Trinidad's Glorious Dattatreya Mandir

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June 9, 2003

 

Today's Stories:

1. Trinidad's Glorious Dattatreya Mandir

2. Rock Art in Tamil Nadu Needs to be Recognized and Preserved

3. Malaysia's Sri Muniswaran Temple Relocating

4. Pondicherry Girl Dances for 60 Hours for Guinness Book of Records

5. Chennai Temple to Have India's Tallest Hanuman statue

 

1. Trinidad's Glorious Dattatreya Mandir

devant

 

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, June 9, 2003: It's a most beautiful site to

behold, say visitors nearing the Mandir. One passerby described it as

"like visiting India itself" while foreigners who came in four

maxi-taxis yesterday marveled at its beauty and serenity. They were all

eyeing the magnificent 85-foot-high Hanuman murthi -- the largest

outside India it's claimed, and the exquisite architectural designs of

the pinkish/saffron (Kesari) colored Dattatreya Mandir at Orange Field

Road, Carapichaima. Bala Swamiji, who has been living at the ashram for

almost two decades, said the structure was built according to the

Dravidian style of architecture of South India. Two gray concrete

elephants provide water for devotees to wash their feet before entering

the main mandir at the northern side. After passing the elephants, one

enters the dome. The inside of the dome has seven stages of graded

architecture, with numerous figures of musicians playing the various

types of musical instruments in seven different colors. This is

symbolic of inviting a guest into the main hall of the big mandir. The

color schemes are the same as in India, Swamiji said. The same

architectural style is evident inside the mandir dedicated to Lord

Dattatreya. Inside the main mandir there are several smaller ones

dedicated especially to Lord Dattatreya, Lord Siva and to the Mother

Goddess. Subramaniyam Sthapati is on site sthapati (supervising

architect) and twenty silpis (masons) were brought from India to do the

artwork on the mandir and to build the Hanuman murthi, which took two

years to complete. "We plan to have a primary and secondary school on

site, a play park and garden with a beautiful landscape to bring peace

to all who visit," Swamiji said. Readers may kindly contact "source"

above for additional information.

 

2. Rock Art in Tamil Nadu Needs to be Recognized and Preserved

http://www.outlookindia.com/

full.asp?fodname=20030609&fname=Paintings+%28F%29&sid=1&pn=2

 

TAMIL NADU, INDIA, June 2, 2003: Rock art, with origins from

prehistoric times, has been receiving publicity in Tamil Nadu for the

past several years when G. Chandrasekaran, professor at Chennai's

Government College of Fine Arts, formed a society called Roots. Under

this banner, artists, art historians and archaeologists are attempting

to save over fifty sites in Tamil Nadu from blasting by granite

quarries. India possesses one of the three largest concentrations of

rock art where the art form is expressed by paintings using wet paint

or dry pigments rather than by petroglyphs, where images are engraved

and etched onto the rock surface. Sites in Central India are well

known, but the concentrations in Tamil Nadu have so far been neglected.

Chandrasekaran has been studying large deposits of rock painting sites

at Settavarai, Alampadi and Keelvalai in Villupuram. He reflects about

a specific image depicting a deer or a goat on a 20 by 15 foot canvas

at Settavarai, "Unlike the other images on the same rock canvas, the

deer-goat image is executed with finesse and style by an artist who was

sure of his/her lines and strokes." At Alampadi, huge reptilian images

capture the rock surface while Settavarai boasts figures that could be

placed anywhere between 3,000 BCE and 500 BCE. The rock art at

Keelvalai was probably of a later period and depicts images of boating

scenes and symbols such as the swastika. Even though these sites have

been known by archaeologists for more than twenty years, very little

has been done so far to preserve the art forms that are usually near

granite quarrying sites. Art historian K.T. Gandhirajan says, "The

issue here is not of Tamil culture and heritage. Rock art belongs to

all of humanity. There are some 20 million rock art images in over 120

countries. What we have here in Tamil Nadu is part of an international

heritage."

