Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjore (Lorie in India, Blog #8)

Today we visited a most impressive 11^th century Chola Empire temple in Tanjore.  This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site but also on the route of the pilgrimage which some men take for 48 days per year.  We see them entering with only a black skirt on.  They fast for breakfast for these days, and then eat one meal only, and vegetarian.  Many do this early in the day, then change clothes and go to work.  At the end of the pilgrimage, they must walk either 8 or 40 miles barefoot to the final temple.  This temple is not really active, however, but has become an international monument because it is such a good example of the Chola Empire’s achievements.

This Shiva temple represents the culmination of the skills we saw developing at the “temple school” and Shore Temple from the 8-10^th centuries.  By the 11^th century, the ability to carve and build with granite had reached a height demonstrated by the tall tower and intricate carvings here.  This was the great Hindu empire, which paralleled in time the Aryan empires in the north, which eventually created the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, and other Indo-Islamic pieces of architecture.  Whereas the Indo-Islamic architecture has few figures, this Drividian (Southern Hindu) temple and others in Tamil Nadu are covered with figures which depict Hindu stories.

In a photo below, one can see Indian children attending temple school, where they sing and learn the old stories central to Hinduism.  With many gods and a long history, the stories are complex yet become a shared language in Tamil Nadu.  

In the central platform of the temple, in front of the great hall and tower, is a huge figure of Nandi, Shiva’s transport, carved from a huge block of granite (30 feet high).

Nandi is supremely loveable.  This temple has a huge courtyard with smaller towers and buildings at its corners and various shrines within.  At some of these, people can be seen lighting candles and making offerings to various gods.  Below, women in beautiful sarees are seen lighting candles.

The Mother Temple

After this grand temple, we went to a smaller temple which is highly active today because the day is “Little Devali”, right after Devali, on the full moon.  This temple is very ancient and its center is the Mother, who was the main Drividian god before the Aryan influence which brought in the male gods and superimposed them on the earth religion.  “Without the mother there is nothing,” said Lacuma.  “Even the grass must grow from the seeds.”  The mother temple is preceded by a lake, where people bathe themselves as a blessing, and a new bride and groom might come to bathe and be blessed.

I had heard that South India still had remnants of the earth religion which came before the present Hinduism, which is a combination of earth spirits (including the Mother) and the gods, which were introduced by the Aryans.  So I was excited to see this. 

People are coming in large numbers to be blessed by making offerings to the Mother.  A market precedes the temple, where people can buy coconuts and bananas and other fruits as well as flowers for offerings.  They fill a basket with offerings and carry them in, with oil candles that can also be purchased, and give them to a priest who organizes them and places them before the Mother in the inner chamber (where we can’t go).  The Mother Goddess is wearing jewels and silk and more.  Lacuma says that in the summer, goats and chickens are brought and sacrificed in the temple.  This temple feeds the poor one full meal each day.  We see  hundreds of people lining up for it.  I am not certain, but imagine that the offerings, once displayed, come to serve a practical purpose.  Temples are a very important part of Indian life, and this is an important day to visit them.

People buy and light many oil lamps, which fill the temple with smoke.  It is a warm, dark, and mysterious place, with twinkly lights

Pilgrims (men) wear only a skirt and beads, some of which are given in exchange for an offering.  This man has an American dollar which he asks me to exchange for Indian money to make an offering.  I give him three twenty rupee notes. (The exchange rate is 1:60).  He is delighted.  Later, I give the dollar to a beggar boy, who shows it to all his friends.  A nice exchange.

At night, we are lucky to see an amazing thing: a smaller version of Diwali, the festival of lights that occurred in October.  Some people celebrate this festival again on the full moon following Diwali.  On this night, every household has at least 21 small oil lamps (made from clay or halves of lemons) which is lit in front of their house.  The whole city is twinking, and at temples, drums play and elaborate fireworks are put off.  The full moon shines above it all.