The three sacred sites I have studied thus far stand in great contrast with eachother. The Banagudi sacred grove being the most primal form of worship space, the Rameshwar Prasanna Temple is a primal worship space that has recently been converted into a more modern one with a structure now surrounding it, and the Vishnu temple as a classic example of a Hindu temple. While they have a range of differences, I am beginning to see interesting formal and spatial similarities between the three. For this post, though, I am simply presenting the information, and in my final paper I will be diving into the analysis of my observations.
The Banagudi – “bana” meaning forest, “gudi” meaning temple
Guide: Senthil Basad
Visited on April 21st, 2011
1. Size: 21 Hectares
a. Shola forest/ecosystem
i. grows 1800-4000 meters in elevation
2. The Kurumba’s and Badaga’s have shared the sacred grove for hundreds of years
a. Two stones sit next to each other to signify the shared use of the forest
3. Recently, the tribes legally gained back the right to maintain the forest
a. Originally maintained by the tribes
i. Traditionally used the forest for medicinal purposes
1. Cycas Circinalis is traditionally used for bone breaks
2. Pongamia Pinnata’s seeds make an antiseptic oil
3. Sapindus Laurifol’s bark is taken for medicinal properties
4. Terminalia Chebula who’s seeds are used for medicine
5. Phyllanthus Emblica (Indian Gooseberry) is high in vitimin C and used for medicine
b. Now, protected by the Forest Rights Act: which protects and encourages sustainable use of the forest throughout the country of India
i. Enforced by the forest rights committee
4. The story we were told, was that one day, two tubers were pulled up, one secreted blood and the other milk. This is the reason for two rituals to be performed, one for blood and the other for milk
5. Blood Temple
a. 400 years old
b. Pooja is performed
c. An annual goat sacrifice is performed after the 1st monsoon rain
i. the goat is sacrificed outside the outer rings entrance
ii. it is an act of giving thanks for the harvest and to pray for the next
iii. The Canarium Streum provides resin burned in the blood ritual
d. The outer ring surrounding an inner ring which houses the deity is similar to Hindu temples
e. An extremely large tree aligns perpendicularly with the front of the temple similar to the pilar of Hindu temples
6. Milk Temple
a. Pooja is performed here
b. Grass thatch is replaced every year just before the milk ritual over the central structure
c. The smaller structure houses a stone deity of the mother goddess: Mahalinga Samy
d. The milk ritual occurs after the 1st monsoon rain
i. involves the milking of a goat
ii. The Canarium Streum provides resin burned in the milk ritual
7. After the Milk and Blood Rituals, a Fire Walk concludes all of the cereomonies in Kotigiri
a. could be symbolic of regeneration process
8. Dolmens: Ancient Burial Ground
a. 700 years old
b. Originally used by an ancient migratory people
c. Pooja is performed here
d. Pancha Pandavas is annually performed
e. Pictorial carvings are on the panels with in
f. Sticks line the interior
g. Located at the top of a sloping grass field under trees
9. The sacred trees in this forest are
a. The Canarium Strictum who’s resin is burned in all rituals
b. The Ficus Racemosa
c. The Ficus Religiosa
10. Further Non-Timber Forest Products:
a. Alacia Concinna used for natural soap and shampoo
b. Madhuca Indica is used to brew liquor, seed oil for cooking and lighting lamps, leaves for cups, twigs for tooth brushes
c. Phoenix Loureirii makes a leafy broom and used for thatching, leaves are also woven to make matts and bags
d. Shorea Robusta leaves are used for cups, branches for fuelwood and resin for incense
e. Sapindus trifoliatus’s fruit is used for soap
f. Apis dorsata is bitter honey
11. Animals found in this sacred grove
a. Giant Squirrels who build up to twelve nests at a time so that they can keep moving their eggs from nest to nest to protect them from eagles, hawks and falcons
b. Panthers migrate between sacred groves, our guide happened to lead a group into the milk temple when one was sleeping within the outer ring
8. William Noble studied these forest temples and documented 70-80 across the Nilgiris
Rameshwar Prasanna Temple (Shiva Temple)
Visited on: May 3rd 2011
Guide: Arun Hegde
- Rameshwar Prasanna is another name for Shiva
- The god is represented by a oblong stone placed on a drainage structure
- The god is represented by a oblong stone placed on a drainage structure
i. the drainage structure diverts water after the pooja ritual is performed
ii. what is the name of the drainage structure?
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- Shiva is also the god of water
i. this form is often found at river temples
ii. in both places it is common to cleanse shiva by washing water over the stone and letting it drain out the spout
iii. water and rebirth
iv. falic symbol
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- Flowers decorate shiva
- Basava the Buffalo god is also housed in this temple
- located on direct axis with shiva
- also has a drainage structure for when water is poured during rituals
i. the drainage structure diverts water after the pooja ritual is performed
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- flowers decorate the top of Basava
- The temple shrine where the shiva is housed is hundreds of years old
- the structure of concrete and steel roofing was built in 2002
- the structure of concrete and steel roofing was built in 2002
i. Three bells hang from a beam of the new structure in the center of the temple
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- Mango leaves are hung around the front door and around the front pillars
i. local material found in bounty
ii. Symbolism of mango leaves?
- A well located outside of the temple provides all of the water for pooja, washing the temple, and any rituals involving the pouring of water over shiva and basava
- rangoli designs are made with chalk after the cleaning of the temple.
- the act of cleaning and making rangoli designs is ment to welcome good spirits into the temple
- rangoli designs are made with chalk after the cleaning of the temple.
- A short pillar sits along the same axis and shiva and basava directly outside the entrance to the temple
- it sits in the same location as the much larger ones found in other hindu temples
- Behind the temple is the “dark forest” where the tree cover is so much that the sky is blocked out
Vishnu Temple (Shiva Temple)
Visited on April 16th, 2011
Guide: Suri Joshi
1. Circa 400 years ago
a. Built by the Sonda King
b. Vishnu is another name for Shiva
2. A Jane Temple is located next door and is much more contemporary
3. A large pool of water which you step down into is the first stop on the way to the temple
a. Here you must step down into the pool and bathe so that you are clean before going to the temple
b. The pool is about the size of a football field
4. A large pillar stands as a symbolic reminder for how the universe was formed
a. it is about 15 feet tall
b. made of one stone
5. The temple is built of stone
a. about 25 feet by 45 feet
b. after walking up the stairs you enter a room with 12 pillars
i. many of the pillars within are made of one stone
c. four bells hang in the center of the row of columns closest to the shrine.
d. we watched rangoli be drawn on the ground once the floor had been washed by a woman visiting for pooja
e. beyond another threashold on the same axis. Within this room, a structure for the shrine of the deity sits on the same axis. There is enough room to walk in circles around it
6. During puja, the preist walks around the shrine in circles chanting and singing
a. Making offerings within, and then stepping out of the shrine amongst the pillars to make further offerings
b. he poors water over our hands which we then pour over our heads
c. he gave us a banana to eat
d. we gave him rupees as an offering to shiva
7. To the side of the temple is a decorative spout which was used for pooja in the past, but was currently not being used.
