A GEM OF A TEMPLE

 

 



A GEM OF TEMPLE

 

 

      Some years ago , on a rainy evening I read the book ‘Pallavas of Kanchi’. I think it was written in the British days and the author let his imagination soar about the Kailasanatha  temple in Kanchi  built by Rahasimha Pallava and how it was the precursor of temples of Kamboja (modern day Cambodia).

 

     Years later after my marriage I visited Kanchi and the Kailswanatha temple. The temple was set amidst paddy fields. It was glorious sight but the temple was showing signs of wear and tear. The setting was picture perfect with the paddy fields blending with the ambience of the temple. One wonders why the Pallava and Cholas chose interior places as their capital when they were sea faring kingdoms. The answer was obvious when you find that they had sea ports no too far away. The eastern coromandal coast was prone to storms and cyclones and it was safer to have a capital located inland from the coast.  From old records we find that Kanchi was a thriving town even at the at the begin g  of Christian era and it was a  bustling Buddhist and Jain centre before Hinduism took over.

 

    When Rajasimha started building a temple to Siva, the forested area would have been cleared and the construction must have taken years. The site is some distance away from the centre of the present city. He probably wanted it to be a private place where he and his family could worship. What turned out was a gem of piece of striking beauty. A perfect place for meditation and communion with god. Theories abound on the Cambodian influence or Pallavan Influence on Cambodian temples.

 

 

This august I visited Kanchi again with Vasanta, Kamini and Aditi. Our first call was the Kailasanatha temple. It is still away from the town centre but road leading to it was crowded and filled with buildings and shops  – not empty as during my last visit nearly four decades ago. The surrounding paddy fields had disappeared. The temple was maintained by the Archaeological Society if India. One could make it out by the trade mark signs, clean surrounding and manicured lawns round the temple. Though not a worshipping temple the ubiquitous priest was there and of course the tout who made sure that you paid the proper amount for the chanting the mantras. One was struck by the contrast to Cambodian temples where you sometimes saw a Buddhist priest who left you severely alone unless you wanted to light candles. I also wondered if lawns around was the right thing. Would it not have been better to try to create the ancient ambience by having trees and forest around? The tragedy of Indian temples is that they were designed to have a lot of  space all round so that you could appreciate the magnificent edifice as you walked in. Now the temples are so built round that you have to crane your neck and even miss magnificent sight. Fortunately Kailasanatha temple is small temple, not a regular worshipping one and not much is lost even with the crowded road nearby. The ASI is in the process of restoring the temple. Here again trying to restore the crumbling carving to its original is self defeating. One must try to preserve and leave it at that. The restored Temple tower stands out like a sore thumb.

The collage below of old view, present view and a Cambodian temple is worth studying. First you notice the similarity between the Kailshanatha Temple and the Cambodian temple. You notice how the Kanchi temple has withstood the ravages of centuries. The renovated Gopuram looks out of place. Lastly the similarites of all the temples  are remarkable.

 

 

 

     When Nandivarman built his Magnus opus Vaikunta Perumal temple it was on a much bigger scale. On the inside panels round the temple we have Nadi varman’s life and rule inscribed in panels. We are reminded of the panels in Angkor Vat. The temple was changing from a simple place of worship into a royal statement with imperial overtones of battles won and rising stature of the rulers in the world.  

 

 

The temple was becoming a social and cultural centre and this aspect was developed fully by the Cholas in the coming centuries. A small temple like Kailashnath temple was left alone but Vaikunta Perumal temple had the pillared corridors added by the Vijayanagar rulers five centuries later in a more ornate style.

 

 

So Kailashnatha temple has remained in its pristine glory  and beauty .It was too small to attract modification by later rulers, and too small to attract divinity and attendant crowds of devotees. It is a place of solitary glory, an uncut gem where you can have peace and relaxation amidst the bustle and noise all round you. Probably this was Rajasimha’s private place of worship and relaxation where he came morning and evening to get away from worries of establishing his dynasty. There are very more gems waiting to be discovered in the south but here you have  one in your backyard, so to say, if you are in Chennai.

 

Mosaic of the gem Kailashanatha temple.

 

 

Photographic credits-   ASI, British museum and Kamini Dandapani

 

Raja Ramakrishnan

11^th September 2011

 

 

 

Comments

[Raji]

Interesting read and nice pictures.

[Sekar]

Enjoyed reading this and tying it up with the talk we heard.

[Kamini]

A lovely read, Appa. You have really captured the serene beauty of the Kailasanatha Temple. How I wish I could have seen it amidst the paddy fields! This brought back nice memories!

[Kamini]

Even better with the new picture.

[Agni Sharman]

Wow... what a read...

I am so excited to see this blog..

Thank you so much for sharing the link

[Revathi]

Such beautiful photos and write up! I was in the kailasanathar temple as a teenager way back in the seventies and made a lasting impression on me. Often i dream about how these temples might have been during the reign of the pallavas. Atleast they didnt get painted in gaudy blue and pink like the ranganathar temple in Srirangam. I cant bear to see these temples anymore. I have to wait for the paint to wear off..

[jobs in austin]

It is indeed a holy place. i can't wait it to see it myself.

[ציוד לבריכות שחיה]

Great and fantastic temples. I like it's design which is really unique in all over the world. The shape and hand work on the wall of temple is very awesome.