Bodh Gaya to Chidambaram

From Bodh Ghaya to Chidambaram:

A Journey through the cosmic centres of Buddhism and Saivism

Sections	Topics
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8	Centres of the Universe: The Navel and the Heart  Forests of Uruvela and Thillai The Maha Bodhi Temple and the Nataraja Temple Accessibility to sanctum sanctorums The temple Controversies in Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram Centres of education The differences UNESCO World Heritage status

       The most important place of pilgrimage on earth for a Buddhist is the Maha Bodhi temple at Bodh Gaya, located about 13 kilometers from the small Gaya town, near Patna in Bihar. And the most sacred spot here is the “SEAT of Enlightenment” called the “Vajrasana” or `Diamond throne,’ where Siddharta sat in meditation under the Bodhi Tree to attain Enlightenment and become a Buddha, the Awakened one. We have an interesting parallel in the Saivite world. The most important of all temples for a Tamil Saivite is the Nataraja Temple in the small town of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. And the most sacred place here is the “HALL of Consciousness” called the “Cit sabha” where Siva as Nataraja in a state of Bliss performed the Cosmic Dance signifying the five acts of Creation, Preservation, Destruction, Concealment and bestowal of Grace.

        Besides being focal points of pilgrimage and worship, both the Maha Bodhi and Nataraja temples are also centres of tourist attraction for millions of tourists every year. These temples were visited by the author in 2004 to understand their role in the foundation and formalization of two most important faiths in the world, namely Buddhism and Saiva Siddhanta.  The opportunity was also used to review the present status of the temple management, understand the problems facing them and also consider the prospects of mitigating some of the shortcomings. 

The Dancing Siva and Meditating Buddha 

1. Centres of the Universe: The Navel and the Heart

Globally many sacred sites have been considered the navel of the earth by different religious traditions. The ancient Greeks regarded the egg shaped stone in the oracle chamber of Apollo's shrine at Delphi as omphalos or the navel stone.[1] In other traditions, mountains are considered the sacred centres of the earth. While the Old Testament speaks of Mount Gerizim in Palestine as the navel of the earth,[2] the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains consider the Mount Kailash in Tibet as the centre of the cosmos.  In the Semitic world we have an interesting parallel to compare with. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is regarded the axis of the world by Jews, Christians and Muslims.[3]

Though Mount Kailash is the centre of the cosmos, Bodh Gaya is the ‘navel of the earth’ for Buddhists and Chidambaram the ‘heart of the world’ for Saivites! Asvagosha (first century A.D.), the first expounder of Mahayana Buddhists doctrine, was so overwhelmed by the sight of the Diamond Throne under the Bodhi Tree that he called the SEAT of Enlightenment as the Navel of the Earth (Pathavinabhi). He says in his Buddhacarita: “This is the Navel of earth’s surface, entirely possessed of the highest power; for there is no other spot on earth which can bear the force of his (Bodhisatta’s) concentrated thought” (Canto Defeat of Mara, XIII: 72).[4]

The temple at Chidambaram is considered the ‘heart of the world’, signifying the centre of the universe where Lord Siva as Nataraja is dancing like the ever pulsating heart in the human body.[5] Therefore Chidambaram is also the heart of cosmic man. Ananda Coomarasway[6] writes in his book “The Dance of Shiva”: “The place of the Dance, Chidambaram, the Centre of the Universe, is within the heart.” Thirumandiram, one of the sacred texts of Saiva Siddhanta, says that “the Dancer dances within the heart and seeking that dance is the way to end your birth's cycle forever.” 

It is only in Saivism that a centre of worship has been compared to the heart and not to the navel as it is usually done. The reason is because the heart is identified as the seat of consciousness, and hence only a heart can represent the Cit Sabha or the “Hall of Consciousness”. Nevertheless, in almost religious traditions including Christianity, Islam and Sikhism – at least sometime along their spiritual history – the heart was recognized as the seat of God’s Kingdom. Al-Hallaj, the well known member of the Sufi order, compared the Ka’ba in Mecca to the heart. He said the important thing is to proceed seven times around the Ka’ba of one’s heart.[7]

2. Forests of Uruvela and Thillai

Buddhist and Saivite literatures suggest that Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram were forested at the time of Gautama’s Enlightenment and Siva’s Cosmic Dance. One of the popular old names for Bodh Gaya at the time of Buddha was Uruvela or Uruvilva.[8] There were couple of reasons as to why the place was called Uruvela or Uruvel, but perhaps the most interesting one is attributed to the presence of a vilva tree (Aegle marmelos) growing in the then deciduous forest of the village. The name Uruvel sounds very much Dravidian, the word `ur’ signifying village. Interestingly, the vilva tree is one of the most sacred trees in Indian tradition, perhaps next only to peepal (Ficus religiosa). In a recent study by the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), this species was found to be the temple tree (sthala vriksha) of 23% of the 103 temples in Tamil Nadu surveyed by them.[9] The species is represented at the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram at two locations: in the form of golden vilva leaves as the background of the akasha sthala and at a designated place in front of western tower (gopura). The species could also be represented at Bodh Gaya to symbolically educate the visitors of the old name of Bodh Gaya - Uruvela.

