A DAY OF DIFFERENT DELIGHTS
(By Subbaram Danda)
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| The bewildering entrance to a Hanuman temple in Karol Bagh, Delhi |
It was our fleeting visit to Delhi – just a day of transit on
our way back home from Nainital after a short holiday in the hill station last month. We -- my wife and I -- had to make good use
of the time at our disposal, as our last visit to the capital city was nearly
two decades ago.
Our priority was to visit Akshardham temple – “an abode of eternal
divinity” – inaugurated in 2005. Hailed
as an architectural marvel on the banks of the Yamuna, it is dedicated to
spiritual leader Swaminarayan, who lived in the later part of the eighteenth
and the first half of the nineteenth century radiating “divinity, peace and
joy” through his preachings and actions.
As we stepped into the Akshardham
complex in the evening after security checks, we could see far ahead of us a wide,
ornate portal. Once through it, a
magnificent panorama unfolded with artistically outstanding buildings, wide
pathways, sweeping lawns, flower gardens and water bodies. A two-storeyed, covered, red stone colonnade
of walkway with small towers at intervals encircled the complex like a garland
of crimson roses. Bewitching sculptures
adorned every structure. Spread over 100
acres, we were told, the entire complex had been developed into a treasure trove
of “Indian art, heritage and values.”
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| Swaminarayan shrine (Photo: courtesy of Akshardham temple) |
The focal point of the complex is a
creatively imposing shrine with nine domes and 20 pinnacles, supported by as
many as 234 intricately chiselled pillars.
Inside, under the central dome, glitters an eleven-foot-high,
gold-plated, serene statue of Swaminarayan in awesome brilliance in a sitting
posture. The dazzle of the profusely
carved backdrop overwhelms any visitor. The
lighting is imaginatively done. In large
niches on inner walls shine images of some of the gods of the Indian pantheon --
Sita Ram, Radha Krishna, Lakshmi Narayan and Siva Parvati. Sculpted figures of various divine forms,
spiritual leaders and great devotees can be seen everywhere, including the
pillars, brackets, walls and roofs of the other inter-connected domes.
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| The gold-plated statue of Swaminarayan (Photo: courtesy of Akshardham temple) |
The shrine, measuring 141 feet in
height, 316 feet in width and 356 feet in length, rises on a plinth that
displays sculpted panels running all around depicting elephants, highlighting
their place in nature and their relationship with the divinity, human beings,
animals and birds. Anecdotes of
elephants drawn from epics, scriptures and mythology also find expression here. A placid lake sanctified by the waters
collected from 151 rivers, wells and other holy sources skirts the shrine on
three sides. An outstanding aspect is
that in its construction ancient Indian architectural traditions were employed,
using only pink stones and white marble.
Steel had no place there.
Among other highlights of the temple
complex are chariots of the sun and the moon and a cultural garden with
numerous bronze statues of India’s noble personalities. There are thematic gardens as well. A unique structure is a step-well-styled
sprawling courtyard, where visitors sit to watch special water shows aided by
laser beams at specified timings. There
are halls for exhibitions, which take the visitors through centuries of Indian
heritage, traditions, sacred places and festivals. While the entry into the complex is free,
there is a ticket for the water show and the exhibitions.
The statistics of Akshardham are
awesomely astounding. More than 300
million man-hours went into its making.
Over 8,000 volunteers from all over the world participated in its
construction. It reached fruition in
just five years.
The next morning we drove round the
capital city visiting temples and passing by central government offices. Our first halt was at a Hanuman temple in
Karol Bagh. Constructed in 1997, it has
astounding features. The entrance to the
temple is through a broad cave-like structure that recreates the open mouth of
a ferocious demon, which Hanuman is believed to have slain in the epic Ramayana
and left in the throes of death. Its
teeth, lips, nostrils and eyes have been scarily done up. Inside straight ahead, in the sanctum the
Hanuman idol appears colourfully decorated with sindoor, flowers and other
materials. There are shrines for
several other deities also.
Straddling the slain demon, a gigantic
108-foot-tall statue of Hanuman stands soaring into the sky, towering over an
elevated metro line in close proximity.
The statue covers its chest with fingers of both the hands. We were told
that on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when special prayers are conducted, the fingers
move apart revealing an open chest with the shining images of God Rama and his
consort Sita inside, as depicted in Ramayana.
To see this spectacle, large crowds throng the place at these
times. Is it a miracle? Our information is that a special mechanism
has been devised, which makes this possible when activated from inside the
temple. The Hanuman statue has become
the new iconic symbol of Delhi. It has
been featured in films and television serials.
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| The 108-foot towering Hanuman statue in Karol Bagh |
Another temple we visited was one dedicated
to Venkateswaraswami, built in recent years and managed by the famous Tirupati
Tirumala Devasthanams. The main image
stands majestically in all its splendour like the one in the abode at the
hill-station. The temple complex on a
site of 1.17 acres with an entrance tower, a meditation hall, spacious
foreground, pathways and other features is in a serene setting.
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| Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam's Venkateswaraswami temple in Delhi |
One of our other halts was at another
religious and tourist attraction -- Lakshmi Narayan temple also known as Birla
Mandir. In the main shrine stand
gloriously the statues of Lakshmi and Narayan.
There are smaller shrines too in the premises. Built in 1939, it was inaugurated by Mahatma
Gandhi. According to reports the Father
of the Nation had agreed to open the temple on the condition that people of all
castes would have free access to it. (It
was a time when certain castes were socially barred from stepping into
temples.)
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| Lakshmi Narayan temple (Birla Mandir) |
During our quick drive we also
covered another temple and a Buddhist shrine.
Finally we headed for the famous India Gate. It is a war memorial for 82,000 soldiers of
undivided India. It resembles the Arch
of the Constantine in Rome and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
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| At India Gate |
In the vicinity of the India Gate there
are several central government offices and the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the
President of India resides. We had a
quick look at them and returned to our hotel.
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| Rashtrapati Bhawan |
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| Central Government offices |
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| Another block of Central Government offices |
It was indeed a short span of time delightfully well-spent!
(1,120 words)
