Well, in continuance with our chikmagalur trip, as we couldn’t see much there, we decided to see Belur and Halebid. Our driver… the Formula 1 guy was all the more happy to take us there and in pouring rain we reached Belur in record 1 hr flat.
The Belur temple is huge. The moment I entered the main gate I felt transported into a different world. The temples old world charm is enticing enough for even a non- religious person to take a peek. The sprea
d, architecture and panoramic views of the temple were enough to make me spend nearly an hour in the temple.
As I roamed about spell bound taking in the beautiful stone carvings that were crafted with such precision and beauty that I was scared they might come alive any moment, my husband had a field day clicking pictures.
The beauty about these temples is that the carvings are so intricate and beautiful that you really wonder if it is stone. The necklaces worn by the women in the sculptures are
so delicately and skillfully done that one could pass his fingers between them.
Both the sites are equally beautiful in terms of the sculptures however it is sad to see the state of affairs at Halebid. The place has been rampaged with cement and concrete blocks to support the now crumbling stone structure. It not only robs the place of its beauty but I really wonder how much good would any of these measures do to the structure. The stone structure is clearly caving in.
It was also sad to see that people were foolish enough to write or rather carve their names and endless crap on the stone
structures, be it the pillars or the huge stone Nandi’s next to the temple. Though now the place is circled with ropes and is off-limits for public to touch the structures, the damage is already done. I felt terrible when I saw those grotesque marks and worst of all they were in English! That means the well-educated or literate segment of Indian society is doing/done this crap!!
I remembered the ad issued by Government of India, tourism that is aimed at increasing awareness among public and warns them against defacing our heritage monu
ments. It is a shame that our government has to release such kinds of ads. We harp about how proud we are of Indian culture and heritage and yet when it comes to preserving them we are the worst at it. And this coming from the educated class is worse, I guess such people are better illiterate, atleast they cant write anything, if they don’t know to read and write.
The Belur temple is huge. The moment I entered the main gate I felt transported into a different world. The temples old world charm is enticing enough for even a non- religious person to take a peek. The sprea
d, architecture and panoramic views of the temple were enough to make me spend nearly an hour in the temple.As I roamed about spell bound taking in the beautiful stone carvings that were crafted with such precision and beauty that I was scared they might come alive any moment, my husband had a field day clicking pictures.
The beauty about these temples is that the carvings are so intricate and beautiful that you really wonder if it is stone. The necklaces worn by the women in the sculptures are
so delicately and skillfully done that one could pass his fingers between them.Both the sites are equally beautiful in terms of the sculptures however it is sad to see the state of affairs at Halebid. The place has been rampaged with cement and concrete blocks to support the now crumbling stone structure. It not only robs the place of its beauty but I really wonder how much good would any of these measures do to the structure. The stone structure is clearly caving in.
It was also sad to see that people were foolish enough to write or rather carve their names and endless crap on the stone
structures, be it the pillars or the huge stone Nandi’s next to the temple. Though now the place is circled with ropes and is off-limits for public to touch the structures, the damage is already done. I felt terrible when I saw those grotesque marks and worst of all they were in English! That means the well-educated or literate segment of Indian society is doing/done this crap!!I remembered the ad issued by Government of India, tourism that is aimed at increasing awareness among public and warns them against defacing our heritage monu
ments. It is a shame that our government has to release such kinds of ads. We harp about how proud we are of Indian culture and heritage and yet when it comes to preserving them we are the worst at it. And this coming from the educated class is worse, I guess such people are better illiterate, atleast they cant write anything, if they don’t know to read and write.
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