A friends enquiry regarding water in Indian Mythology and architecture set me thinking…
Water- Indeed an inseparable element of our lives, the very sustainer of our lives and everything around us. It is then impossible to negate its influence in Mythology and various rituals integral to Indian culture.
An interesting contrast- Buddhists never build their monasteries next to running water. It is said to take all the good luck away from the monastery downstream. Hindus prefer to build their temples next to running water and rivers. For them it’s a symbol of purification and sustainability of life. The Ganges is not only present in Banaras to purify tainted souls. It resides on the threshold of the sanctum sanctorum of every ancient Hindu temple through various symbols related to water. A symbol of purifying yourself before you enter the abode of god. Islamic architecture does not bear much influence of water. Probably because the religion originated in regions scarce in water. The extensive and huge water bodies we see as part of the landscape in many Islamic monuments in India were in fact added much later on by the colonial rulers.
Coming to micro levels, water becomes a part of the religious motifs in a lot of coastal cultures. The ‘Aalponaa’ of Bengal incorporates symbols and motifs derived from fish and flowing water for every auspicious occasion. Interestingly, in Bangladesh the prosperity of a person was not measured by the amount of gold or land a person owned. It was through the number of ponds he owned. More ponds meant more fish and hence more prosperous a person!
Water in wells has not only utilitarian implications but has social and religious symbology
attached to it as well. Stepped wells of Gujarat and Rajasthan were like public baths, each level reserved for a class of society. Each well also had religious values attached to it. More often than not a temple would be standing next to the stepped well. Each well is designed adhering to strict vastu principles including the number of steps that it incorporates!
In modern times, walking a bit away from India, Architect Tadao Ando’s water temple is a unique homage to water in architecture!
Water- Indeed an inseparable element of our lives, the very sustainer of our lives and everything around us. It is then impossible to negate its influence in Mythology and various rituals integral to Indian culture.
An interesting contrast- Buddhists never build their monasteries next to running water. It is said to take all the good luck away from the monastery downstream. Hindus prefer to build their temples next to running water and rivers. For them it’s a symbol of purification and sustainability of life. The Ganges is not only present in Banaras to purify tainted souls. It resides on the threshold of the sanctum sanctorum of every ancient Hindu temple through various symbols related to water. A symbol of purifying yourself before you enter the abode of god. Islamic architecture does not bear much influence of water. Probably because the religion originated in regions scarce in water. The extensive and huge water bodies we see as part of the landscape in many Islamic monuments in India were in fact added much later on by the colonial rulers.
Coming to micro levels, water becomes a part of the religious motifs in a lot of coastal cultures. The ‘Aalponaa’ of Bengal incorporates symbols and motifs derived from fish and flowing water for every auspicious occasion. Interestingly, in Bangladesh the prosperity of a person was not measured by the amount of gold or land a person owned. It was through the number of ponds he owned. More ponds meant more fish and hence more prosperous a person!
Water in wells has not only utilitarian implications but has social and religious symbology
attached to it as well. Stepped wells of Gujarat and Rajasthan were like public baths, each level reserved for a class of society. Each well also had religious values attached to it. More often than not a temple would be standing next to the stepped well. Each well is designed adhering to strict vastu principles including the number of steps that it incorporates!In modern times, walking a bit away from India, Architect Tadao Ando’s water temple is a unique homage to water in architecture!
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