The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
The temples at Khajuraho are, at once, awe-inspiring by
their size and architectural splendour; and overwhelming by the profusion and
intricacy of the detailing. There is something to admire at every level – from
the minutest details only seen up close, to the overall effect as seen from afar,
or, in a modern parlance, from the micro the macro scale.
At first glance, all the temples at Khajuraho appear to be
similar, despite the differences in religious affiliation. Thus, the Shaiva,
Vaishnava, and even the Jain temples, seem to have the same kind of
architecture, and similar kinds of sculptures. This is not surprising, since
all the architects in Khajuraho followed the same tradition of architecture.
Besides, the same group of people probably worked on multiple temples,
irrespective of their religious beliefs. The differences however, lie in the
details, and, for this, we need to look closer. It is only when we get down to
the specifics of each temple, that we learn, that every figure, be it human,
animal, mythical or divine, has been placed in a particular spot, for a very
particular reason. In short, the sculptures are not for ornamentation, but they
have their place in the larger scheme of things, in the very philosophy behind
the building of the temple.
Rows of sculptures at one of the Jain temples. The figures are so similar to the ones that appear on the Brahminical temples |
Among the various sects who built the temples at Khajuraho,
the most prominent are the Vaishnavas, for, among the 25 temples still
standing, 10 are dedicated to various forms of Vishnu , among them, Vaikuntha,
Vamana, and Varaha. The Shaiva faith would have been just as equally important,
for there are 8 temples to Shiva, most prominent among them being the Kandariya
Mahadev, which is considered the pinnacle of art and architecture of that
period. While there are also temples to Surya and the Chausath Yoginis, the
five Jain temples in the Eastern group suggest the presence of a strong sect of
Jains, most of whom were ministers and merchants during the reign of the
Chandelas. While there is no Buddhist temple standing here now, the discovery
of a Buddha sculpture hints at the presence of Buddhist monks in the region at
some period of time.
With so many sects, each with their own philosophy and
beliefs, living in close proximity to each other, Khajuraho must have been an
epicentre of philosophical ideas and conversations, something which is
reflected in the temples as well.
Take the Lakshmana temple, which is based on the Pancharatra
system of Vaishnavism, which came from Kashmir. The original idol of Vaikuntha
Vishnu, which graced the sanctum came from the Chamba region, brought to
Khajuraho as a war trophy by the Chandela king Yashovarman in AD 954. The idol
which stands in the sanctum today is not the same, but one placed here at a later
date. The temple is built in the Panchayatan style, with four subsidiary shrines at the corners.
Vaikuntha is a composite form of Vishnu. He has four heads, of which three are visible here. Among the three visible heads, the front one is human, on his left, a boar, and on his right, a lion,
representing the Varaha and Narasimha avatars. The idol does not stand alone,
but is surrounded by icons, among which are the avatars of Vishnu, as well
as other forms according to the Pancharatra tradition. If you stand in the
centre of the pillared hall just outside the sanctum, you will notice that the
main idol in the sanctum, the panels around it, and the doorway, appear to be a
single entity. The doorway too is intricately carved with the various forms of
Vishnu, and the other divinities, including Brahma, Shiva, Lakshmi, the Nine
Planets or Navagrahas and Kubera. Together, this represents the idea of the
Viswaroopa of Vishnu, his cosmic form, encompassing all the divinities. This is
in conjunction with the Pancharatra system, where the Supreme Being is
Para-Vasudeva, who manifests in his various forms.
Vaikunta Vishnu in the sanctum of the Lakshmana Temple, with the three faces of human, boar and lion. Around him are depicted his various forms, according to the Pancharatra Vaishnava system. |
This symbolism continues outside the sanctum, as well, as if
the deity emerges from the shrine taking on different forms, at different
levels. Thus, the niches on the outer walls of the sanctum contain images of
Varaha, Narasimha, and Hayagriva, along with Vishnu as Narayana, seen with his
devotees. On the outer walls of the circumambulatory path inside the temple, we
have other deities, among them Parvati, Shiva, Brahma, Kartikeya, Sankarshana
or Balarama, Krishna, the Ashta Dikpalas, the guardians of the eight
directions, and the Bull headed Vasus who represent the different aspects of
nature.
Hayagriva - the horse-faced form of Vishnu, and above: VIshnu as Narayana, Lakshmana Temple |
All these deities appear once again on the outer walls of
the temple. Very interestingly, in the main niches of the outer walls are seven
planets, along with Ganesha and Ambika or Yogeeshwari. The Ashta Dikpalas, or
guardians of the eight directions stand guard on projections of the walls,
while the Vyalas and Surasundaris stand in the recesses.