There is no doubt that the “sthala vriksha” of the Maha Bodhi Temple is the peepal tree (Ficus religiosa). The present tree at Bodh Gaya is not the same tree under which Buddha got Enlightened. Hiuen Tsang, the famous traveler from China, reports that the tree was almost totally destroyed by a fanatic King Sasanka during the seventh century A.D.[10] The plant regenerated and withstood any further onslaught until a heavy storm in 1876 brought down the already old, neglected and degenerating tree.[11] The Bodhi Tree we see today – now 125 years old – is the fourth generation tree planted by Alexander Cunningham from a sampling of the parent tree.[12] The tree is now completely protected and only fallen leaves are permitted for collection. The so called Bodhi leaves sold in thousands by vendors outside the Maha Bodhi temple can never be from the Bodhi tree, for otherwise the tree would have died by now due to indiscriminate collection.

The young thillai tree near the West gopura (right)

and the designated place for the Temple Tree near the east gopura (left).

        Like Bodh Gaya, Chidambaram also has a history of being called by a forest area. Unlike the name Bodh Gaya which came into vogue only during the 19^th century, the name Chidambaram was in use even during the sixth or seventh century A.D. Before the name Chidambaram came into vogue, the place was called Thillai, a word signifying a woodland dominated by a species of tree called thillai or the `blinding tree’ (Excoecaria agallocha), a species of the mangrove forests.[13] R.N.N. Deekshitar mentions in his work “The Dance of Tillai Chidambaram” that the present temple land was once an impenetrable forest of Thillai trees.[14] Since Chidambaram is about 10 km away from the nearest sea shore (from where the famous Pichavaram mangroves is about 5 km away), it is rather surprising to know that the vegetation type that prevailed in Chidambaram during that time was mangrove! Every major temple in Tamil Nadu has a temple tree (sthala vriksha) and the Nataraja Temple is the only temple that has a mangrove species as a temple tree. The name Thillai has been so frequently used in almost all literary works associated with Chidamabaram that Nataraja himself is referred as `Thillai Koothan’ (Dancer at Thillai). In spite of its legendary association with the Dance of Siva, the thillai tree at Chidambaram does not receive the kind of importance like the peepal tree at Bodh Gaya or even the vivla tree at Chidambaram. In fact the Nataraja Temple was without its temple tree for decades until someone from outside the temple management planted two trees in the gardens near the West gopura about five years ago. There are no records of the origin and the date of this planting. For the Deekshitars, the temple tree seems to be a very trivial matter as most of them are not even aware of the two thillai trees in their own premises! This is not surprising considering the fact that the designated place for sthala vriksha near the East gopura has been lying vacant for years. Shrubs of Calotropis gigantea growing there may mislead the visitors to believe them as the temple trees! Since vilva (Aegle marmelos) is associated with Siva temples in Tamil Nadu, many of the Deekshitars have begun calling the vilva tree as the temple tree!  The popularity of thillai as the temple tree of Chidambaram is definitely on the wane and we won’t be surprised to see vilva getting that recognition eventually!

3. The Maha Bodhi Temple and the Nataraja Temple

The southern tower at Nataraja Temple (left) and the Maha Bodhi Temple (right)

The dates of establishment of the Maha Bodhi and Nataraja temples are not clear. The temples must have been built long time after the advent of Siva’s Cosmic Dance at Thillai and Buddha’s Enlightenment at Uruvel. Though we recognize Buddha’s Enlightenment as a historical event that happened sometime during the sixth century B.C., we do not know when the celebrated event of Divine Cosmic Dance was revealed to Patanjali and Vyaghrapada. George Feuerstein, one of the greatest scholars on Yoga, considers Patanjali to have lived during the third century A.D.[15]

The Maha Bodhi temple existed when the famous Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang visited the site in 637 A.D and the UNESCO alo records that the temple must have been built during the sixth century A.D.[16] It was apparently built on the spot where King Asoka had earlier built a Bodhi shrine of Buddha. According to David Smith, the author of the book “The Dance of Śiva,” the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram was a centre of worship even by the turn of the seventh century A.D.[17] Though not in the present form, the temple would have been there in some form even before this time. 

Both these temples at Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram, have been extensively repaired, renovated and sometimes even rebuilt by devote Buddhists and Saivites in the past. Unlike some of the sacred monuments of the world, however, we do not have the records of renovations carried out at these temples. In the Semitic world for instance, we have accurate records of renovations carried out on some of the spiritual centres like the Ka’ba in Mecca and the Dome of the Rock in Jarusalem.[18] Thanks to the advent of Islam in the seventh century A.D. which not only made a significant impact on the history of the Semitic world, but also enabled us to exactly date certain events like these renovations. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many Indian temples and monuments for we Indians are not good keepers of history. We have only accounts of a mythical king from the north, who after gaining a golden skin, moves to Chidambaram, rebuilds the temple and institutes the rituals and festivals.

