.....in continuous tense

Where would you expect to find a 800 year old temple ,with inscriptions in ancient scripts talking about  grants  and settlement of agricultural dues ? Certainly not in a  busy residential layout with laundry fluttering  in the balconies of matchbox -stack- apartments and  shops offering cellphone recharge .....and the garbage collection truck  tactfully skirting an enormous monolithic garuda sthamba standing in the middle of the forking road.
Domlur , it is. And above  a stairway, right behind the sthamba, the centuries old monument. Completely redone ofcourse. But , retaining  whatever could be salvaged after early 20th century urbanisation had dealt a merciless blow to it . The inscriptions are there. The pillars, with their curious motifs ,are there. Individual blocks, bits and pieces, are all there, fitted prudently into the modern structure....ok, so they  had to  fix the gate in a rather awkward way, closing on the face of some nice deities. But cannot complain. Grateful for whatever mercies.
The moolavar Chokkanathar , "The Beauteous Lord" , justifies  his name. Chokka is a common name used for Shiva. Here , Vishnu appropriates it.
Shiny marble, granite and varnished wood notwithstanding, this small monument  gives one the satisfaction of living in the continuous tense . The comfort of  sensing the roots. 




















Peek-a-boo !says Baby Krishna  !

Comments

Ava said…
These are beautiful.
YOSEE said…
Thank you, Ava Suri.
Ava said…
Where exactly is this? Is it called Domlur Layout in Bangalore? I am visiting Bangalore in a few days, am very busy, but I can try and visit this place.
YOSEE said…
Yes, Domlur Layout close to Indira Nagar , just off the old HAL airport road . Small temple. ....there are other medieval temples too, in Bangalore .

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