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Temples of Kashi - The Kardameshwar temple

The absence of ancient Hindu structures in Kashi is something I have always lamented about. The shrines are certainly ancient, and that is something that has always attracted me to the city. However, I miss the beauty of the ancient structures that we see at other sites. This feeling is intensified when I see marble and concrete and tiles in temples that once would have been beautifully adorned with evocative sculptures, and worn by the passage of time, touched by the hands of seekers who came before. This time , this desire to see some remnants of an ancient Hindu structure in Kashi came true when I managed to visit the Kardameshwar Temple. The Kardameshwar temple is not one of the main temples in the city. It is part of the temples on the Pancha Kroshi yatra, a pilgrimage which takes one on a circumambulatory tour of the whole city. The temple is located on the outskirts of the city, on the western bank of a tank called the Kardama Kund. The Kardameshwar temple is one of the...
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The Elephant of Elephanta

The first time I visited the Elephanta caves, I remember being told that the caves were so named because the island on which they stood resembled an elephant. It was only much later that I learnt that the name came, not from the imagined shape of the island, but from the sculpture of an elephant which once stood at the jetty welcoming visitors to the island.



The elephant sculpture was probably  installed by the kings who built the cave temples, but they were first noticed and mentioned by the Portuguese invaders.


When the British arrived, they tried to take the elephant back with them to England, but the crane carrying the sculpture broke and it shattered. The pieces were brought to the gardens we now know as Jijamata Udyan in Byculla, where they were put together.



And that is where the elephant stands today. At the Jijamata Udyan in Byculla, just outside the Bhau Daji Lad Museum.


Today, the Elephanta caves is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The elephant deserves to be part of that distinction too. Unfortunately, its state probably prevents it from being restored to its original site. However, it is worth making a trip to Jijamata Udyan to see this relic of our history.

P.S.
Knowing all this still doesn't stop me from looking out for the imaginary elephant shape of the island every time I visit Elephanta!! How the stories of our childhood stay back with us!

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Location: Jijamata Udyan, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Marg, Byculla East, Byculla, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Comments

  1. Santosh BsOctober 13, 2012 at 11:08 PM

    I never knew about this, I too was still fascinated with those stories...!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 14, 2012 at 11:36 AM

      Thanks Santosh! these stories are the only things we remember sometimes :D

      Delete
  2. MridulaOctober 14, 2012 at 1:01 PM

    I hardly have explored Mumbai so I thoroughly enjoyed reading this bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 15, 2012 at 10:11 AM

      Yes, Mridula! guess its high time u come to Mumbai... and there are lots of us here all set to help you explore!

      Delete
  3. R Niranjan DasOctober 14, 2012 at 2:36 PM

    Dint know that. Thanks for sharing this Anu.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  4. SudhageeOctober 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    The Elephant of Elephant, now the Elephant of Bhau Daji Lad Museum, is quite something. And in spite of its rather squat proportions looks quite real.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 17, 2012 at 9:23 AM

      Yes, Sudha.. its now the elephant of the museum.. and yes, at first i was a bit surprised to see how squat it appeared. but it did look rather real, too.. once i had got used to it!

      Delete

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