The history of the country is visible in the architecture of the temples and palaces. As one travels south the expansion of Hindu empires as well as introduction of Islam and Christianity. Hinduism is practices by about 82% of the population in India. About 10% of South India's population is Muslim and 2.3% of the population is Christian with 75% living in South India. In Hampi in the state of Karanata the three main temples were constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Virupaksha temple is the oldest with the main gopuram built in 1442. The main shrine is dedicated to a form of Shiva. The Vittala temple boasts incredible sculptural work with outer musical pillars that reverberate when tapped. Also constructed during the Vijayagar empire was the Achutaraya Temple. Visible in the palace at Hampi is the movement toward Hindu Islamic style. For Hindus a temple is a map of the universe. At the center is an unadorned space, the garbhagriha (inner shrine) which provides the residence for the deity to whom the temple is dedicated. Above the shrine rises the structure known as the vinana in South India which is stepped with a solid dome. The gorporam is a soaring pyramidal gateway, visible in Hampi temples and typical of Dravidian style. The invasion of the Muslims brought the introduction of arched cloisters and domes. The most striking difference between Hinduism and Islam is religious imagery. Idolatry or portrayal of god is not seen in Islamic art.
In Mysore the Maharaja's palace is a spectacular example of IndoSaracenic architecture which his a merging of Hindu,Muslim, and Christian. This ornate palace is a combination of mirrors, gaudy colors, stained glass, wooden doors and mosaic floors. Inside the palace grounds is the Hindu temple, Sri Shweta Varanaswamy. The palace complex reflects the history of Mysore. The dynasty was founded in 1399. Until the mid-16th century its rulers, the Wodeyars, were in the service of the Vijayangar emperor. The Mysore rulers declared independence with the fall of Vijayangar in 1565. In the late 18th century Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan usurped the throne and ruled for a brief period of time. The Wodeyars continued to rule until independence in 1947. Then in 1956 the new state was formed. The first palace burnt down in 1897 and was rebuild in 1912. Another example of Hindu architecture in Mysore is the Chamundeswari temple located on Chamundi Hill. It is dominated by a towering seven-storey 40m high gopuram. Pilgrims climb 1000 plus steps to the top. Needless to say I did not make the pilgrimage this trip.
En route to Bangalore from Mysore in Srirangapatam is home to the twin tower mosque, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Daria Daulat Bagh,all built by Tipu Sultan during the 18th century. Daria Daulat Bagh served as Tipu Sultan's summer home and not an inch of the interior was left unadorned. Though Muslim he led with the intent of inclusion and is portrayed as a leader who promoted social justice. The architecture of this incredible edifice demonstrates the influence of several religions and varied styles.
Madurai was an experience in and of itself but the Sri Meenakshi Templemade this city especially memorable. It is one of India's oldest cities and has been a pilgrimage site for centuries. It is wild, congested and colorful. The streets are full with locals walking, those visiting the temple for pilgrimage, bicycles, cars, autorickshaws and bullock carts. All were fairly politely making their way as horns blared. Madurai's landmark temple is as riotous as the streets. It is a baroque example of Dravidian architecture with multi colored images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. It was designed in 1560 and built during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak. Every twelve years the city of Madurai paints and refurbishes the complex. Most of the gorpurams were covered for the scheduled painting because it is believed that the temple should not be exposed for view during painting. This actually added to the commotion in the temple. It is estimated that 10,000 visitors may come to Sri Meenakshi in any one day. Hindus arrived in large groups, small families, or individuals. Women wore saris or churidars and men wore longhis or typical western wear. Some of the children had their heads shaved signifying acceptance of Hinduism... a rite of passage. All were barefoot. Many pilgrims carried baskets of fruit and jasmine flowers to offer the gods. Breaking the coconut upon entering the temple is a ritual to determine one's fortune to come. Very few non-Hindus were present but those of us who were noticeable were welcomed. It was not uncommon to be asked to pose for a photo shoot since a white woman was a bit of an oddity.
The last temple on this trip at Tiruchirappeli was an outstanding culmination of temple touring. Sri Ranganathaswamy templededicated to Vishnu covers 60 hectares. Temple inscriptions date its existence from the 10th century. The complex with its seven concentric walled sections and 21 gorpurams is possibly the largest in India. When stateside the pictures posted will tell the story the words can't.
The trip is nearing an end. The last stop, Puducherry, was temple touring free but not because there were none to see. It was time to take in other sites: the Bay of Bengal, wide streets with French names, i.e. Rue du...., the promenade, the Ashram of Sri Auribondo, and Auroville which was the brainchild of the Mother. Of course it was also time to eat. This city's lure was fresh fish and French-Indian fusion cuisine. More later....
