symbolism of hindu temple in kerala_1

8/18/2019 Symbolism of Hindu Temple in Kerala_1

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SYMBOLISM OF HINDU TEMPLE IN KERALA:

EMPHASIS ON SPACE AND FUNCTION

Tatjana Vorinski

Pro!ssor: Ka"a C#o$i%anikan&i$i"

Mani'a" Instit(t! o t!)#no"o*$+ Mani'a" S)#oo" o Ar)#it!)t(r!

,P"annin*

Mani'a"+ -./-0


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Cont!nts

Introduction................................................................................................................4

Symbolism of temples today: changes?.....................................................................5

Education?...............................................................................................................5

Distribution of wealth?............................................................................................6

hanges in li!ing habits.........................................................................................."

#indu religion............................................................................................................. $

oncepts..............................................................................................................$

%hilosophy.......................................................................................................... &'

(ythology.......................................................................................................... &)*ituals................................................................................................................&+

Space manifest of religion: ,astu Shastra.............................................................&5

-ature and architecture..................................................................................... &"

#uman body and architecture............................................................................&

omparati!e analysis of architecture of two temples............................................)&

%admanabhaswamy temple............................................................................... ))

/rishna 0emple at 1uru!ayur............................................................................. )+

ulture of /erala....................................................................................................... )+

2rigins and in3uence............................................................................................)+

cti!ity manifest of culture in temples meeting point of art and religion...........)+

omparati!e analysis of acti!ities of two temples................................................)4

originally...........................................................................................................)4

present time......................................................................................................)4

onclusion: Symbolism of temples...........................................................................)4

*eferences................................................................................................................)5

e*eferences.............................................................................................................. )5


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Intro&()tion

Study that in!estigates boundaries between religion and culture with their physical

manifestation in form of temple architecture in /erala state. 7hat is the role of

temples in modern India? Is there a need for functional restoration? #ow does

architecture respond? 7e8ll gi!e answer on these 9uestions by gi!ing parallel

analysis between %admanabhaswamy temple& and 1uru!ayur Sri /rishna 0emple)

while we eamine !arious aspects of space and function.

&http:;;en.wi


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S$%1o"is% o t!%'"!s to&a$: )#an*!s2

ll the ma>or temples in ancient India were more


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it now all degenerated into mute followers of rituals and superstitions

(

Each modern temple should ha!e a dedicated place for spending some

time on reading and meditation. It is common practice to sit down

somewhere in the temple premises before lea!ing. But nowadays mostpeople spend such time loo


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is distributed among the needy who belie!e in it. 0here should be a

system to spend part of temple income e!ery month for the bene@t of

the poorC who are regular worshippers at the temple. 2f courseC priests

need money to pay for the temple epensesC maintenance and

essential de!elopment. But what is the point in ha!ing money in ban<

deposits in the name of an all powerful 1od? Hor a hungry man food is

1od and for someone in painsC a pain


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Hin&( r!"i*ion

Hinduism. There is one root word in the term /Hindu. It is called hidi. Hidi means a

man who moves on the path of spirituality, and who neglects all the worldly

pleasures and other passions for that spiritual upliftment. He is a Hindu. 0ow, when

people as1 me, /2hat do you mean by Hindu?, I say there are ve letters in the

word Hindu. H stands for honesty, I stands for integrity, 0 stands for nobility, 4

stands for devotion, and 5 stands for unity. And, I say any person who strives for

these ideals is called patasheela, which means ve good things. 6ou may believe

in any cult you want, any path you want, but do you believe in honesty, do you

believe in integrity, and nobility, devotion, and unity If you do, you are a Hindu. 7o

this is why we say to people of other religions, /"o and convert others, as you li1e.

8hristians, go and convert. Islamic people, go and convert others. 9ut Hindus never

convert anyone because anyone who holds to these ve values is a Hindu by birth.2hy should I try to convert you :

Con)!'ts

0he term L#indu8 is related to the word Sindhu the name of a ri!erC which is


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&'''' B.. and that the earliest of the #indu scriptures 0he *ig ,eda was

composed well before 65'' B.. 0he word O#induismO is not to be found anywhere

in the scripturesC and the term O#induO was introduced by foreigners who referred to

people li!ing across the *i!er Indus or SindhuC in the north of IndiaC around which

the ,edic religion is belie!ed to ha!e originated.