 

3. Malaysia's Sri Muniswaran Temple Relocating

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/6/5/nation/

asttemp&sec=nation

 

KEDAH STATE, MALAYSIA, June 9, 2003: The MIC division here appealed to

the Kedah government yesterday for land to relocate the Sri Muniswaran

Temple in Jalan Kisap. The temple has been ordered demolished because

it was renovated illegally. Division chairman T.Manogharan said the

80-year-old temple was one of the oldest Hindu temples on the island.

"We understand that the temple was renovated without approval from the

local authority, but we hope the state government would reconsider its

decision," Manogharan said. He also urged the state to provide funds to

help them relocate, and that they needed two to three months for that.

The Langkawi Municipal Council and district office had moved heavy

machinery into the area following countless reminders to the temple

committee to relocate because it had encroached onto a public road.

According to Manogharan, the temple community apologized for not having

the foresight to notify the local authorities of their need to extend

the temple, saying they were ignorant of the process. He also thanked

Kedah CPO Datuk Supian Ahmad who mediated for the community over the

matter. Manogharan said the police had urged the community to relocate

the temple in three days. The temple committee would speak to Mentri

Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain to provide a site for the temple

relocation. In Alor Star, Syed Razak said the state had no intention to

oppress the devotees. "But the building is too near the road, so it has

to be demolished," he said. Syed Razak said the state was willing to

talk with the temple committee if they wanted land for a new temple.

However, he said, they would have to apply for the new land.

 

4. Pondicherry Girl Dances for 60 Hours for Guinness Book of Records

http://sify.com/news/offbeat/fullstory.php?id=13163207

 

PONDICHERRY, INDIA, June 4, 2003: A 20-year-old classical danseuse

performed bharata natyam for 60 hours, qualifying her to seek an entry

into the Guinness Book of World Records. Sangeetha, a final-year

student at the Bharathiyar Balakalaikoodam, completed the targeted task

at 9:15 p.m. last night after she began her dance at 8:30 a.m. on June

1. Unlike an earlier national record, where two Andhra Pradesh girls

entered the Limca Book of Records by performing bharata natyam and

kuchipudi each (for 40 and 50 hours respectively) by taking a break for

15 minutes after every eight hours, Sangeetha, who hails from this

town, took a brief rest (admissible as per Guinness Book norms) only

after every ten hours. Pondicherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy attended

the culmination of the taxing endeavor last night and presented her a

cash award of US$533 on behalf of the Bharathiyar Balakalaikoodam.

"Will power would help us achieve anything," he told the audience.

 

5. Chennai Temple to Have India's Tallest Hanuman statue

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13164504

 

CHENNAI, INDIA, June 5, 2003: The Board of Trustees of Panchamuka Sri

Jayamurthi Seva Trust have announced the creation of the tallest

Anjaneya (Hanuman) statue in India, currently sculpted in Kelambakkam

near Chennai. The statue will be installed in a temple being

constructed at Panchavatee on the Tindivanam-Pondicherry National

Highway. The temple is being built as a result of the divine ordainment

to Anjaneya devotee Brahmasari Ramani Anna. Brahmasari Anna was invited

by Santhanam to visit and grace his land. No sooner had he stepped on

to the land than a vision of a magnificent temple of Lord Anjaneya rose

before his eyes. "I had a vision. I was invited to grace the land of

Santhanam. No sooner had I set foot than I felt the presence of the

Lord Anjaneya. I saw a vision of his glorious temple standing there. I

shared my vision with Santhanam and he generously donated his land."

said Brahmasri Ramani Anna. Sculptor Padmasri Muthiah said the statue,

sculpted out of a single piece of granite, is 36 feet high with five

different faces, 10 hands and ornamentation and objects appropriate to

each facet of the Lord's grace. Muthiah says, "It is difficult to

sculpt on a single stone. The statue has ten hands with objects. It was

quite a challenge. A slight mistake and the statue would be ruined. It

took 36 sculptors to complete it in 26 months. Among all my works, this

is my masterpiece." The statue will be installed at Panchavatee, 9

kilometers from Pondicherry on June 11.

 

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