A TRIP TO PONDICHERRY
(By Subbaram Danda)
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| Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Pondy beach promenade |
On Saturday, December 28, 2013, we were on a quick visit to Pondicherry, the former French territory about 150 km south of Chennai. It was a suddenly thought-out trip and it clicked without any hitch. We – my son-in-law, daughter, grand-daughter, wife and myself – set out early in the morning and drove taking the Tindivanam route.
Manakula Vinayaka Temple
Our first stop at Pondicherry was the famous east-facing Hindu shrine Manakula Vinayaka temple, which was in worship even before the French had settled there in the seventeenth century. It derives its name from a pond (kulam in Tamil) on its western side filled with sand (manal) and has come to be known as the temple of Vinayaka near the sandy pond. The temple on an area of nearly 8,000 sq. ft. has an entrance tower, outer hall, flag mast, front hall, greater hall, sanctum and walk-around space, among other essential features. Inside the temple, the southern wall displays three rows of sculptures and engravings of Vinayaka in different poses as depicted in various scriptures and legends. The presiding deity in the sanctum appears with four hands.
A noticeable aspect is that the tower above the sanctum is fully gold plated. The main deity, on major occasions, is bedecked with a golden cover (kavacham) consisting of 14 parts, including a crown. The chariot for the god is also made of gold with rich artwork.
People from all over the world, including the high and the mighty, come to the temple to pray. During our visit we could see devotees coming in steady streams. Despite their numbers an air of serenity pervaded the entire temple.
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| Entrance tower of Manakula Vinaya temple |
The Aurobindo Ashram
Nearby stands the renowned Aurobindo Ashram, a spiritual abode. It was founded by philosopher and Indian nationalist Aurobindo in 1926 in association with Paris-born Mirra Alfessa, who later came to be known as the Mother. Currently, it is a large diversified community with multi-faceted activities, where work is considered “an offering to the Divine.”
The Ashram consists of an inter-connected block of houses, including those in which Aurobindo and the Mother lived for most of their lives. At its centre is a tree-shaded court yard, where lies a white marble Samadhi (the final resting place) of the two spiritual leaders.
As we approached the gate of the Ashram, we could see people entering it in a line, silent with their mobiles switched off, as advised. Inside, visible ahead was the Samadhi, bedecked with flowers. Visitors knelt around it with their heads bowed. In a few minutes they would get up, walk around and leave making room for others. Some would squat on the floor at a distance in a quiet pensive disposition. For those interested in meditation there was another room. The memorabilia associated with the Ashram and the lives of the two spiritual leaders could also be seen there. A library offers the works of the Mother and Aurobindo as well as other spiritual publications.
It is interesting to note that the Mother was a staunch devotee of Manakula Vinayaka.
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| The frontage of the Ashram |
The Beach
At a short distance away we could see the main beach of the city beckoning us. With a broad road and a neatly-paved side-walk alongside, it attracts visitors at all times -- since early in the morning till late in the night. The highlight of the promenade is a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, 13 feet tall, under a white canopy. It is surrounded by eight granite pillars, which once stood aloft in the fort at Gingee, 70 kms from Pondicherry.
It is a memorable experience to watch the waves of the sea lash the boulders placed close to the side-walk right through the long stretch. The beach is an excellent place for photo enthusiasts to click and we were no exception.
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| At the Pondy beach: wife Sampuranam, daughter Aishwarya Devi and grand-daughter Divyashree |
The Towering Saneeshwara Statue
On our way back in the afternoon, we visited a “massive temple” dedicated to Navagrahas (the nine planetary deities as enunciated in the Hindu scriptures and astrology) located at Morattandi about seven kms from Pondicherry on the road to Tindivanam. An outstanding feature of this temple complex is that the major statues are all huge in size, installed in a spacious environment.
The pride of place goes to a statue of Viswaroopa Saneeshwara Bhagawan (Saturn God in his colossal stature) soaring to a height of 27 feet corresponding to the number of stars as reckoned in astrology. Made of Panchalohas (five metals), this unique statue is said to be the tallest of its kind in the world. Strangely, Saneeshwara appears here with an eagle as his mount instead of the traditional crow. This statue is separate and there is another in the group of Navagrahas in the complex. At a short distance facing Saneeshwara is a 34-foot tall Ganesha image.
Located behind the gigantic idol of Saneeshwara Bhagawan are the nine Navagraha statues in their respective positions as specified in the scriptures. Each statue, stone sculpted, is 12 feet tall. Beautifully chiselled, the Navagrahas show off clearly their distinctive physical features, the objects they hold in their hands and their mounts. The Sun God at the centre is slightly taller.
On an outer circle around the Navagrahas, there are smaller figures representing the 27 stars. Other shrines also find a place in the complex. Spread over two acres, the place is home to numerous trees, several of them considered to be the favourites of the stars. The temple, an ambitious project of astrologer Chidambara Gurukkal, is some years old but work on additions and alterations were still going on when we visited it. (No photograph was taken at this temple, as instructed.)
Panchavatee Anjaneya Temple
Another major temple we visited was the one devoted to Lord Anjaneya (of the Hindu pantheon of Gods) at Panchavatee Kshetram, about nine km from Pondicherry towards Tindivanam. Known as Jayamangala Viswaroopa Pnchamukha Sri Anjaneyaswamy temple, it is said to be the only one of its kind in the world.
As we passed through the entrance tower and stepped into the vast hall in the front, the gigantic statue of Anjaneya, 36 feet tall and 15 feet wide, came into our view with all its magnificence. Here the Lord stands in his Viswaroopa style (colossal posture) with Panchamukhas (five faces), ten hands holding specific objects and wearing different ornaments. The face of Anjaneya is at the centre looking in the direction of the devotees. Around it in other directions and above are the faces of Narasimha, Garuda, Adivaraha and Hayagreeva (also Hindu deities). Garuda’s face at the back can be seen through a large window in the rear wall of the sanctum.
The walk-around corridor is comfortably wide for people to move easily. There are two other shrines also in the compound. The temple is the result of a dream of a devotee, Ramani Anna, and the huge idol was sculpted by Muthiah Sthapathi, the same person who had created the Anjaneya statue at Nanganallur near Chennai. (Here also no photograph was taken.)
As we returned, the traffic on the road started growing and when we approached our home city, it became heavy. On the whole, it was a day worth spent!
January 04, 2014