0here is no Pone #induismQC and so it lac


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P#i"oso'#$

#indu is an indi!idual who accepts and li!es by the religious guidance of the ,edic

scriptures. 7hile the teachings of the #indu tradition do not re9uire that you ha!e a

religious aJliation to #induism in order to recei!e its inner teachingsC it can be !eryhelpful to formally become a #indu because it pro!ides one a formal connection to

the Pworlds oldest continually eisting enlightenment tradition.O

/Hinduism is not *ust a religion with a long history. 0or is it *ust the religion that

gave birth to ;ainism and 9uddhism. It is more than a set of dates and related ideas.

Hinduism is also a di


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0he boy desires to learn moreC so the father instructs him in a more concrete way.

P%leaseC HatherC tell me more about this Self.Q

PesC dear oneC I willCQ Rddala


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M$t#o"o*$

#induism is generally associated with a multiplicity of 1odsC and does not ad!ocatethe worship of one particular deity. 0he gods and goddesses of #induism amount to

thousands or e!en millionsC all representing the many aspects of only one supremebsolute called PBrahmanQ.

0herefore CCUto believe that the multiplicity of deities in Hinduism ma1es it

polytheistic is erroneous. The ig +eda says> !1am sath, +ipraah bahudhaavadanti ?The Truth is one@. However, to e&uate 9rahmanB with "odB is imprecise.It is neither the old man in the s1yB concept, nor the idea of something capable of being vengeful or fearful. C

0he doctrine of Spiritual ompetence Ldhi


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Sunil ,aidyanathanC 0emples of South IndiaC English edition %ublishers and Distributers %!t.Mtd.C (umbaiC )'').


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Rit(a"s

(ore interesting are the consecration rites whichC according to !astu shastra tets

from dierent regional traditionsC call down the cosmos the gods AC to inhabit thebody of the temple in its full tree dimensions.

lthough e!ery #indu home contains its own altarC a place for personal worshipC

the temple holds a special place in the life of the people. In dierent religious

traditionsC the churchC the mos9ue or the synagogue is considered to be the Ohouse

of 1odCO but in #induism the temple is the Ohome of 1od.O

#indus belie!e that 1od is omniscient and all per!adingC yet #e is personally

present in the temple in #is Deity manifestation to pro!ide #is de!otee the

opportunity of rendering direct ser!ice to #im. 0he Mord is our father and it is ourduty to go before #im and submit our account to #imC to re9uest forgi!eness for our

wrongdoings and beg strength to li!e in constant remembrance of #is will.7orship

in the temple is considered more bene@cial than worship at homeC because the

association of so many other de!otees and the spiritual atmosphere free from

domestic distractions nourishes faith and de!otion.

0he rituals while !isiting the temple e!o


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etraordinary beauty of the temple and be inspired with a mood of sacri@ce and

sel3essness. 7ithout centring their ser!ice on the DeityC the tendency of the people

will be to epend their eorts on indi!idual impro!ement of material standardsC by

which they de!elop an attitude of sel@shnessC greed and separatism.

(ost #indu temples are open e!ery day of the year from morning to nightC eceptfor a short period in the afternoonC but !isitors li


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S'a)! %ani!st o r!"i*ion: Vast( S#astra

,astu in Sansmaterials, techni&ues of building, the methods of environmental control.

+astuidya is the 1nowledge of building science.MN

In purely physical terms temples are structures built in durable materials which

aesthetic features to ser!e as places for worship. In metaphysical terms they are

abodes of godsC the !ery sight of which brings >oy to the onloooy.

temple is the house of 1od and a place of worship for all. lthough 1od is

omnipresent and #is worship can be done in all placesC still #is presence is felt more

in a temple than anywhere else.

