My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
To
say that we were awed by Gwalior, would be putting it mildly.
At
first glance,
it seemed like any other old city in central India, built around the fort,
which loomed over the town from its strategic placement on the hillock. Ancient
monuments, mansions and palaces dotted the city, remnants of its rich heritage.
It looked like the ancient city it was, built over and over by the reigning
kings, the earliest settlement believed to date back to the 8th
century B.C. The Kushanas and Gurjara –Pratiharas once ruled this ancient land,
followed by the Tomars and the Mughals. As my school textbooks once drilled
into me, the city figured prominently in the 1857 uprising, and there was much
to remind us of this connection, from the names of the roads and the many
memorials. Then, as we wound our way on the hill, towards the fort, we were
greeted by a sight which banished all other thoughts….
These
are the colossal Jinas of Gwalior, carved into the rock face in the 15th century. There
are said to be over 1500 images, and all of them are believed to have been
carved within a period of about 30 years (between 1440 to 1473 A.D), during the
reign of two kings of the Tomar dynasty – Dungar Singh and Kirti Singh.
The tallest,
and certainly the most impressive statue here is that of Adinath or Rishabhnath,
which is over 58 feet tall.
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| The 58 ft tall statue of Adinath... It was quite a challenge to click this photo, with Samhith in the frame to give you an idea of the size! |
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| The face of the massive Adinath... what a serene smile! |
Standing
at his feet, looking
up at his face, the sense of awe I felt is impossible to describe. At that
moment, I could completely understand the need we feel to build bigger and
bigger statues of our gods. The only thing is, I prefer the old ones, and not
those which keep cropping up today!
 |
| The other statues may not be as big... but they are just as impressive! Can you imagine how they must have carved all this out of the solid rock face? |
However, the feeling of awe wasn’t only
linked to size. It lay in the sheer numbers, as well as their locations.
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| Two statues which look incomplete... over another part of the rock face..now imagine climbing up here to carve them! |
We had
iron and steel
steps and handrails to help us reach them, and look at them without worrying
about falling down the steep cliff. It was simply incredible to think of those
who climbed up here to carve them! For example, take a look at this panel of Jinas....
which was carved inside a cave way up on the rock face.. I couldn't climb up, but Samhith did. The pic was clicked by him... you can see the panel behind him in the pic below...
It is
even more interesting to note that according to inscriptions, a Jain layman and poet, Raidhu,
was at the centre of this massive project! The Tomar kings were his patrons,
though most of these sculptures seem to have been sponsored by rich merchants
of Gwalior. The Digambar monks at Gwalior were also patronized by the kings,
and Raidhu seems to have been one of their followers.
As to
why these Jinas
were carved into the rock, the answers are many, and open to discussion. Some
believe these were offerings, the sizes depending on the sponsor’s purse. However,
it has also been suggested that these massive carvings also had a different
purpose – to identify this sacred hill, then known as Gopagiri, when the time
for dissolution of the world! Whatever the purpose, there is one truth that
stands out – that the Kings, merchants, and monks, all supported a poet, to
create these massive sculptures, which have lasted long after they passed,
telling us stories of a time when religious diversity was a way of life here.
These
colossal sculptures set the tone for our Gwalior trip, and our expectations were high as we
headed towards the fort. Were they met or not? Wait to find out in my
forthcoming posts!
Information:
- The Jinas carved into the rock face can be seen on the way to Gwalior fort. There are well cut paths, steps and railings to view most of them.
- Further Reading:
- Mountains of Eternity - Raidhu and the colossalJinas of Gwalior
- Illustrations and photographs of Gwalior,Columbia.edu
- Jainism: A pictorial guide to the religion of Non-violence, Kurt Titze, Klaus Bruhn
Note: Special thanks to R.Venkatesh (@heritage_sites) and Sudha (@sudhagee) for telling me about these beautiful sculptures! If it wasnt for Venkatesh's fantastic photos and Sudha bringing them to my notice, I probably would have missed seeing them!
The carvings are amazing.. and a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Ls!
DeleteBeautifully captured. This sure is a exciting trip.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rajesh! It certainly was exciting!
DeleteOur history, our culture and a place to witness the beauty of it ..Excellent work Mam.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sumit.
Deletenice
ReplyDeleteI see Frist time.Many thanks to u
ReplyDelete