Temples In India-1.pdf - Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan

VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKAproportion that he is able to emphasisethe degree of importance to be given tothe character in each composition.With the pratishta of the Ranga Vimanaon the banks of the Ayodhya, the storyshifts for a brief point of time to the timeof Dasaratha. It is here that the importantcharacter of the Mahatmya is introducedand it is Dharmavarma Chola of Nicilapuriwho is also mentioned in the Koil-Ozhuguin the same context. He forms the humanelement that is responsible for getting theRanga Vimana to the banks of the Kaveri.Watching- Dasaratha performing theAsvameda yaga in the Tretayuga,Dharmavarma is overcome by desire toemulate Ikshuvaku and obtain the RangaVimana. Retiring to the banks of theChandra-pushkarani-teertha on the Kaveri,Dharmavarma commences his yaga.At this point, the literary text makes aconsiderable digression from the maintheme and covers a sub-plot woven rounda certain Dalbya Rishi. The painter, followingvery closely the literary tradition, alsodigresses suitably to delineate this episode.Dalbyadu of the Telugu labels is disturbedin his penance by Vyagrasena. The rishiinvokes Narayana to protect him.Vyagrasena, painted in deep yellow ochrewith canine teeth and pock-marked face,throws a broad sword at the rishi. In thesame area, applying the technique ofcontinuous narration that is frequentlyfollowed by the Nayaka artists, the artistdelineates the demon lying dead killed byVishnu. Vishnu on Garuda is hailed by allthe rishis and is dissuaded by them fromreturning to Vaikunta. At this juncture, heinforms them that in the Rama-avatarathat he would be taking shortly, they wouldTEMPLE INDIAachieve their purpose of bringing him tothe banks of the Kaveri. Vibhishana wouldbe mainly instrumental in this move.On hearing this, Dalbya tells Dharmavarmawho is in penance on the Chandrapushkarani,to give up his tapas, as in theKaliyuga, Ranganatha would reside atSrirangam. The story switches back to thebattle between Rama and Ravana endingwith the death of Ravana. The painterreserves a large mural space to portrayRama’s Pattabhisheka.The Pattabhisekha, attended by a largegathering, witnesses also the gifting of theRanga Vimana by Rama to Vibheeshana.The minor figures around the Pattabhisheka72