What Does the Crown of the Temple Hold?

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SivaRamanathan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30

What Does the Crown of the Temple Hold?

#1 Post by SivaRamanathan » 13 May 2020, 21:59

V1

V1
In twelve years, another Kumbabishekam,
the idols re-installed.
rituals followed to the last unwritten word
the Deity removed, immersed in grain
Immersed in water
one mandala each
The pagodas filled with millets;
One pagoda for each storey
and that’s how the temple is built, copper sheets
brought from the top to the ground
thunder-killers, lightning breakers
embedded in the earth
each storey with a gap in the middle
wind passes through —
New Deities lying posture,
is made erect, and eyes are ‘opened’,
in the presence of the chief
stabathi,
in the sanctum sanctorum
water showered from pots
Ganga water over pagodas in which seed grains preserved
in case of draughts or floods.
Why twelve years ?
The Deity looses its power like the seed grains
New seed grains have to be replaced, our Gods revitalized.
The Cholas
built gigantic dams where there were dunes
lived for the people,
following Paari,
who left his golden chariot for a creeper—
and walked home
to the palace,
all for this earth .
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Once in twelve years, the temple gets painted,
the idol re-installed. Rituals followed to the last unwritten word,
in faith. The Deity removed, immersed in grains,kept in water, '
one mandala each. The pagodas filled with millets,
one pagoda for each storey, that’s how the temple is built—
copper sheets brought from the top to the ground
thunder killers, lightning breakers, embedded in the earth.
Each storey with a gap in the middle, it is for the wind to pass through.
If the Deity is a new one, the lying posture is made erect
the sculptor opens the ‘eyes’, in the presence of the chief sthabathi.
in the sanctum sanctorum. Water showered from pots, Ganga water,
over the pagodas; inside, seed grains preserved in case of drought or floods.
Why twelve years? The Deity loses its power like the seed-grains;
new seed-grains have to be replaced and our Gods revitalized.

The Cholas built gigantic dams where there were dunes; they
lived for the people, following the tradition of Emperor Paari,
who left his golden chariot for a creeper to cling to, walked home
through the forests to his home in the palace. All this for the earth.

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