Communicates with the stone is hard to put into words but nonetheless very tangible.
The magnificent roof of blue sky in a dense forest, beside a river,
are one of the great
hidden glories of medieval art.
There are over hundreds of
these delightfully carved keystones,
dating 6th to 8th century and measuring various sizes.
The vast majority are figure carvings uniquely
linked together in storytelling patterns,
Maheshpur in Chhattisgarh, India
is situated some 80 kilometers away from the district headquarter,
these
ornaments are too distant to have been fully appreciated by worshipers
over the centuries;
by the same token, their inaccessibility has
protected them from vandalism.
Until recently their character and detail
have been discernible to only a dedicated few.
“It would have been not just a random building.
The structure and basis of the temple
depends on the deity, and the energy.
Ancient temple sculpture was
carefully thought out”.
“Temples celebrate our historical inheritance.
First we know, then we
appreciate, then admire, then celebrate.
Every temple has its story.
It’s beautiful”.
(master sculptor Ganesh Bhatt tells us of the procedures involved in temple architecture)
If carefully read, these figures in consecutive series with various figures,
may reveal stories of their times, deity or king of the period.
It could be a imaginative brain exercise for a beginner....