The Maha Bodhi temple was deserted and in complete ruins due to neglect for more than five centuries (from 13^th to 18^th century A.D.). It was only in the later part of the 19^th century during the time of the British that the temple was totally renovated or rebuilt at the same site as a near replica of the old temple.[19] The 170 feet high Maha Bodhi Temple is unique as it is built entirely of bricks. The credit of resurrecting this temple from the oblivion goes to one person, Alexander Cunningham, who after becoming the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, showed considerable interest in its rebuilding. It is not an exaggeration when D.C. Ahir, in his book “Bhodh Gaya Through the Ages” calls Cunningham’s period the turning point in the history of Buddhism in India.[20] The temple at Chidambaram also had a similar history though not so dramatic as the Maha Bodhi Temple. Though Chidambaram must have been popular as the centre of worship even during the seventh century A.D., most of the structures we see today like the Raja Saba and four towers (gopuras) were added later during the 12 or 13^th century A.D. by the Chola Kings.[21] Like in Bodh Gaya, Western interest played a major role in renovating the Chidambaram temple in the 18^th century when the Dutch merchants supported the cause.[22] Unlike the Maha Bodhi Temple, the Nataraja temple didn’t pass through any stage of deterioration and neglect to the point of requiring a total resurrection.

The sanctum sanctorum at the Nataraja Temple (‘Hall of Consciousness’ or Cit Sabha) has a unique architecture not found in any of the ancient Chola temples.[23] Said to be the earliest structure built at the Chidambaram temple, its roof is covered with gold plated copper tiles (thus sometimes called the Golden Hall). This Saba is no longer a `hall’ but an enclosure covered on all sides. The Tamil equivalent for Cit Sabha is Citrambalam (Little Hall), the word ambalam here having a twin meaning of ‘Temple’ as well as ‘Hall.’ Apart from these two common meanings, it also means “to reveal (something)” and rightly so. This is the stage where Siva “revealed” the prowess of the five cosmic acts (pancakrtya) through the Dance of Bliss (Ananda Thandava).

Both the temples in Chidambaram and Bodh Gaya have large ponds. A common practice in any large Temple architecture in India is to have a huge water body near the main structure for ritualistic purification. Even the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar has a huge water tank and in fact the temple itself is literally immersed in the water body. Such large tanks are now a history and no longer form part of modern temples. The Lotus Tank at Bodh Gaya is a recent addition in the temple complex symbolizing the Mucalinda lake where the Naga King is said to have sheltered the Buddha from rain.[24] The Siva Ganga Tank at Chidambaram is considerably older and has a long history and several legendry accounts associated with it. The major difference between the water bodies in Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram is that the ritual bathing takes place only in the latter.

While the design features of many great spiritual centres like the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, Ka’ba in Mecca, Cit sabha in Chidambaram, Maha Bodhi temple in Bodh Gaya and many others have by and large remained the same, the surrounds of these sacred centres have totally changed due to rapid urbanization over the last two centuries. Though we are fortunate to see these structures still in their original form, the reality is that we can never see them in their original settings of forests and deserts. D.C. Ahir in his book “Buddha Gaya Through the Ages” suggests that the architects and town planners of Bodh Gaya should re-plan the town with the objective of ensuring that it be restored to what it may have been during the time of the Buddha.[25] This is a near impossible task considering the fact that the place would have been totally forested during the time of the Buddha and the subsequent periods. This would require the eviction of all the stalls and business activities around the temple, replacement of the formal landscaping inside the temple with an informal one, recreation of a deciduous forest in the surrounds and stopping any development activity for at least 1 km radius of the temple. This is going to be a daunting task, but what can definitely be achieved is relocation of some commercial enterprises and regulate the growth of the township including a number of hotels mushrooming around the temple.

Apart from the sanctum sanctorum the Cit Sabha (Hall of Bliss), the Nataraja temple has four more Halls, namely the Kanaga Sabha (Golden Hall), Nrtta Sabha (Chariot Hall), Deva Sabha (Hall of gods) and the Raja Sabha (Royal Hall) (see Layout-1 in the end). Every Sabha has a legend of its own. They are recognized as the Halls of Consciousness, Knowledge, Intellect, Breath and the thousand pillars in that order.[26] Number five permeates through Saiva Siddhanta: pancaksara (the five sacred letters), pancakrtya (five cosmic acts), five gods to represent these five acts (Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Sadasiva and Maheswara), five tattvas (Nada, Bindu, Sadasiva, Eswara and Suddhavidya), five syllables (namasivaya), five senses, five bodily elements etc.

In comparison, at Bodh Gaya there are seven locations of visitor importance: (i) Vajrasana and Bodhi tree (Diamond Throne and the Tree of Enlightenment), (ii) Animesalocana or the ‘place of unwinking gazing’, (iii) Ratana Cankamana or the ‘ruby walk shrine’, (iv) Ratanaghara or the ‘jewel house’, (v) Ajapala Nigrodha tree or the ‘banyan tree’, (vi) Mukalinda lake or the ‘abode of snake-king’ and (vii) Rajayatana tree or the ‘forest tree” (see Layout-2 in the end).[27] The Ratna Cankamana represents footsteps of Buddha, who after getting enlightened, spent his third week walking to and fro near the Bodhi Tree. It is a sacred pilgrimage spot for all Buddhists who visit Bodh Gaya.  This reminds us very much of the sacred stretch near Ka’ba (the rite of sa’iy during Hajj) where Abraham’s wife Hager (Arabic: Hajira) had to run up and down seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah to fetch water for her son Ismail. During their pilgrimages, both Buddhists and Muslims walk along these respective stretches to commemorate the incidents.[28] There are also locations of minor importance like the footprints of Buddha. The Buddha pada placed in front of the Bodhi tree also reminds very much of the footprints of Abraham placed near the Ka’ba in Mecca.[29]

Both Gaya and Chidambaram have their sthala puranas, namely Gaya Mahatmya and Chidambara Mahatmya. However, Gaya Mahatmya has nothing to do with Buddhism or the Maha Bodhi Temple. Over the centuries, both Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram have proved to be a centre of attraction for kings, political leaders, poets, saints, monks, travelers and philosophers. Of course there is a major difference between the two. Nataraja temple has been the source of inspiration for saint poets to compose hymns that eventually formed the canonical literature of Saiva Siddhanta. In the case of the Maha Bodhi temple, it was only a source of admiration, veneration and inspiration for Buddhist scholars, saints and kings. The Buddhist canon ‘Tipitaka’ was compiled even before the temple was built.

