Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

Friends,

Here is something I read today. Thought you might be interested.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/07/29/stories/2003072900110
200.htm

Mathy



TEMPLES ARE symbols of the country's rich cultural heritage. Some of
these architectural marvels have stood the test of time to tell us
about the great periods in history, be it the glory of the Cholas or
the aesthetic of the Hoysalas or the splendour of the Guptas.

However, there is more to temples than architecture and religious
connotation. These structures were considered socio-economic
institutions and symbols of royal authority and political power. But,
there were some aspects such as architecture that historians have not
fully explored to reconstruct the past in a more meaningful way. It
was to elaborate this aspect that R. Champakalakshmi, historian and
author, spoke to a gathering at Amethyst on Saturday on "Pantheons of
Power: Iconography of the royal temples in South India".

During the enlightening talk, the former Jawaharlal Nehru University
professor traced the history and development of South Indian
architecture, which goes back to the 7th Century. The temples she
chose to illustrate her talk with were the Rajasimheswara
(Kailasanatha) temple at Kanchipuram, the largest and most important
one built by the Pallava king, Rajasimha, and the majestic 11th
Century Rajarajeswara (Brihadeeswara) at Thanjavur, which speaks
volumes about the Cholas.

According to the professor, there were neither temples nor icons
during the Vedic period. It was with the advent of the Puranic Age
that deities gained prominence; the concept of bhakti emerged, and
became an ideological constant during the reign of the Cholas.

A new institutional force was created where the temple became the
focus, and it was designed to reflect the cosmic structure. The
Puranas became the basis for religious texts, especially in South
India. And temples began to reflect the ruling dynasty's ideas; they
became royal projects.





During the Pallava period, cave (rock cut) temples were popular, with
large bas-reliefs designed to accommodate narratives, episodic or
continuous. The main sites where one can see the unique style of the
Pallavas are Kanchi and Mamallapuram. In all Pallava temples, the
predominant motif is that of Somaskanda (Siva, Uma and Skanda), found
on the rear wall of the sanctum sanctorum. In fact, these temples are
veritable architectural sources for the emergence of Siva as a major
Agama deity.

Yet another aspect of Siva that was a favourite with the Pallavas was
that of Gangadhara. The rock cut temple at Tiruchi shows Siva with
Ganga. Here, there seems to an allusion to Siva and Ganga as the King
and the Cauvery, which flows by the temple.

When the Cholas arrived on the scene, temples became a product of
imperial vision and suggested royal authority. The grand temples, be
it the Rajarajeswara or Gangaikondacholapuram, were political
statements about the greatness and authority of the kings who built
them. And architecture was an expression of the growing power of the
Cholas. Of course, it goes without saying that their technology was
far superior.

Again, different icons gained prominence. Like Tripurantaka, who was
worshipped for the defeat and death of the enemy and has found
reference in Bhakti hymns; Chandeswara, guardian of the Siva shrine;
and Trivikrama, the Vamana avatar of Vishnu.

Champakalakshmi illustrated her talk with some slides of the
sculptures that adorn the walls of these temples. As one watched
these poems in stone, one could but only admire the aesthetic and
artistic sensibilities of the Chola kings. Like the well known
scholar Nilakanta Sastri writes, the temples "proclaimed the might
and majesty of the greatest empire of the Cholas." The Tamil saint-
poet Manickavasagar wrote "god is king, king is god". And some of the
royal temples of South India bear testimony to that thought.

Those interested in learning more about the connection between royal
ambition and temple construction can read R. Champakalakshmi's "The
Hindu Temple" (Roli Books).