Question

Autobiography of an old Temple

Answer 1

     I am an old Hindu temple. I am in India. I am one of the temples that is not visited by people and is neglected in these modern days. I am about one thousand two  hundred years old. I am built in hard rock on the outside and limestone on the inside.

    My temple is constructed over a wide area.  At the front there is a tower standing to a height of 10 storeys. There are airy pigeon holes in it. There is a narrow staircase too to reach the top of this tower.  The top of the tower shines with brass coverings. 

   In the side of the temple there is a tall dhwaja stambh (cylindrical pillar). Devotees used to go around me first before seeing the deity. Then around the temple there is a corridor of about 100m on each side. The ground is made of natural stone. 

   In the inside of the temple there are very sacred idols of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Maheshwara under the same ceiling.  One salient feature of the temple is the large number of pillars. There are many statues and pictures sculptured on the temple and the frontside tower.  The various episodes of great Hindu epics are depicted pictorially on the walls.  They are so wonderful and simply magnificent.

   Due to the corrosion of impurities and chemicals in air and rains, the sculptures are partially damaged. Also the many invasions of muslim and mughal dynasties too have destroyed parts of my temple.  Further due to internal wars, negligence of local kings, and due to British rule many of my parts are damaged.  Some of important and valuable statues were taken away from my temple too.

   Now I am an old neglected temple among rocky, uneven and neglected waste lands. There are shrubs, plants and rocks everywhere inside. There used to be a lake full of water just beside me.  But over years due to lack of sufficient rains, it dried up. The deities are not prayed to.  It is so pathetic. 

   There are no roads from main cities to my place. But in ancient times, hundreds of pilgrims and devotees used to visit me everyday. They used to take the sacred bath in the temple lake and then donate their hair to the Gods. They used to donate money, cattle, gold, silver, and copper to the temple. The priests and brahmins used to perform puja thrice a day. The temple premises were full of bhajans and mantras.  Then flowers filled the temple with a fragrance that invoked devotion from inside of the mind.

   You know, though I am only temple to a lame person, there is a lot of skill demonstrated in my construction.  The balance of weight on pillars, the shapes of pillars, the tapering of the towers etc. are great features of architecture. The erection of tall cylindrical brass covered pillar is technological wonder.  The construction of such a tall tower with a staircase to the top is really great. Imagine taking large and heavy stones to the top. It is not simple without the help of cranes and machines. The limestone plastering keeps the inside cool. Many people used to take shelter here during their difficult times or wars. There is a secret path way also from inside the temple. That was meant for escapes during the wars.  The sculptures on the walls were very finely sculpted. However, many features got lost due to erosion.

 

   During those old days, the gurus used to teach Veda and Sanskrit to young disciples.  Scholars used to visit me. There used to scholarly discussions and debates on important issues. Also there used to be dances by renowned dancers in my premises. The stories associated with me and the stories depicted on me show the universal truth that Good always wins over Bad.

   Though I am a Hindu temple, I do not create a gap between Hindu and other religions. I encourage a discipline and feelings of Godliness and good morals. I only wish that people live peacefully, have fear in doing wrongs and help the helpless.  I also demonstrate the culture, arts, skills and technologies that existed thousands of years ago in the local civilizations.  You see, there is so much to learn from me. Also I am so useful to you all.  Many young boys write a lot of crazy writings on the walls of the temple. They spoil my natural beauty. They should not do that. Wish the youth will reduce the environmental pollution too. That will retain my natural state as long as possible.

    Though these are times of atheism and God is less priority compared to money, I instil faith in people.  I purify the minds and hearts of people.  I give them peace of mind and let them sleep well at night.  I hope that the modern and intelligent Indians with their latest technologies can revive my old greatness back. The government and many religious institutions should make some efforts to rebuild me. After all I am like your elders and ascendants.  I remind you all of the great history and golden times of your history and heritage.