Layout of Chidambaram temple

Layout of Bodh Gaya temple premises

4. Accessibility to sanctum sanctorums

The main place of worship encompassing the Vajrasana (Diamond Throne) and the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya is accessible to everyone. At Chidambaram, the Cit Sabha or the Hall of Consciousness, can be entered only by the Deekshitars. This reminds us very much of the Meccan tradition of ‘Doorkeepers of the Ka’ba’ who are still said to be the family of Banu Shayba supposedly appointed by Prophet Muhammad himself.[30]

The Vajrasana gate is opened to visitors for two sessions a day, but the 50 sq.m. sanctum – cordoned off by the stone-railings – is too small to accommodate more than 5 people! During the rest of the day, only the golden canopy of the Vajrasana and not the SEAT (symbolized by a large sandstone slab kept there by King Asoka during the third century B.C.) is visible to the devotees. One has to peep through the stone work of railings to get a glimpse of the platform. The golden canopy was a recent addition, donated by the then Sri Lankan Government when R. Premadasa was the President.[31] The offer was readily accepted by the temple management, whereas a similar attempt to present gold and gem studded cover for the Guru Grant Sahib in the Golden Temple in Amritsar was not accepted by the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) citing that the contents of the holy Granth is not dependant on expensive covers.[32]

It is important that the visitors are provided an un-obstructive view of this central place of veneration and worship. The railings, considered to be one of the oldest structures extant at Bodh Gaya, were used during the first century B.C. to protect the Bodhi tree and the SEAT. The perimeter of these sand stone railings can be increased by employing some of the excess railings currently held in the museum. Realignment of the stone railings is nothing new as it has been done at least once during the past history of Bodh Gaya. D.C. Ahir mentions in his book that they were re-arranged and enlarged by Raja Purnavarma, the last descendent of Asoka, during the seventh century A.D. The railings are more than five feet high and as such blocks the view of Vajrasana even an adult visitor. Since the temple and the tree are already in a depression (at least 5–8 metres below the ground level), the terraces provide an ideal opportunity to create a semi-circular amphitheater sort of pavilion on the western side. This set up will provide the visitors a complete view of the central place worship (Diamond Throne and the Bodhi Tree) from a distance.

A similar problem of visitor inaccessibility to witness an important event exists at Chidambaram also. Apart from the Nataraja idol (which is anyway not visible as it is draped in cloths), the Cit Sabha also holds the Chidambara Rahasya (Mystery of Chidambaram) which actually symbolizes one of the triune natures of Siva, namely His Formlessness. The mystery is behind a veil of black silk curtain which when drawn aside, reveals just an empty space (Akasha) with no real image in it. The removal of the veil corresponds to the removal of ignorance and behind it the real truth that the Reality is Formless. Like the golden canopy over the Diamond Throne, this empty space is decorated with a hanging garland of golden vilva (Aegle marmelos) leaves as the background. At the Temple, a devotee has to not only pay Rs. 30/- or Rs. 50/- (there is inconsistency in collection of money and also no receipts are given) but also peep through the door crosses to see the ‘dramatic’ unveiling of the Akasha linga. To tell the truth, it is far from being dramatic. Unlike in Bodh Gaya where the Diamond Throne is in the open and thereby allowing plenty of daylight, the Chidambara Rahasya is in utter darkness and true to its name being called a Rahasya or Mystery! With no electricity being provided inside the twin Sabhas, everything happens in dim lamps lighted by ghee. Again there is a dearth of interpretive graphics or signages to educate the visitors and devotees on this important symbolism of expressing the Formless attribute of the Reality. The concept is sometimes explained by the priests to those few who manage to get on to the Kanaga Sabha. Most of the devotees go back without getting an opportunity to see this unveiling of the mystery and even those who get an opportunity, without understanding the significance of it.

Cit Sabha, the Hall of Consciousness with the golden roof (left) and
Vajrasana, the Diamond Throne without the golden canopy (right)

5. The temple Controversies in Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram

Chidambaram is the only large temple in Tamil Nadu that is outside the fold of the Government. When the proposal was moved to bring the Chidambaram temple also under the fold of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, the government move was declared unconstitutional. The priests at Chidambaram, claiming special descent and ownership of the temple, have been in-charge of the temple management for more than a millennium. Whenever the government tried to interfere in the temple affairs citing irregularities and mismanagement, the Deekshitars went to court for justice. They have been able to not only retain the control of the temple but also deny all allegations of mismanagement and corruption so far. The dispute between with state government and the Nataraja Temple management, however, still continue to this day.

