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  There are many brilliant depictions of Ardhanarishwara across the country. But, standing before Him/Her at Gharapuri/Elephanta always feels special. As one moves from the Sadashiva who occupies the center space, with his magnifying spell, towering over us is the Ardhanarishwara. The Her part which we first encounter, the lips that twist to represent the masculine and the feminine is sure to cast a spell. The stylish way in which His hand rests on the Nandi, and the light coming from the left adds to our appreciation of the full form.  On my first visit after five years, in December, when I was standing there, I asked my friend who is a student of Carnatic Music, “why don’t you sing Ardhanarishwaram” … that song reverberated in my ears for long after I left the island that day, to only revisit it with another friend, the next week. I thought as someone who loves temple visits as much as Carnatic music, and listening to lot more of the mahan vaggeyakara Muthuswami Dikshitar in...

  Kanchipuram, Temples and Textile Motifs   Kanchipuram, as the name conjures up images of the towering temples and rustling silk, it is inevitable the connection between the two is made. Etched in stone and inscribed on slabs the stories of the temples, their makers, the donors makes it possible to discuss the evolution of the temple art and architecture, the festivals, rituals and the continuity of that over millennia. The underlying connection between the temples and the Kanchipuram silks in some ways is one – the divinity and the royalty. The vishwakarmas who built the large and small temples in the town, once a towering capital of the Pallavas, as well as the weavers who predominantly come from the Padma Saliyar, Pattu Saliyar, Devanga communities trace their evolution to divine command. Communities followed the principles that had a common basis. That the art is divine and they are ordained by the Gods to create, weave. The temples were made for the Gods and the robe...

Bateshwar today needs no introduction. Thanks to the mammoth restoration work, and one of the significant temple restorations in the country, the story of Bateshwar reconstruction actually is pretty well known by now. This remote place off-Gwalior and off-Morena in Madhya Pradesh has been a huge laboratory chiseling and perfecting the north Indian Nagara style temples. Bateshwar temples are credited to the time of Gurjara-Pratiharas who have been bulwarks against the Mohammdan invasion till Kannauj fell to Mohammad Ghauri in 11th century. Ravages of time, intensified by its history and geography the temples were nothing but huge heaps of rubble when the Archaeological Survey of India started the restoration work, well documented by archaeologist K.K.Muhammad.  The temple complex today has over 40 temples restored, and among them many do not have murtis in the garbhagriha, and only one temple in the whole complex is under worship apart from the Hanuman murti in the complex. The temp...