By Nangali Srinivasa, Murrysville, PA
Nangali Srinivasa, a resident in our Metro area for over 30 years, is from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Well-versed in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi, his interest is in contemporary Kannada literature. He is active in various roles at the Sri Venkateswara Temple. Here Srinivasa shares with readers the wonder that the famous 20th century Kannada poet Kuvempu felt and wrote in a poem on visiting the famous Hoysaleswara Somnath Temple in Karnataka, built in the 10th century by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana. The temple was later ransacked by the armies of the Delhi sultanate in the 14th century. Srinivasa is the chief of nephrology in UPMC East.
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O pilgrim, offering your respects at the entrance,
please come inside with folded hands.
This temple is not just a pile of stones ––
It is, indeed, a web of artistic treasure.
Keeping the garland of tears in your heart,
offer your flowers of gratitude here!
Bells and gongs do not ring here, nor do conches blow.
No oil lamp is lit, nor the flame of camphor burn.
Yet, a divine bliss and energy pervades all over.
And an ocean of aesthetic beauty overflows here.
These sculptures delight you with Ramayana stories.
Like the sage Badarayana, these sculptures
chronicle Mahabharata stories too!
Stunned and astonished at the architectural beauty,
time stands still in trance; and earth floats in amazement!
O pilgrim, offering your respects at the entrance,
please come inside with folded hands.
A Brief Background on KuVemPu
Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa (29 December 1904 – 11 November 1994), popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, was an Indian poet, playwright, novelist and literary critic. Widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century, he was the first Kannada writer to receive the Jnanapith Award.
Kuvempu studied at Mysuru University in the 1920s and taught there for nearly three decades before serving as its its vice chancellor from 1956 to 1960. He initiated education in Kannada as the medium of instruction. For his contributions to Kannada literature, the Government of Karnataka decorated him with the title Rashtrakavi (National Poet) in 1964 and Karnataka Ratna (The Gem of Karnataka) in 1992. He was conferred the Padma Vibhushan title by the Government of India in 1988. He penned the Karnataka State Anthem Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate (O Daughter of the Victorious Mother Bharat). ∎