Seven Grahas or planets, with Ganesha and Ambika on the main niches on the outside of the Lakshmana Temple. |
Spire of the Lakshmana Temple |
If the Vaikunta Vishnu is a study in iconographic detail,
the lingam in the sanctum of the Kandariya Mahadev temple is the exact
opposite, representing the unmanifest, or formless, or aniconic form of the
Lord, according to Shaiva Siddhanta. The lingam stands right at the centre of the sanctum,
directly under the finial, as if connecting the two levels of earth and heaven,
or humanity and divinity. However, the idea remains the same, since once again,
the unmanifest and transcendental Lord manifests himself in various forms, on
the walls, as if emerging from the shrine. Here, on the niches outside the
sanctum, we can see Tripurasura-samhara-murti, Andhakasura-samhara-murti, and
Kalyana-sundara-murti, along with some beautiful images of Sadashiva, the multi-headed
and multi-limbed, cosmic form of Shiva. To see this image, head over to the AIIS Database...
Once again, while we have forms of Shiva, as well as Vishnu, Brahma, and the other deities on the inner and outer walls, we also have the Saptamatrikas in the outer niches of the temple, as if circumambulating the shrine, along with the Ashta Dikpalas.
Once again, while we have forms of Shiva, as well as Vishnu, Brahma, and the other deities on the inner and outer walls, we also have the Saptamatrikas in the outer niches of the temple, as if circumambulating the shrine, along with the Ashta Dikpalas.
Saptamatrikas, along with Ganesha and Veerabhadra, circumambulating the Kandariya Mahadev Temple |
The name of the temple - Kandariya Mahadev comes from the local word for
cave, and the temple itself resembles a mountain, thus drawing parallels to
Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva.
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple |
The Jain temples follow a similar system, with various
divinities, both Yakshas, and Tirthankars, along with the Dikpalas, shown on
the outer walls.
Niches on one of the Jain Temples, the lower one a Tirthankar, and the upper one, a deity, probably a dikpala. |
At the Varaha Temple, where the temple itself is rather
simple, the massive idol of Varaha has over 625 deities carved on it, thus
symbolising the entire cosmic system.
Thus, it is interesting to see, that the temples here are
depicted as the centre of the universe, or the focal point of the entire
cosmos, with every icon in place according to the respective philosophical systems.
Thus, when we circumambulate the temple, we become a part of this cosmic system
as well, through the divinity which rests within us.
The temples, therefore, are so much more than just the idols
and sculptures. Seen as they are meant to be, they represent the cosmos itself!
It is fascinating to think, that well over a thousand years
ago, sculptors, artisans, builders and masons came together to work under
master architects and Acharyas of various orders, to create these monuments to
the gods, which stand tall even today, despite the vagaries of time. The patrons,
the planners, and the creators of these magnificent works of art are no more,
but their work lives on. Isn’t it time we give them their due, appreciating
them, for the amazing conception of the temples, in the context in which they
were built?
Wow great and beautiful temple with great history. Love this post :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Nutan! Each of these temples has a story, and a history as well.... we only need to look at the details, instead of only seeing the temples for their erotic sculptures.
DeleteFascinating! The incredible hours of labor that went into these temples is mind-boggling. It is a shame to see some of the damage to the sculptures, whether by time and weather, or intentional, since the sculptures tell such a story without even saying a word.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post!
You are welcome, Natalie... and you are so right.. each sculpture tells us stories. all we need to do is look and listen!
DeleteThis is an amazing post. Thanks for taking us through all the detail. Indian temple architecture fascinates me a lot - could I ask for a few suggestions on books, apart from that of Dr. Devangana Desai, that explain the iconography in our temples (North and South Indian) and various deities (some of which you've shown here)? Any help would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Pixel Voyages. There are plenty of books on Iconography, you can try starting with Gopinath Rao's books, which elaborately describe the iconography of all deities
DeleteWow, Anu. Reading this made me feel like I was back in Jnanapravaha attending Devangana Desai's class.
ReplyDeleteSuperb post and one that made me wonder if Vishnu is ever worshipped in the unmanifest form the way Shiva is in a temple. Is He?
Thank you so much, Sudha! So much of what I have been writing on Khajuraho has been based on Dr. Desai's talk, and her book, so it is no surprise at all! But feels so good to hear that from you!! I miss our classes!
DeleteAbout Vishnu, we do know that he is worshipped in the unmanifest form as a Saligrama, but I don't know if he was ever seen that way at Khajuraho, or even in the Pancharatra system. Lets remember to ask Dr. Desai this the next time we see her :)