Kapaleeshwar Temple, Chennai

The Blog-o-sphere Think Tank topic for July: ‘Where I went this summer’

The top view of the gopuram

Kapaleeshwar Temple
Mylapore
Chennai
India

I recently travelled to Chennai, to attend the opening of the Contemporary Jewellery show I was participating in. There, I also attended a talk by art historian Chithra Madhavan on ‘The Navrasas in art and sculpture from South India’, organized by Apparao Galleries.

The rasa (mental state) of Karunyam (compassion) was illustrated through the story of rishi Bhringi, carved on the gopuram (a gateway-usually a monumental ornate tower at the entrance of the temple complex) of the Kapaleeshwar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. The top of the gateway traces many other stories of Lord shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati through innumerable sculptures.

A trip to the temple inevitably became my next stop.

Gopuram door with bells

Detail of a building housing a shrine

There are numerous halls and shrines inside the complex, though the two prominent ones of Shiva and Parvati have impressive flagstaffs outside the buildings housing the sanctum sanctorum.

Agamis playing instruments on a pillar in the hall

Agamis playing instruments on a pillar in the hall

The flagmast outside the main shrine

Bottom detail of the flagmast outside the main shrine

Lord Krishna carved on one of the pillars of the main shrine

Can you see sage Bhringi, the 3-legged devotee of Lord Shiva?

The 3-legged Bhringi with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on their bull Nandi

According to mythology, Bhringi only wanted to worship Shiva. Shiva’s consort, Parvati, however, took offence at not being worshipped too and sat on her husband’s lap. Bhringi became a snake and slithered between the two.
Shiva, then merged his body with Parvati, taking on the famous ardhanarishwar form. But Bhringi adamantly turned himself into a bee and tried to gnaw his way between the two.
Annoyed, Parvati cursed the sage to loose all parts of his body that came from his mother (In Hindu mythology, bones come from the father and flesh and blood from the mother)
Weakened, Bhringi collapsed on the floor and sure enough, learnt his lesson.
Lord Shiva, then gave Bhringi a third leg to help him stand upright.

Garlands of flowers and lotuses for sale outside the temple

 

Hungry for more? You can read posts of my friends on the same topic here:

andes cruz: http://wp.me/pe2OM-Ml

tosca teran: http://wp.me/pigO-zi

angelojones: http://www.pencilfox.com/2015/07/july-blog-o-sphere-think-tank-this-is.html

Dreamtime on an Indian latitude

The Blog-o-sphere Think Tank topic for May :  “Share with us a little window in to your space/life/home.”

I thought long and hard…There are many spaces that I value immensely, spaces that fill the spaces in the spaces and add up to the making of me; some contribute everyday and some in spurts.

Is it the bookshelf, that feeds my imagination?

Is it the table where I write..design…compose…?

Is it the workbench where rituals are born?

Or is it this little space which allows me to dream? This space where time ceases to matter; where values are considered and conflicted only to dissipate into naught; This space where parallels align and merge. I think, this is it.

Hungry for more? Here’s where you can read what my friends have to say on the same topic:

Tosca Teran aka nanopod: : http://nanopod.me/2015/05/20/window-space/

marie bell :: http://www.pencilfox.com/2015/05/may-blog-o-sphere-think-tank-sharing.html

Kathleen Krucoff:  http://wp.me/pA5jX-K4

Andes Cruz: https://andescruz.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/spaces/

A lesson I learnt

January’s Blog-O-Sphere Think Tank topic:  “A great piece of advice. -What is one thing you would share as “the best advice ever” ?

Ok, this advice is coming entirely from personal experience and frustration at my continued harassment by members of a lay Buddhist organization called Bharat Soka Gakkai. Due to relentless harassment by them alongwith my family, I completely lost my mind 2 years ago. Thereafter, they spread rumors and lies that I lost my mental balance due to lack of money. My business fell apart from the depression that set in as a result of the constant public humiliation and harassment I was put through.

Though I’ve removed them from my facebook account and cut off all ties with them, it seems their ego has taken a hit at not getting there way with me and they continue to incessantly call and e-mail with shameless accusations of my showing lack of gratitude for the 2-bit morsels they threw at me while disgracing and humiliating me. They continue to have my family’s support who don’t even blink an eye at every opportunity they get to abuse me for the choices I’ve made in my life: to be an artist and to not get married. simple activities as stepping out into the local market have become difficult, as these are people that inhabit my neighbourhood as well and look for opportunities to toy with my mind, further deteriorating my fragile mental condition.

The Happy Hands Foundation, India, is an organization run by a member of this religious cult. Whenever, I’ve enrolled for a workshop with them, I’m deliberately made to sit next to members of this Buddhist organization who continue to provoke and harass me. I had to drop out of 2 of the workshops.

This is unbearable.

I’ve had suicidal thoughts for sometime now. Death would certainly bring respite.

So here’s my advice:

You can see my friends posts on the same topic here:

Andes Cruz:  https://andescruz.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/goodadvice/

Tosca Teran: http://nanopod.me/2015/01/20/januarys-new-moon-advice/

A long list of things to learn

December’s Blog-o-sphere Think Tank topic: ‘What would you really like to learn’

Geez! I fell asleep…just remembered as I woke up with a start…so I’ll quickly list out the things I want to learn.

In the jewellery trade, I want to learn lapidary work: stone cutting and stone carving.

Other than that,

1. woodwork
2. pottery
3. lampwork
4. basketry
5. crochet & embroidery…I don’t know how I’ll manage this with my clumsy hands
6. machine-stitching
7. papier-mâché & decoupage
8. screen-printing
9. tying of different kinds of knots and braids
10. and last, but not the least, brick-making and brick-laying. I want to raise a wall….if not build my entire room

And here’s where you can read what my other blogger friends want to learn:

Andes Cruz:  http://andescruz.wordpress.com

Kathleen Krucoff:  http://kathleenkrucoff.wordpress.com/

Catherine Witherell:  http://happydayart.typepad.com

Tosca Teran: http://wp.me/pigO-up