Yoga postures at Chola era temple wow visitors

Chennai: The Kolli Hills in Namakkal district in the state, an emerging popular hill resort and a haven for eco tourists, has a hidden treasure. An ancient temple in this mountain range has numerous miniature yoga postures sculpted on the walls and a few of these figure in the unique photo exhibition on Indian art being held under the aegis of the Fort Museum here. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials who went the extra mile to cull out interesting facets of the ancient temple art, architecture and also the yogic postures represented in various tales of  Vaishnavisim, Saivisim and Buddhism, showcased some of the rare yogic postures found in temple art in the state.

“The Chola era Arapaleeswarar Temple has several miniature images of yoga postures sculpted in the walls. One could even find the image of Arjuna meditating for the Pasupathastra  a scene from the Mahabharatam,” said Ms K. Moortheeswari, deputy superintending archaeologist, Fort Museum, Chennai Circle.“Even the rock-cut caves in Mamallapuram, where the Arjuna’s penance is located and a cat that takes up meditation also form part of the exhibition,” said K. Lourdusamy, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Chennai Circle.

The ancient Shiva temple is dedicated to Arapaleeswar. The deity’s consort is Archalai. Due to a belief that Arapaleeswar resides in the small fish of Aiyaru stream, the temple has also the name of fish temple and pilgrims visiting the temple catch the sacred fish by hand, adorn them with gold or silver nose rings in fulfillment of their vows.

Thousands of devotees from various parts of the state throng this famous temple atop the Kolli Hills in Namakkal district on Aadi Perukku and witness the symbolic adorning of ‘nose ring’ for the fish at the Panchanathi, a jungle stream that cascades down over 150 feet deep as the ‘Akasha Ganga,’ near the temple.

Photos of mural paintings found in the renowned Sri Sthanumalayan temple in Suchindram in Kanyakumari district, Yoga Narasimhar found in Hampi, Patanjali who was credited with writing a monumental work in the tradition of Paninan grammar — the Mahabhasya and also compiling the yoga sutras is seen depicted as serpent from waist below, in the exhibition. “This is because he is regarded as an incarnation of Adisesha – a hydra headed serpent on which Lord Vishnu reclines,” Ms Moortheeswari said.