Konarak and Jagannath cast a spell
Puri
“Here [Konarak] the language of stone surpasses the language of human."
-Rabindranath Tagore
-Rabindranath Tagore
Puri (Odisha) is a not-so-big,
laid-back town but abuzz with the din and bustle of tourists and pilgrims
arriving and leaving in large numbers. It is dotted with hotels, resorts and
lodges catering to all pockets, big and small. The ‘city road’ is unkempt and
narrow and rather hazardous for a pedestrian. The Oyo room I stayed in with my
better half was uninspiring but passable. After some food and rest, we hired a
cab and headed straight to the 13th century wonder- the Konarak Sun
temple dedicated to Sun god, about an hour’s drive (35 Kms) from Puri. The road
was excellent and the rich, green forest on both its sides made the journey
more delightful. Further on, on the right one could catch glimpses of the vast
expanse of sea and the beaches through the foliage- all bewitchingly beautiful.
But alas! The leftovers – plastic bags, cups, plates and what not! – that the
unscrupulous picnickers and revellers had littered those splendid beaches with,
made me squirm and fume in anger and shock. Are we basically a shabby, dirty
people? For, no one in his/her right mind would even dream of fouling these
pristine, sun-washed sands and such clean and clear waters.
Konarak, a 'World Heritage Site', is stunningly awesome. It
takes one’s breath away by its sheer magnificence and grandeur. The stone
carvings on its walls depicting lissom and lithe figures of amorous women and men in
various erotic postures mostly based on our classic, ‘Kamasutra’, make one
marvel at the amazing creative genius of those workmen. And you earnestly wish
those masters of art materialised before you so you could fall at their feet
and say, “You have been no ordinary mortals. What great heritage you have left for
us. How dearly we wish, your unparalleled skill and unique craftsmanship had
endured the ravages of time and been passed on to the present generations as
well.” The beauty and wonder of this ‘poetry in stone’ overwhelms you with
pride over our great ancient Hindu religion - so liberal, so all-encompassing,
so inclusive - where women and men enjoyed freedom and equality of status and
lived life to the fullest. Where sex was not a (sinful) forbidden word but an
aspect of celebration of life; where there were no restrictive moral codes, no
man-made fetters and shackles to constrict the free human spirit and stifle the
broad, rich sweep of the greatest of religions: Hinduism. How sad that
subsequent inroads and intrusions by the orthodoxy of the Muslims, then the
Church and the Hindu fundamentalists and clergy crippled and distorted it to
its present insular form: the so-called Hindutva.
After going round the temple for
a couple of hours with helpful inputs provided by our pan-chewing guide we
returned to our Oyo room in a state of trance.
Early next morning we visited one
of the greatest of temples so much revered by us Indians: the well-known
Jagannath built in the 12th century. A visit to this temple is one
of the Char Dham pilgrimages we Hindus are supposed to undertake during our journey
of life. Again, the immensity of its size and the stone carvings on its great,
high walls - all awesome - are something that makes visiting it a sublime,
soul-stirring experience. But getting to have the darshan inside the sanctum
sanctorum is no cake walk. You have to contend with the pandas and make your
way through the milling crowds. We were lucky. We had bumped into three kindly
Bengali gentlemen- the ‘bhadralok’ from Kolkata (and made friends with them)
during our train journey to Puri. Ably led by their captain, the tall and
affable Mr Utpal Kar, we could overcome our scare and dread of a possible
stampede and were able to have the darshan and pay our obeisance. Being at the
head, he muscled his way through and made it all possible for us. And to boot,
they also had us join them for a sumptuous breakfast at their fine guest house
on our way back, rounded off by an unforgettably delicious Bengali sweetmeat, 'Chenapora'. We owe them our heart-felt thanks and look forward to having them visit our hill
state (Palampur included), beautiful in its own way.
 |
| The Konarak Sun Temple |
Stone carvings of Konarak
Yours truly at Konarak
With my Bengali friends after visiting Jagannath and feeling blessed
***
I did not personally visit the temple..But this travelogue visually took me to the place.
ReplyDeleteI have got to learn so much from your writing styles. It is very engaging and engrossing.
Looking forward to your next blog.
Thanks very much Devyani. I am so glad you liked going through my narrative. You write so well. As you go on, you will be able to hone your writing skills by and by. Just keep writing and I am also looking forward to your next post.
DeleteThanks once again Subhash for taking us to Konark and Jaganath temples in Orrisa and stirring up our suppressed feelings. The architecture of ancient India simply defies logic.Look at The Taj Mahal which casts a spell on minds of millions.But besides these,there are countless such marvels of world fame such as Khajuraho depicting the same erotic poses mentioned by you that stir a glint in one's eyes.These statues depicting a variety of possible poses reveal the true nature of human being's quest for sex as a basic necessity which calls for no pretensions.
ReplyDeleteThanks dear RP for your abiding interest in my small little posts.Yes, so very true: India of yore is so full of wonders. We are justly proud of our great heritage. Only, we need to preserve this magnificent heritage by all means. one is often upset by the lack of upkeep and 'swachhata' at such great and sacred places even. Thanks very very much once again!
ReplyDelete