JOIN USA passion for temple architecture
The Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre wore a different look altogether last week. Flower pots and plants placed from one end of the room to the other added a green and elegant ambience to the exhibition of photographs on Angor Wat. The solitude of the place grew expansive with Buddhist chants being played in the background.
“It enhances the ambience and people can evaluate how a particular piece of art would look like in a drawing room,” said Somesh Goyal, the man behind the photographs and the creative mind behind breaking the monotony of the gallery. “I find that the gallery has become very bland. My idea is that art normally goes to a living room.”
It his bureaucratic style of living in which he has tried to encapsulate the exhibition. Goyal, who is the Additional Director General Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), recently visited Cambodia and displayed his photographs of the temple and its architecture at the exhibition.
“I have captured the architecture and excellence in sculptures,” says Goyal. “These temples have been inspired by our Dravidian art. Prevailed in south India and particularly during Pallava and Chola period, the art form travelled because we always had intimate relations with South-East Asian countries. This strong Indian imprint is seen in Cambodia.”
Goyal was never a student of history. “What agitated me was our country was called ‘sone ki chidiya’. India was a super soft power, particularly during eight and ninth century, in terms of culture, economy, society and religion. It has imprint all around the neighbourhood. I wanted to trace our footprint. So after reading, I realised Cambodia has the largest number of Indian temples,” he told Metrolife.
To trace the roots of Indian temple architecture, Goyal visited Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and several other countries in the western and eastern sides. He could have presented a mix of all the places he has visited so far to quench his thirst for Indian artwork, but “spellbound by the work at Cambodian temples”, Goyal wanted to focus on one country.
“I have an equally large collection of other countries. The exhibition is because of the significance of architectural marvel in Cambodia which so is akin to Indian work,” he said.
Interestingly, religious co-existence fascinated him the most. “You will find Shaivism, Vaishism and Buddhism, flourishing together in single temple complex. Even in the new architecture within the Angor Wat, a Buddhist temple, someone has painted scenes from Indian mythological tale Ramayana.”
Besides, he has been visiting Indian temples too. “I need another 20 years to see my own country. I take holiday and go as a common citizen. I don’t mind doing backpacking and have travelled in trucks, bikes and rickshaw,” said Goyal.
Sharing an interesting incident he encountered in Cambodia, the official said, “ In Cambodia they have autorickshaws driven by a motorcycle. It is called tuk tuk. The driver of the tuk tuk on seeing me said, ‘Khamer (people) India bhai bhai’. There was so much good will. You go to a foreign land and you are immediately accepted. It was amazing.”