0he temple pro!ides an en!ironmentC which helps human to commune with theDi!ine. By constant and regular worship performed by the de!otees of the templeC

holy !ibrations are created and maintained there which help people. IndeedC

measurements and proportions are crucial to the proper construction of a #indu

temple. They ?temples@ are embodiment of faith which inspires their e$istence.MM

2herever the Hindu temple stands, wherever age witnessed its growth, and to

whatever siOe, as house, body and substance of "od ?the !ssence@ to dwell in, it is

built in principle on the same plan, the +astupurusamandala. ML?the s&uare divided

into compartments @. Although this ritual diagram is neither the ground plan of the

&' Balagopal 0.S. %rabhuC . chyuthan C0he tet boo< of ,astu!idya

&& 0rimurti ,. Sairam &$)AC Indian temple: forms and foundationsC pg.&".

&) Stella


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templeC nor necessarily the plan of the siteC it regulates them. It is drown on the

ground prior to the building of the temple and on it the temple stands either in fact

or symbolically. In principle it is always s9uare and it is record of an architectural

rite. %urusa is the uni!ersal EssenceC the %rinciple of all thingsC the prime %erson

whence all originates. ,astu is the site. In bodily eistenceC %urusaC the EssenceC

becomes the Horm. 0e temple building is the substantialC and the Lplan8 mandalaA isthe ritualC diagrammatic form of the %urusa. %urusa himself has no substance. 0he

substance is woodC bric< or stone in the temple.

0he notion that there is nothing staticC nothing abidingC but only the 3ow of a

relentless processC with e!erything originatingC growingC decayingC !anishing this

wholly dynamic !iew of lifeC of the indi!idual and of the uni!erseC is one of the

fundamental conceptions of later #induism.


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Nat(r! an& ar)#it!)t(r!

/)ife as a pilgrimage from birth to death has many stations. In India death is but another station and itself does not bring nal release. %inal release from all

conditions of e$istence, from all limitations, is gained trough KnowledgeP andKnowledge, the realiOation of 7upreme identity, is the means and the end itself> it gives and is release. 7ome attain it while alive, others in death. To the great massof people, other roads lie open which also lead to the 8entre, besides Knowledge.Gilgrimage is one> it brings *oy and release to those who have achieved control of their minds and of the actions of their hands and feet. / M3

The places of pilgrimage are distributed everywhere and are called Tirtha and

Ksetra. Tirtha is the name of a place of pilgrimage on the ban1 of the river, the sea

shore or a la1e. The meaning of a word is a fort, a passage. The Thitras and 1setras

on Indian soil are potent sites where a presence is felt to dwell. Its support is in the

place itself. 2hatever ma1es the site conspicuous or memorable is reinforced in its

e


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-ature is also present in form of rituals. In temple ritualC the 1arbhagraham is seen

as the O seed O of the temple. In the rite of gharbadhanaC a pot containing precious

stones and other ritual items is buried below the 1arbhagraham. 0he seed

symbolically germinatesC growing directly upward through the center of the si


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H(%an 1o&$ an& ar)#it!)t(r!

L8 0he *ich will ma manas microcosms and cosmos as macrocosms.&"

If the temple symbolises the body of god on the macrocosmic planeC it e9ually

symbolises the body of man on the microcosmic palne. 0he names of the !arious

parts of the temple are the !ery names used to denote the !arious parts of human

bodyV Moo< at the following technical names: paduanghaC

uruC galaC gri!aC


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position where the main deity is installed is compared to the forehead of humanC

where Mord Si!a8s third eye is situated. 0hat8s why a 1opuram consists of an odd number of stories +C 5C "C etc. 0hree

represents the three states waa 1opuram is that when one !isits a 0empleC

one should turn his anta


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Co%'arati4! ana"$sis o ar)#it!)t(r! o t3o t!%'"!s

/erala is a land of traditions and festi!als. 0he boat racesC the har!est festi!al of

2namC the lush green !egetationC the painted gopurasC the /atha


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Pa&%ana1#as3a%$ t!%'"!

