Jul 12, 2007 03:31 PM
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Indian media is generally obsessed by Bollywood, Cricket and Personalities. What did Amitabh Bacchan do today? Has Azim Premji or S K Mittal figured in top 100 billionaires or if Sania Mirza slipped in her ATC ranking. It was respite to see the absence of Sachin Tendulkar’s on TV screen but soon this was replaced by hundreds of hours projecting Taj Mahal as a strong candidate for seven wonders.
Taj Mahal won the race not because Indian media hyped it but process itself was skewed in her favour. When you have a selection based on people voting on Internet, India with a million plus net population has an unfair advantage and also with China, Brazil etc. So when Taj Mahal made it, I wasn’t as much elated with Taj being selected as one of the seven wonders as I was disappointed by Angkor Wat for not being chosen. Those people we have seen both Angkor Wat and Taj Mahal perhaps agree with my feelings.
Why Indians are so passionate about Taj Mahal? Does it represent India? It was built by Mughal invaders borrowing design and skills of Islamic architecture from Persian and Arab world. Angkor Wat may not be in India but it represents the essence of India. Some may argue that Taj Mahal resides in Modern India and therefore we must advocate it. There is another architectural masterpiece in India that would surpass Taj Mahal in all respects . But it didn’t even figure in top 20. How can it be? The answer is obvious. When it is not accorded the rightful place by Government or is not supported by media, it is easy not to find a place in hearts and minds of her very own Indian people . This place is Elora caves in the western part of India.
I sometime feel that in order to embrace secularism, people in political seat of power wholeheartedly pushed Taj Mahal as a symbol of India. Promoting Angkor Wat or Elora caves would have meant a tacit consent to a Hindu religion because both are temples and have Hindu deities and Buddha. Taj Mahal was safer bet as it wasn’t any mosque but a mausoleum. I feel sad that Elora can’t be symbol of India.
Sculpture as an art would always be notched above any creative arts. But when thousands of sculptural creations are put together as a monument, the result is truly spectacular. Creation of Taj Mahal, Michael Angelo’s Pieta and David, Athena Panthenos is a hallmark of individual human endeavour at any given time But creation of Angkor Wat and Elora is an embodiment of generations of people spanning few centuries. One can’t capture Angkor Wat and Elora through camera lens; it needs to be felt or would need a book to sum up its creativity. I was fortunate to visit Elora Caves, Angkor Wat and Taj Mahal and with conviction can say that Taj Mahal comes pale in the comparison to both of them. India’s pride should be Elora and without Angkor Wat, seven wonders are meaningless
The name of Elora caves is a misnomer but these are not the natural caves for yogis to sit and meditate but a series of 34 temples spanning 1.6 kms and all are carved out of massive granite hillside. Generations of artisans over eight centuries created this spectacle. How they passed on the architectural secrets from one generation to another is mystery. The Buddhist caves came first during 200 BC - 600 AD followed by the Hindu 500 - 900 AD and Jain 800 - 1000 AD. Just compare this with Taj Mahal that was built from 1631 till 1648 years. But out of all 34 temples, one temple named Kailasa is a hallmark of sculpture that has no parallel in its time either in India or all over the world. Kailasa temple complex was excavated from top of the hill. Only when someone goes to the site, one can appreciate the colossal endeavor that has gone in the creation of Kailasa. A part of the hill is vertically excavated to create not just a temple with exquisite carvings but also surroundings of sanctum, pavilions, basement, pillared halls balconies, bridges that connect the chambers, and all these are adorned with carvings of fascinating mythological stories, Vedic connotations on all this is a part of one single rock without any joints or support. Result is 52, 00o sq ft creation with 100 ft. high shrine. This is double the size of pantheon. As one stands in the open space of Kailasa temple and look up, the rock-cut aesthetics would make anyone spell bound. Kailasa Temple in Elora is a definitely a benchmark for school of architecture and sculptural design.
I do feel, if any Indian hasn’t been to Elora, he has wasted the opportunity to be born in India. Hopefully, when all hula bulla of seven wonders settle down, media would start recognizing other Indian monuments such as Elora, Ajanta, Konark, Khajuraho and Tanjore instead of harping on Bollywood, Cricket and Taj Mahal.
