Temple Trail- a Quest for Cultural Identity- A-Z Theme Reveal

Temple Trail- a Quest for Cultural Identity 

It’s time for the A-Z Challenge again- a month full of crazy fun and learning. 

I’ve down poems the last two years, and this year is going to be no different. Yet, the theme for this year is something that has become close to me in recent times. 

Ancient architecture has always fascinated me, though my inclination was towards European structures for a long, long time. Coming across the marvelous temple architecture from my land, India has been an eye-opener. Imagine using a chisel and hammer centuries ago to carve breathtaking sculptures. 

I found life in temple architecture, pulsing with divine energy and serenity, even if the broken pillars lay abandoned in ruins. From being someone who declared there wasn’t a need to go to a temple, I became a person who craves to visit all the ancient and not-so-ancient Hindu temples in the country and the world. Guess it was good that the pandemic brought restrictions with it and saved my already weak bank account. 

Following social media accounts such as Lost Temples, Vertigo Warrior, Desi Thug, Kashmiri Pandit, Reclaim Temples, and others, opened doors to a world I was more than ready to embrace.

Yes, I love my temples. 

Yes, I want them freed from greedy clutches.

Yes, I am PROUD of my heritage. I no longer believe in degrading and insulting my culture to earn brownie points. I can bake my own brownies, thank you very much. 

My temple trail for April is an attempt to travel across the country in search of some ancient, monumental, ignored, destroyed, rebuilt, and even relatively new temples. Every place has its history, its Purana. 

Some make us smile, some make us cry, and some instill hope. My collection is just a drop in the vast ocean. I haven’t even touched 2% of the temples on my land. But I did try to pick at least one for every alphabet. 

If you’re wondering how poetry fits into the picture, it’s simple. 

Each poem would talk about the temples and their heritage associated with the alphabets. I’ll be mentioning the sources for my data at the end of each post. 

I hope my series helps you know more about the land that was here long before any of us were born and decided we were worthy of her. She may be the ground beneath our feet, but she is the one that lets us stand tall and look at the sky. The least she deserves is respect for enduring the ravage unleashed upon her for centuries. 

Join me in my Temple Trail- a Quest for Cultural Identity 

P.S: A gentle yet firm request to atheists and intellectuals who wake up when it’s convenient- my posts are NOT for you. If you have nothing good to say, stay away. In a secular country, I have the right to practice my religion without others telling me what to do.