Gadmanabhaswami Temple at Trivandrum is rectangular in plan as it houses

Anantasayi fom of +ishnu. The main temple is completely hidden behind the vast

&uadran&ular enclosures, the nuclei, the establishments dating bac1 to the IQ and Q

centur.MC

/4enig feature of 4ravida order or style are aedicules D small shrines. MJ

0his ,ishnu temple is the largest temple comple in /erala. 0he temple is belie!ed

to ha!e been consecrated during the reign of *a>a (arthanda!arma circa .D. &'5'C

but it is belie!ed that the smaller temple preceded this by at least @!e hundred

years. In .D. &6$6C the temple was almost destroyed in a ma>or @re and was

restored and partially rebuilt in the year &"). under the patronage of *a>a

(arthanda!arma Ls descendents. In factC *a>a8s muni@cence almost drained the

state eche9uer in one year. #is Keal for construction and reno!ation started e!enbefore he formally ascended the throne. 0he construction of the sanctum sanctorum

was gi!en highest priority and the huge gilded idol of the recumbent ,ishnu was

consecrated during his reign. 0he magni@cent se!en storeyed eastern gopuram on

which wor< was started as early as &566 and was completed up to the @fth storey

under his patronage. nother colossal feat was construction of the Sribalipura

circumambulatory passage encircling the sanctumAC the awe inspiring rectangular

corridor encircling the central shrine. I was completed in a mere se!en months

employing the ser!ice of &''' masonsC "''' laborers and &'' elephants.

0he temple li


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re!eal any hidden weapon. 0his tradition still continues to the utter chagrin of many

un uninitiated.

Kris#na T!%'"! at 6(r(4a$(r

Krishna Temple at "uruvayur, 4istrict Trichur, is still open to the s1y or hypaethral in

type ?as numerous 9hagavati shrines in Kerala that are in the form of rooEess

templeLN

0he present temple dates bac< to &6th century. It s belie!ed that the peripatetic

saint Shan


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C("t(r! o K!ra"a

Ori*ins an& in7(!n)!

0he land of /erala was


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reclaimed by the mythical heroC Sage %arasurama and that was how /erala came

into being. But references from #ebrew tets gi!e the e!idence that /erala had

trade contacts with %hoenicia and EgyptC long before the ryan incursion.


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A)ti4it$ %ani!st o )("t(r! in t!%'"!s 8 meeting point of art

and religion21

0he !ariety of templesC numbering more than )''' dotting the /erala state has no

match with any other regions of India. 0he temples of /erala highly de!eloped in

strict accordance to two temple construction thesisC 0hantraSamuchayam and

Sliparatnam. 7hile the former deals in de!eloping structures that regulates energy

3ows so that positi!e energy 3ows inC while negati!e energy do not trend to remain

retarded within the structureN whereas the latter deals in de!eloping stone and

timber architecture in such manner that each car!ed structure imbibe a life and

personality of its own.

8ultural activities ranging from music and bha*ons to theatre and dramas have

ta1en place in the temple.LL

Dan)! 0heyyam 0heyyam also


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Kann$arka"i /annyar


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Lit!rat(r! nother important aspect of culture of /erala is the literature of the

state. (any old woror contribution also too< place during //


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Co%'arati4! ana"$sis o a)ti4iti!s o t3o t!%'"!s

Hor what purpose we are going to a temple? SimpleC but diJcult to answer. Each

one has their own reason for !isiting. 0he most common answer we found isC it8s for

religious or spiritual prayer or upasana. Some says its part of their daily routine

which they are used to. s we concerned about famous temples in ust a pilgrim center. It has number of other roles to play in

day to day life. It acts as a social welfare centreC a tourist placeC an art and cultural

centre and a place where all human being gets mental peace and harmony. But no

one really


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Con)"(sion: S$%1o"is% o t!%'"!s


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R!!r!n)!s

dam #ardy )''"AC 0he temple architecture of IndiaC ohn 7iley G Sons Mtd.C 1reat

Britain

Balagopal 0.S. %rabhuC . chyuthan )'&&AC0he tet boo< of ,astu!idyaC

/oKhi


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symbolism of hindu temple in kerala_1

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