The Deekshitars emphasize their unique descent and some of them claim that they have a tradition of more than 3,000 years at Chidambaram! But according to David Smith, the first mention of the priests of Chidambaram is in the eight century with Sundarar’s listing of Saiva saints.  With Umapathy Sivam being a temple priest himself, it is evident that Deekshitars had already established themselves well before the 13^th century A.D.  The Chidambara mahatmya, the Sthala purana of Chidambaram Temple, records that it was King Hiranyavarma, perhaps from Bengal, who brought the priests to Chidambaram. But the period is unknown. The Deekshitars lay special emphasis on rituals which is based on the Vedas unlike on Agamas in other Saiva temples.

At Chidambaram, every opportunity is utilized to collect funds through different means like the conduct of special poojas and temple prasadas, but the same interest is not shown in improving the standards of presentation, educating the visitors and devotees on the cultural and religious history of the temple. It is understood that the management needs money to run and maintain the temple complex but I am sure there are better alternatives for fund raising. The Golden Temple at Amritsar is also maintained by a minority community, but no where are the visitors pestered for money. In fact there the management also provides free langar to all those who visit the temple!

            New constructions are being taken up and there is a general tendency to build roofs all over the place. The recent addition being the six meters tall concrete shade being built all along the visitor pathway leading from the east gopura to the Raja Sabha. This structure completely blocks the view of the eastern tower from the entrance.  At some places, remarkable old stone carvings have been crudely cemented spoiling the beauty of the art work. The wheels and the horse on either side of the Nrtta Sabha (Chariot Hall) have been covered by brick work and cement. It is doubtful if the Deekshitars have any laid out guidelines, master plan or a management plan underlining the ‘dos and don’ts’ of the temple. The heart of universe is not an intellectual property of any one particular community but Hinduism as a whole and Saivisim in particular. It is the Mecca of Saivism and therefore the community at large and the government in particular have a role to play in determining how the temple takes shape in future. After all, Shiva promised Patanjali and Vyagrapada that He will perform His Dance for years to come for everyone. At the moment, the Chidambaram temple seems to lack any direction for the Deekshitars do not even appreciate the importance of thillai tree.

There are also several disputes pending on the temple management of the Maha Bodhi Temple. After the wane of Buddhism in India during the later part of the last millennium and especially after the exodus of Buddhist monks from Bodh Gaya sometime during the thirteenth century, the temple as a Buddhist landmark was lost in the oblivion for more than five centuries. It was during this period, sometime during the 16^th or 17^th century, that the temple was occupied by Brahmin priests. It is quite natural that the temple was occupied by the majority Hindus after more than 400 years of its neglect. It is also not uncommon in the history to see a place of worship being occupied by the followers of another faith, and convert it either by default or force, following advent of a new faith or the disappearance of another.  The then Mahant (presiding Brahmin priest) of the occupied Maha Bodhi temple not only installed a Sivalinga in the main hall of the Maha Bodhi temple, but also removed the main image of Buddha from its place. According to D.C. Dhir, the Buddha image in the temple had been removed by the Mahant some time during the early nineteenth century so as to convert it into a Siva temple.  This great image of the Buddha with the fingers pointing towards down was reinstated at the same place by Cunningham and his assistant J.D. Belgar soon after the temple’s total renovation in the 1880s. However the worship of Sivalinga has not yet been discontinued as the Sivalinga still remains in the main hall of the temple.

The presence of Sivalinga in the Maha Bodhi Temple has long been a matter of disgruntlement amongst the Buddhists. However not many visitors who throng Bodh Gaya realize the presence of a Sivalinga on the floor of the main hall of the temple. Visitors’ attention is automatically drawn towards the well illuminated, now gold plated, seated image of the Buddha. D.C. Dhir writes: “It is ironic that, at a time when the Hindus of India are protesting the usurping of the birth-place of Lord Ram, the Hindus had put a `lingam’ inside the main shrine room at Gaya”. We must however realize that the Lingam was in place long before Ayodhya became an issue. Unlike the case of Ayodhya, the Hindus have actually not only preserved the temple but also its heritage through government legislation. No doubt a Sivalinga has no place in the Buddhist doctrine. We are also talking about a temple that has been built commemorating the SEAT of Enlightenment of a person who opposed the rituals instituted by Brahminical priest-craft, just like the way Jesus fought against the dominance of the Rabbis in Judaism. The Sivalinga there can definitely be moved to another location to respect Hindu sentiments.

The small Pancha Pandava temple located to the east of the temple is another questionable structure built by the Hindus. The idols claimed to be those of the five Pandavas are nothing but Buddha in different postures clothed in colourful fabrics. The Buddhists have been demanding that the temple be dismantled and the images of the Buddha deposited in the museum.

