamil in TN !!!

Or has it already come ? :-(

 

In my two visits to thanjAvUr periya kOvil, I was shocked

to see the scribblings, scratches, and all despicable things

done to centuries' old paintings. The least one can do is

keep writing about these, raise the awareness of people

and help bring a new generation of Hindus who will NOT

repeat these mistakes and perhaps restore these paintings to

their original glory over time.

 

[ I took some photos but not sure where they are now. ]

 

anbudan

 

kumAr - /messages/lsk/

 

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ref : /message/1526

 

sampath kumar <sampathkumar_2000

"The Writing on the Wall" -- (another version)

 

....

If one must learn to write upon the walls of one's heart (as the

AzhwAr exhorts us), what better way indeed to start than with

the walls of a temple?

....