DURGA PUJA @ PARNASRE SOUTH BLOCK CLUB,2013

A FINE REPRESENTATION OF FOLK ART

 Idol installed in an unequal hexagon. 

 'Chalchitra' complements the geometry - not completely. 

From every angle, a slice stay out of camera's view. Alas,crouching was difficult for me !

 The vanquished !

Triangles, diagonals and squares in frame-work of the pandals  and  very traditional  folk art  - a very distinguished look for  Parnasree South Block Club's  Durga Puja.  A very fine  balanced composition- neither ostentatious nor clumsy.

  View from the gate A vertical pillar, decorated  nicely, 

hides full-view of  Durga.

From entrance to 'chalchitra', mythology and folklores  adorn the pandal. We went there on the evening of Sapatami. When downloading, I saw the the p[anels on the compound wall have not been properly captured. Ruby took a few shots though. I went back in the morning of Astami mid-day when  'pujo' was not over.  The area was full of devotees and - and  later I understood - people waiting for lunch/'bhog' to be served.

 Krsnaleela and Ravan in a vertical panel, inside the pandal.

 Punishment at hell - a horizontal panel on the compound wall.

 
Most of my friends believe that Puja pandal cannot remain empty and people's head/torso popping in enhances the appeal.Looks authentic ! Here are photos from  what we shot on Saptami eveing and Astami noon.

 

On   LH - 'Shakti/Chandi' rides a tiger  .

RH - Festivity in a village as a Patua narrates his tale.

  I was  very happy - in fact thrilled  - when I found ABP Ananda gave coverage to this pandal on the morning of Nabami. But for the location - distance from a  main road - aesthetically, a very good work stayed beyond the notice of pandal-hoppers !

 

View of the gate from inside.

'TORANAS' OF HAMPI -I

EXQUISITE CONSTRUCTION - DECAYING RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES !

Group photo - our 1st day @ Hampi -

RH of the 'Torana' of Vitthala temple.

 Our visit to Hampi  was  a great experience .The photos and notes we brought with us never  fail to surprise me whenever I go back to them. Trip to Hampi stays deeply etched in  my memory - somewhat like the trip I made to Loch Lomond decades ago.

 During  a recent 'visit' to my HDD, I thought of  doing a series exclusively on the architecture and details of the 'Toranas' of  Hampi's famous temples - not a very widely discussed subject  yet. In our HDD, we have many photos  from which the figures on the facades of these 'Toranas' can be extracted for display and discussion .But, comparatively less for a discussion on the architectural aspects of these 'Toranas'.

 Inside face of 3-storeyed 'Torana' of Malyavanta Raghunatha temple. Main entrance to  temple compound from eastern side, 

glowing in the light of setting sun.

 At Hampi, 'Toranas' are built according to  'Gopuram' style - tall pyramidal several story-ed structure with rectangular base. The top has a barrel vault with  decoration. The structure is often taller than the  temple - thus it comes to the notice of  pilgrims from a distance. Is the height  meant to be a lightning arrester too ?

A typical barrel vault on 'Torana's' top.   

Krishna temple, North gate.

I shall take up Krisna- , Vitthala-, Malyavanta Raghunatha- and Virupaksha temples  to cover 'Toranas' of Hampi. Hope, I  shall come across more details gradually  to enrich my repertoire. The current state of  these 'Toranas' are due to the fact that  brick and stucco construction has suffered major erosion and decay over the centuries - only parts of one 'Torana' at Vitthala  temple, two at  Krisna temples and most of Virupaksha temples' Gopuram are intact. Rest  can be termed  black & white photographers' delight ! But, the details of once-beautiful artwork in stucco are lost.

  Lofty - 52m tall - 9-storyed East Gopuram/'Torana' , 

Virupaksha temple, Hampi.