Another issue that needs to be resolved is the long pending request of the Buddhists to reorganize the structure and composition of Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (Act, 1949). This special act that came into force soon after independence, when the government constituted a committee for the management and control of the temple and the temple land. The committee consisting of a Chairman and eight members are nominated by the state government all of whom are Indian. The Act lays down that only four members of the eight member committee shall be Buddhists and the Chairman shall be the District Magistrate of Gaya. Interestingly, the ruling states that the state government shall nominate a Hindu as the Chairman if the District Magistrate happens to be a non-Hindu! This was nothing but a blatant and deliberate attempt on the part of the then government to give preference to a particular community. One wonders what would have been the situation, if India had been a Buddhist country. Ironically, while the Deekshitars at Chidambaram feel proud of their descent and hold the possession of the temple, the Buddhists are fighting for their rights at Bodh Gaya. The Buddhists have been holding rallies and prayers expressing their desire to ‘liberate’ the Maha Bodhi temple from the clutches of the Hindu dominant Bodh Gaya management committee. However, barring a few promises here and there, nothing fruitful has happened so far. The Golden Temple is maintained by Sikhs, the Chidambaram Temple by Hindus, and why not the Maha Bodhi Temple by a majority Buddhists? We have a lesson to learn from Israel. The government of Israel has left the Jerusalem Temple Mount under the control of Muslims in spite of it being the holiest site for Jews!

6. Centres of education

The temples at Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram can be learning centres for visitors to know about the fundamentals of Buddhism and Saivism. Appropriately designed graphics placed at strategic locations can be used to depict the historical and literary background of these religious traditions without any sign of religious overtone. Both temples have guides, but self-explanatory graphics are important as everyone cannot afford to have a guide.

Though being places of worship and pilgrimage, both devotees and visitors should be informed of the history and importance of these historical monuments. This has been presented to some extent at Bodh Gaya through a few informative displays, but the information at Chidambaram is scanty to say the least. The graphics here also do no conform to any particular style unlike in Bodh Gaya. None of the five Halls at Chidambaram bear any graphic display in front of them. Nor does the temple contain any information on its relevance to Saiva Siddhanta.

No other sanctum sanctorum in the world can have the credit of being the single most source of inspiration to many great religious poets in producing a voluminous amount of religious literature. The result is the compilation of the Tamil Saivite canon Thirumurai (Sacred Compilations) of Saiva Siddhanta contained in twelve volumes contributed by 26 saints in more than 18,000 verses over a period of 600 years (600 A.D. to 1,200 A.D.). The Thirumurai is perhaps exceeded in size only by the Buddhist canon Tipitaka (Three Baskets). And not to forget about many other saints whose names and contributions have not been included in the Saivite canon. The codifiers of Saiva Siddhanta namely Meykandar and Umapathy and many of the contemporary saints like Ramalingar have all had their thoughts from the Temple as the starting place!

Considering the fact that Chidambaram temple has produced a large body of literature woven around the Temple, it is surprising and painful to see that the temple trustees have not realized the need to educate the visitors on the literary and religio-cultural history of Saiva Siddhanta. Saiva Siddhanta, meaning the final conclusion on Saivism, is one of the well defined religious sects within the fold of Hinduism. Czech Tamil Scholar Zvelebil considered Saiva Siddhanta amongst the most perfect and cleverest systems of human thought. There are many an inscriptions from Thirumurai, recent and antique, inside the Chidambaram temple especially in the inner courtyards. The small rock inscriptions have a different role but the recent ones engraved on marbles and painted on walls are far too many, satiating the visitors. There has to be a perfect balance while providing information to the visitors. Innovative electronically designed interpretive graphics will not only be attractive to the public but also prove to be a useful mean of arousing curiosity amongst the visitors.

The graphics and signages at the Maha Bodhi temple are satisfactory though there is scope for improvement. We do not see any Sutta of Buddha being engraved or written anywhere. At least the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, where Buddha mentions this place as one of the four places of Buddhist importance, deserves to be displayed somewhere. Asvaghosa’s remark on the Vajrasana as the ‘navel of the earth’ also deserves a place near the Diamond Throne. There is a need for an illustrated depiction of the chronology of the temple history, beginning with Emperor Asoka’s role at Bodh Gaya and ending with the role of Cunningham and his associates in the rebuilding of the temple during the time of British rule. The illustration of the seven stages of Buddha’s life, from his departure to mortification, meditation, enlightenment, and sermon haves been beautifully depicted in one of the Buddhist temples around the Maha Bodhi Temple. There are many subtle ways to present graphics without dominating the natural landscape at the Maha Bodhi Temple.

There is no information as to why in the past Bodh Gaya and Chidambaram were called Uruvela and Thillai respectively.  This can be displayed near a vivla tree (Aegle marmelos) in Bodh Gaya and the thillai tree (Excoecaria agallocha) at Chidambaram. The thillai (blinding tree), being the sthala vriksha of Nataraja Temple, deserves more than a mention at Chidambaram. Currently it is totally ignored.

Surprisingly both temples do not have any depiction of the layout of the temple complex. A map depicting the location of all the Halls (sabhas) and the reason why Chidambaram is considered the heart of universe should be graphically depicted. This has not been done and instead the devotees are lead straight into the sanctum sanctorum to take part in the daily rituals. At Bodh Gaya, the existing maps do not focus on the structures inside the 14 acre temple complex. A map illustrating the locations of all the important sacred spots in the temple complex, namely the main temple, the bodhi tree, the Diamond throne, the Jewel walk shrine, the site of Un-winking gaze, the Jewel House, the Banyan tree, the Abode of snake king and Rajayatana will be extremely useful for the visitors.

7. The differences

Both the temples are open to visitors of all faiths. There is no gender, caste, religious or racial discrimination. How fortunate are we to see these magnificent structures and symbols of historical significance! At Bodh Gaya the image of the Buddha faces east while at Chidambaram the Nataraja murthy faces south. While photography is permitted in Bodh Gaya, it is permitted only in the outer courtyard in Chidambaram. In fact one can photograph even the main idol of Buddha at Bodh Gaya. There is absolutely no restriction.

The temple complex at Chidambaram is roughly 35 acres in extent. The main temple complex at Bodh Gaya, now encompassed in a compound wall, is a little more than 14 acres. Besides the five Halls at Chidambaram and the seven sacred spots at Bodh Gaya, both have many temples of minor importance. The only difference being their placement with respect to the main temple. At Chidambaram they are all located inside the 51 acre complex itself, while at Bodh Gaya the temples and monasteries (set up by different countries) are situated outside the Maha Bodhi Temple complex. Most of these Buddhist temples and monasteries are of recent origin unlike the ones in Chidambaram.

At Chidambaram, there is a tendency to make everything indoors, with concrete slabs covering even the visitor pathways at some places. The scene is totally different at Bodh Gaya. Except for the 50 metre high temple stupa, which occupies a mere 50 sq. m. space on the ground, the rest of the places of interest in the temple complex at Bodh Gaya are open to sky. There is no need to emphasize the fact that open-to-sky environ is more serene and pleasing to the eye than covered structures no matter how magnificent the structures may be.

Bodh Gaya, being located in a non-Buddhist country, has a perfect balance of visitors and devotees. When compared to the Chidambaram Temple, it is projected more as a place of historical and archaeological importance than as a place of religious worship. There is a scene of serenity and sanctity at Bodh Gaya as the complex is open to sky, with the basement of the temple and other sacred spots including the Bhodi Tree situated actually below the ground level. The scene at Chidambaram is different, with history and information dissemination taking a comfortable back seat at the expense of elaborate six-times a day rituals. With thousands of devotees whose prime objective is to get a darshan of the Lord Nataraja thronging the temple every day, the normal scene at Chidambaram is buzzing activity with bell ringing and loud music. Rituals like poojas and abishekas were probably introduced in later years to attract the masses and divert them from Buddhist and Jain religions.

Anyone who enters the Chidambaram temple, thinking that the world’s “Hall of Consciousness” must be a place of total tranquility, will be thoroughly disappointed at the prevailing environment. No where is silence requested and it is therefore not surprising to see even Deekshitars engaging in frequent vociferous conversations. One can also see them freely attending to mobile phones without any due respect to the sacredness of the place. For them, it seems that the rituals are a routine. Their activities at times give us the impression that they are merely passing through the motions. Loud music and rituals mark Chidambaram, while quietness and serenity prevail at Bodh Gaya. Interestingly Siva is even called the Lord of Meditation, but Chidambaram is the place where Siva revealed His cosmic acts through the Dance of Bliss (Ananda Thandava). The rituals, bell ringing and music perhaps signify the facts that dance is always associated with music unlike meditation whose objective is silent contemplation in a serene atmosphere.

Meditation is easily the most important activity at Bodh Gaya, taking place under the Bodhi tree, in and around the temple, in the designated Meditation Park and also inside many Buddhist temples attached to different monasteries. The serenity and tranquility at Bodh Gaya which permits all these activities has a lot to do with its location away from Gaya town. Bodh Gaya being placed in the outskirts of Gaya, at least 13 km away from this congested town is surrounded by a thinly populated but a rapidly growing settlement with hotels and shopping complexes. The temple at Chidambaram is unfortunately situated right in the middle of the town, with the town having developed around the temple like any other temple city in Tamil Nadu. The place is of course no longer a forest of thillai trees.

8. UNESCO World Heritage status

         The UNESCO convention focuses on the conservation of nature and preservation of cultural properties. The convention defines the kind of natural or cultural properties that can be considered for inscription in the World Heritage List. For a cultural site to be included in the UNESCO list, it has to meet at least one of the six stipulated criteria. The cultural heritage should (i) represent a masterpiece of human creative genius, or (ii) exhibit an important interchange of human values, or (ii) bear an exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization, or (iv) be an outstanding example of type of building or architecture which illustrates a significant stage or stages in human history, or (v) be an outstanding example of traditional human settlement or land-use practice, or (vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. Currently there are about 26 sites from India included in this prestigious list. Some of the cultural and historical monuments included in this list are the Taj Mahal, Tanjore Chola temples, Mahabalipuram shore temple, Humayun’s Tomb, Agra Fort, Konarks’ sun temple etc. While the temple complex at Bodh Gaya has been included in the list of World Heritage sites, Chidambaram continues to be just another temple in spite of being an architectural treasure of historical importance and contribution to civilization. The Maha Bodhi temple has been recognized based on criteria and i, ii, iii, iv and vi. Theoretically, the temple at Chidambaram can also fall into the same categories of the first four and the sixth. In fact the Natarajar temple is an outstanding example for criterion six.  Why then the Chidambaram temple is unable to find its place amongst the elite group of heritage sites in India?

UNESCO makes no recommendations for the inclusion of cultural, historical or natural sites in the heritage list. The recommendation for inclusion should have the government backing and UNESCO only lays out the role of the Government and the concerned parties in protecting and preserving the heritage. In fact the application has to specify a plan detailing how the monument shall be protected and managed in the state or national legislation. By applying for the convention, the country pledges to preserve that particular cultural property.

Being the only large temple outside the fold of the government, the temple management of Deekshitars has been in frequent conflict with the government on various issues since the formulation of the endowment board.  Since the application for admission into the World Heritage List must have the support of the government, it is important for the Deekshitars to take the government into confidence. After all the temple was built and renovated by Kings who were the then governing authorities of the land! The ball is in Deekshitars’ court. It will be a shame if we fail to get the due recognition for the world’s only site considered the `Heart of the Universe’.

A lot more has to be done if Chidambaram temple has to be considered for that recognition. The premises have to be kept clean. At the moment, there are cows and goats inside the campus with garbage and animal excreta around. There are plenty of vacant spaces that can be landscaped to increase the serenity of the temple complex. Even minimum visitor facilities like water and rest rooms are lacking. The Rotary Club of Chidambaram seem to have done a lot to the temple but none of the water points made in 1992 are currently functional. A good model to follow is the Golden Temple which is easily one of the cleanest and well maintained temples in India. The ‘heart of the world’ deserves a much better treatment than what it is being given at present.

Beggars are common at all pilgrimage centres but the difference at Chidambarm is that they can be seen all over the place. Beggars cannot be avoided but at least their entry can be restricted beyond the gopuras. Though visitor facilities are adequate at Bodh Gaya, the main public toilet located inside the Bodh Gaya temple complex near the Meditation Park is filthy and definitely does not meet even an average Indian standard.

Scenes at Chidambaram in 2004: Garbage near the eastern tower and a dried up water point

For the due recognition of Chidambaram temple, the formation of a joint-committee of temple management with representatives from both the community of Deekshitars, Government’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board and public is a better option. There is lesson to learn from the proposal to declare of the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) in Amritsar as a World Heritage Site. The control and management of this sacred place lies with the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee), an elected body of Sikhs. Once declared as a World Heritage Site, the stakeholders would include – besides UNESCO – the SGPC, the Punjab Government, the Central Government and the donors.  In spite of this proposed joint undertaking, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee very well recognizes the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 which provides for government’s non-interference in the Gurdwara management of the SGPC (The Tribune, Feb 9, 2005). Therefore, there is no reason for Deekshitars to be worried of the consequences of the declaration. The Nataraja Temple is a common heritage of the Saivites of the world and hence the Deekshitars alone cannot take a final decision on its status.

  

References

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[1] Themelis, P.G. 1981. The Delphi Museum. Ekdotike Athenon S.A. Page 23. (Also: **)

[2] Judges 9:37 (Gaal spoke again and said, "Behold, people are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one company comes by the way of the diviners'')

[3] Haaretz on the Temple Mount, pt II: axis mundi

[4] Asvaghosa’s Buddhacarita or Acts of the Buddha. Translated by S.H. Johnston. Motilal Banarsidas Publishers, Delhi. P. 201

[5] Smith, D. 1998. The Dance of Siva. Cambridge University Press. Page 98

[6] The Dance of Shiva: Fourteen Indian Essays by Ananda Coomaraswamy

[7] It was debated upon in the years 308-309 A.H. Hallaj claimed, " (The real) Kaaba is inside the heart. It is more important to circumambulate it seven times." (**)

[8] Uruvela or Uruvilva (**)

[9] Gunasekaran, M and Balasubramanian, P. 2010. Taxonomic enumeration and economic values of sthalavrikshas (Temple trees) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Southern India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany. 34(4):769-776.

[10] Ahir, D.C. 1994. Buddha Gaya Through the Ages. Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi. Page 39 & 62

[11] Melton, J.G. 2008. The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena. Visible Ink Series. Page 40

[12] Ahir, D.C. 1994. Buddha Gaya Through the Ages. Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi. Pages 90 &147

[13] Thillai in Tamil is the Blinding tree (*,*,)

[14] Chidambaram: A project report of R.V. College of Engineering. Page 8 (*)

[15] (*, *)

[16] Albertina Nugteren, 2005. Belief, Bounty, and Beauty: Rituals Around Sacred Trees in India. Koninklijke Brill NV, Brill Academic Publishers, Netherlands. Pages 211-212

[17] David Smith, 1998. The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India. Cambridge University Press. Page 1

[18] Hughes, T.P. 1885. Dictionary of Islam. Rupa and Co. Pages 258 and *.  

[19] Ahir, D.C. 1994. Buddha Gaya Through the Ages. Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi. Page ix.

[20] Ahir, D.C. 1994. Buddha Gaya Through the Ages. Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi. Pages 89

[21] David Smith, 1998. The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India. Cambridge University Press. Page 52

[22] Dutch merchants supported the temple renovation in 18^th century C.E. (*)

[23] David Smith, 1998. The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India. Cambridge University Press. Page 85

[24] Pond being a recent addition - Mucalinda lake where the Naga King is said to have sheltered the Buddha from rain.

[25] Ahir, D.C. 1994. Buddha Gaya Through the Ages. Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi. Pages 176

[26] The Temple of the Dancing Shiva

[27] Seven Sacred Places at Bodh Gaya.

[28] Running to remember a mother called Hajira.

[29] Footprints of prophet Abraham at Mecca

[30] Meccan tradition of door keepers of Kaba

[31] Golden canopy donated by Sri Lankan president Premadasa

[32] Golden thing to Golden Temple not accepted (The Tribune, Amritsar, Feb 9, 2005).