Myths underlying monuments

Our heritage has a lot of grand edifices which reflect the personality of the builders in addition to their architectural motifs. There is no gainsaying the fact Ashokan pillars are one of the most exquisite bounties from ancient times.However, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has not publicised the historical significance, of these two famous pillars which have supposedly acquired some supernatural powers over the years in the cow belt of the country.

Standing tall within the periphery of a lesser-known place, Lauria in Bihar’s West Champaran district, the Lion Pillar of Ashoka is a structure portraying nationalism and grandeur of the golden age.

Legend has it that Laur Baba, as the pillar is known locally, laid down his life at the spot where a pillar or khamba  rose vertically from beneath the earth. Today people either seek fulfillment of their heartfelt wishes, cure of ailments or solace for their unhappy souls in the belief that Laur Baba possesses supernatural powers. The common refrain here is that “Baba has fulfilled the wishes of many and we have immense faith in him”, according to Satyendra Naran Singh, a reporter of a Hindi daily.

The over 2000 year old pillar, otherwise in excellent condition is massive with an exquisite finish which symbolises masonry skills of Ashoka’s period. The most imposing part of the pillar is  bell shaped capital which is 6 feet 10 inches in height with a circular abacus supporting the stature of the lion. The mouth of the lion has been chopped off and the column, which bears the round mark of a cannon just below the capital, has
been dislodged.

An 80-foot circular mound composed of bricks called Nandangarh is another structure at Lauria. Legend has it that in the epic ages, Raja Janak, father of Sita married his sister in Lauria and his wife gave away the huge palace as a gift. So the name of the monument is Nandangarh as she was Nanda or husband’s sister.

A short distance from Lauria is Rampurwa village near Narkatiaganj, about 32 miles north of district headquarters Bettiah, which is home to another of Ashoka’s edict pillars. Lying horizontally on the ground at Rampurwa, one has a lion capital and measures 44 feet 10
inches in length. On the top, there is a mortice hole which contains a barred shaft bolt of copper. The capital and the bolt are now at the Indian Museum, in Kolkata. The second pillar, broken into two large and several small pieces, was originally 43 feet 4 inches in length and has a bull capital that adorns the portico of the Durbar Hall at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Here too legend does not escape the historicity of the pillars. Folklore has it that Bhim, a mythological personality from the Mahabharat was carrying two loads of soil in two baskets suspended from a pole across his shoulders. The pole, however, broke into two when he reached here. Then the two loads of soil fell and rose to form the two mounds while the broken poles were stuck in the ground. Despite the perception of these pillars as sacred spots of worship the ASI’s official description blandly refers to these artifacts   as protected monuments without any mention of their spiritual heritage.