The temple was surely astounding in its beauty. Rows upon rows of intricately carved pillars, led to an inner sanctum that was awe inspiring in its delicate grandeur. The roof was slightly lit up with a golden light, suffusing the entire worship room in soft, golden wisps.
Faith and devotion may be mystical concepts, but it is modern technology that has helped convert them into reality. You don't need to sing bhajans to invoke an ethereal atmosphere. There are speakers strewn all over the lawn, disguised as rocks. They play soft, devotional music all the time, and you don't have to memorise the lyrics either. Moreover, the lyrics change according to the place, Hindu Bhajans in the Hindu section and Buddhist bhajan in the Buddhist section. The speakers are placed wisely around the perimeter so that you hear soft devotional songs everywhere you go, but no music clashes with the other.
You don't need to trek up to a mountain top and feast your eyes in the golden light of the morning, which turns the white mountain tops crimson, and fills you with unbearable delight and humbleness at your own small, insignificant place in the world. You can simply go to the temple and enjoy the little blinking lights in the evening, that will make you feel like you have conquered the world, nature. Beauty is at your fingertips, rather than being distant and fleeting.
But take a step back for perspective and you see that apart from physical beauty, very little makes sense at the temple. You don't know which deity it belongs to, because all conceivable deities are scattered around the premises. There are life-size models of Krishna and the Gopinis, standing beside a poster of a summary of the Bhagwad Geeta. There are stories of the Ramayana in the posters everywhere. In the innermost part is a Shiv linga. But then, nearby, is a tiny little Stupa, which declares that it contains Buddha's remains. How Buddha's remains came to be here in a temple constructed so recently, and not in the well known temples that have upheld Buddhist faith for so long, is a mystery that will not be revealed.
Perhaps the most striking difference is in the devotion. At old seats of faith you see lines of people who walk towards the sunrise, carrying everything they have in huge cloth bundles on their back, offering the goddess their whole hearts, braving the cold to sing songs all night (or maybe it is the other way around). No, that kind of devotion you will never see here.
It doesn't matter that today, no one goes there with one bit of faith in their hearts, they go there to take selfies. Tomorrow, this will be the seat of faith that will be seen as an example by historians and archaeologists. A rural temple that people go to pray often does not even have a temple, and even if it does, the little wooden structure crumbles every few years. There are no paths to these places, paths are carved out once a year by the feet of pilgrims. There are no hotels, no lodges, because people carry everything they need. One would almost feel that this temple does not exist at all, except in the hearts of people who believe.
Entire civilisations have been lost that way, and today we question if Buddhists even existed in Western Nepal, because there are so few remnants of heir existence. Legends tell of a vast empire, but only a few ruins exist to verify that story.
In contrast, the urban construction has a large, beautiful structure, clean, shiny paths that are conscientiously maintaind, bustling hotels and corporate bazaars that are proof of this place's popularity. Besides, there are two museums, one about Buddhism and one about Hinduism. The Buddhist museum has documented the entire history of Buddhism, and the Hindu one has relics from all over the country: shila from this temple and jal from that temple. Yes, it is indeed a great example of how Hindu and Buddhist faiths are both preserved so well. Hundreds of years later, no one will remember a temple that only lived in the heart and soul of its devotees, but this, this concrete structure will live on, as an example of Hindu-Buddhist tolerance, co-existence, and devotion in the country.
Faith and devotion may be mystical concepts, but it is modern technology that has helped convert them into reality. You don't need to sing bhajans to invoke an ethereal atmosphere. There are speakers strewn all over the lawn, disguised as rocks. They play soft, devotional music all the time, and you don't have to memorise the lyrics either. Moreover, the lyrics change according to the place, Hindu Bhajans in the Hindu section and Buddhist bhajan in the Buddhist section. The speakers are placed wisely around the perimeter so that you hear soft devotional songs everywhere you go, but no music clashes with the other.
You don't need to trek up to a mountain top and feast your eyes in the golden light of the morning, which turns the white mountain tops crimson, and fills you with unbearable delight and humbleness at your own small, insignificant place in the world. You can simply go to the temple and enjoy the little blinking lights in the evening, that will make you feel like you have conquered the world, nature. Beauty is at your fingertips, rather than being distant and fleeting.
But take a step back for perspective and you see that apart from physical beauty, very little makes sense at the temple. You don't know which deity it belongs to, because all conceivable deities are scattered around the premises. There are life-size models of Krishna and the Gopinis, standing beside a poster of a summary of the Bhagwad Geeta. There are stories of the Ramayana in the posters everywhere. In the innermost part is a Shiv linga. But then, nearby, is a tiny little Stupa, which declares that it contains Buddha's remains. How Buddha's remains came to be here in a temple constructed so recently, and not in the well known temples that have upheld Buddhist faith for so long, is a mystery that will not be revealed.
Perhaps the most striking difference is in the devotion. At old seats of faith you see lines of people who walk towards the sunrise, carrying everything they have in huge cloth bundles on their back, offering the goddess their whole hearts, braving the cold to sing songs all night (or maybe it is the other way around). No, that kind of devotion you will never see here.
It doesn't matter that today, no one goes there with one bit of faith in their hearts, they go there to take selfies. Tomorrow, this will be the seat of faith that will be seen as an example by historians and archaeologists. A rural temple that people go to pray often does not even have a temple, and even if it does, the little wooden structure crumbles every few years. There are no paths to these places, paths are carved out once a year by the feet of pilgrims. There are no hotels, no lodges, because people carry everything they need. One would almost feel that this temple does not exist at all, except in the hearts of people who believe.
Entire civilisations have been lost that way, and today we question if Buddhists even existed in Western Nepal, because there are so few remnants of heir existence. Legends tell of a vast empire, but only a few ruins exist to verify that story.
In contrast, the urban construction has a large, beautiful structure, clean, shiny paths that are conscientiously maintaind, bustling hotels and corporate bazaars that are proof of this place's popularity. Besides, there are two museums, one about Buddhism and one about Hinduism. The Buddhist museum has documented the entire history of Buddhism, and the Hindu one has relics from all over the country: shila from this temple and jal from that temple. Yes, it is indeed a great example of how Hindu and Buddhist faiths are both preserved so well. Hundreds of years later, no one will remember a temple that only lived in the heart and soul of its devotees, but this, this concrete structure will live on, as an example of Hindu-Buddhist tolerance, co-existence, and devotion in the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment