 |
| Erotic sculptures |
"Sculpture is the art of the intelligence." Pablo Picasso
The Madan Kamdev temple is situated
on the Gopeshwar hills covering an area of 500 square meters. The river Nadankuri flows
below. Located ,approximately 40 miles from Guwahati it is one of the few
Kamdev temples of India. Although not much remains today except for a few
ruins, the exquisite carvings are proof of erotic sculptures existing in
templez other than in Khajuraho. The embracing posture of Uma and Maheswar ,
the six-headed Shiva , Ganesh and the kalpagriha chiselled out on sand stone
reflects the patronage received from the royalty.
There were 13 temples apart
from the main sanctum, built by the Pala kings of Assam during the 9th and 10th
Cent. The first reference was made by Captain Dalton in 1855 but no further
datails are known. Mr.Tarinikanta Sarma , Inspector of Schools was the next to
focus on the ruins. No research was done for 25 years till 1977 when Dr. P
Sharma of the Archeological Survey of India took the initiative. Assisted by
locals and funded by the Government, remnants of the statues were organized in
one place , though much of it was looted and pilfered.
Don't hesitate to strike
up a conversation with the flower sellers who can brief you on the layout of
the temple , the history and the demography of the area.We were met by a
volunteer, Mr. Mazinder Baruah, ripe in his years, but proud of his heritage,
he comes everyday to assist the tourist flow. He opined that the sculptors were
definitely not local artists. They were brought in by the Pala kings to weave
the beauty of it all. Every figure, though much defaced, oozes of the glorious
past and splendour. It is believed that Lord Shiva in his fury burnt Kamdev
with his third eye at that very place. Out of the ashes rose Madan .Hence the
temple.
The local villagers belong to the Hira community who used to make clay
pots, pans and plates. It is said that when the ruins were excavated there were
places which had mounds of broken clay utensils and brings.
The trip was worth it. The tourism department has set up a guesthouse which is
not much used. The area is well maintained.
 |
| Entry to the temple |
For queries contact :kakati_a@yahoo.com