 Krishna temple was built by King Krishnadeva Raya in 1513 AD as a shrine to an idol of Balagopala (child Krsna) he brought from Udayagiri. Very likely, it was a  monument to commemorate  his successful Orissa campaign. It has three 'Toranas' - East, North & South. Inside face of the East gate has a scene of an army leaving for  battle which  is believed to be associated with King Krishnadeva Raya's Orissa campaign. Among the other two, south 'Torana' is left with  few details. North 'Torana', though not in good shape, offer clear details when viewed from within the temple compound.

  Entrance to Krishna temple, Hampi. The stone structure and parts of only 2 storeys are standing.  Right-hand wall is gone.A small portion of left-hand wall stands. 

Far right - we can see the  barrel vault of north-side 'Torana'.

All these 'Toranas' are built with stone till the  roof-height of the gates' openings - and the decorative portions are  built with brick & stucco . I give here detailed views  of the artwork on East and North 'Toranas' of Krishna temple.

 

  View of the East-side 'Torana' from the court-yard of 

Krishna temple,Hampi.

 View of the North-side 'Torana' from the court-yard of 

Krishna temple,Hampi.

 (Note - Half of the 3rd storey is gone !)

 View of the South-side 'Torana' from out-side  of 

Krishna temple,Hampi.

 (Note - Top 2 storeys are gone !)

SRI KURMAM TEMPLE at SRIKAKULAM,A.P.- II

 WALL FRESCOES IN NEED OF LOVE & CARE

Note  : Link for Part I : http://przmm.blogspot.in/2011/03/sri-kumaram-temple-at-srikakulamap.html

 Krsna taming snake 'Sudarsana'-a cursed 'Vidhyadhara'.

'Vastra - haran' - Krsna has  taken away the clothes of Gopis, bathing in the Yamuna, on tree-top.Gopis are requesting   Krsna                          not to torment them !

Not many have heard of the wall-frescoes of this  temple at  Srikakulam, though well-attended by devotees. At least not those who surf internet before visiting a place of tourist interest. But, a visit to this temple - which was rebuilt at least 700 years ago  -  without  good time spent on the frescoes in the long 'parikrama' around the temple will be improper. The temple authorities have devoted just one line to the frescoes of this temple in the plaque outside which ,in my opinion, is unfair !

8th figure in this procession is Krsna, probably accompanied by Nanda. Who are the aristocratic persons leading the procession ! 

(Note - I could not find a matching 'story' in 'SriMadbhagabat')

A good part of these   frescoes are devoted to KrsnaLeela. Also, several manifestations of Vishnu. Unsupervised white-washing , loosely hanging electrical wires and a general lack of appreciation caused deterioration of this heritage art. I have not been to Lepakshi temple , but, there - it appears from what I found in the internet - the frescoes occupy  much more a place of pride than at Sri Kurmam temple .

'Kaliya Daman' - Taming of 'Kaliya'

Above was taken after shifting hanging strands of electric wire from the frame of the photo. One will feel bad if I post  a photo of the total frame of this fresco. It was 16/02/2011 when we were at Sri Kurmam temple. We learnt that shortly a team from ASI  will come to Srikakulam to initiate a process of reviving  the frescoes. Hope the  task is in progress, if not completed.

 

 'Varah avatata' of Vishnu - an unusual depiction ! 

Blow-up reveals the Earth - not a female figure ! - resting on right elbow of 'Varah' while he tramples Hiranyaksha (?) into sea-water 

with his right foot !

 It is indeed unfortunate , as the viewer must  have noted by now, the blotches of lime-wash has caused serious problem to these frescoes.Very little of the painting above was visible to naked eye. Considerable enhancement has given a reasonable appearance to this one. While I have more photos in my HDD , I shall end with one of Siva riding Nandi. More on some other occasion.

Siva riding Nandi , Parvati accompanying him. He has raised his trident whereas two of his foot-soldiers - quite obscure though - 

are found to wield swords.

Note - Regd. the last fresco, pl read Amol N banker's comment & my reply too.