the simhachalam templeby k. sundaram

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The Simhachalam Temple by K. Sundaram Review by: Dorothy M. Spencer Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 92, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1972), pp. 322-323 Published by: American Oriental Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/600681 . Accessed: 12/06/2014 22:43 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . American Oriental Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of the American Oriental Society. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 195.34.79.223 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:43:54 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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Page 1: The Simhachalam Templeby K. Sundaram

The Simhachalam Temple by K. SundaramReview by: Dorothy M. SpencerJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 92, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1972), pp. 322-323Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/600681 .

Accessed: 12/06/2014 22:43

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

American Oriental Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal ofthe American Oriental Society.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.34.79.223 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:43:54 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Page 2: The Simhachalam Templeby K. Sundaram

Journal of the American Oriental Society 92.2 (1972) Journal of the American Oriental Society 92.2 (1972) Journal of the American Oriental Society 92.2 (1972)

and suffer the persecutions but grow into the glory and strength of their faith.

CHARLES S. J. WHITE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

and suffer the persecutions but grow into the glory and strength of their faith.

CHARLES S. J. WHITE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

and suffer the persecutions but grow into the glory and strength of their faith.

CHARLES S. J. WHITE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Kathakali: An Introduction to the Dance-Drama of Kerala. By CLIFFORD R. JONES and BETTY TRUE JONES. Pp ii + 115, illus. San Francisco: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF EASTERN ARTS and New York: THEATRE ARTS BOOKS. 1970.

This work takes its place among a very few books which are currently available on traditional forms of Indian dance-drama and theatre. On the whole it does so with distinction and high merit.

The body of the study convincingly leads the reader

through the preparations which eventually culminate in

performance (Chapters II through V). Beginning with

Chapter VI the authors introduce us to detailed descrip- tions of Kathakali choreography, music and acting. By choice the authors have concentrated on Kathakali as a

performing art and thus excluded several important aspects of consideration. For example a historical ac- count of the development of Kathakali is confined to a few brief remarks in the Introduction. They have apparently chosen not to discuss the literary values and the aesthetic merits of the plays. As a consequence we may only hope that the authors will soon publish a more comprehensive edition so that we might share in their keen observations of these important features of Kathakali.

The publication of this work was arranged to coincide with the American tour of the Kerala Kalamandalam Kathakali troupe. And probably for this reason the Jones have addressed their remarks "primarily for the interested layman." But they have also chosen to intro- duce numerous technical terms in their discussion, many of which have never appeared before in print. In

my estimation this results in a confusion of objectives. Spattered among the relatively clear and simple textual

descriptions are complicated and difficult Indian names and terms. How then may a layman who is not an expert in these materials be expected to read the text with ease?

If the authors had confined themselves to fulfilling only the first objective they might have produced a definitive text on the subject. But unfortunately they have marred the major intent of their work.

In spite of my own reservation about this matter I do

not wish to detract from the positive merits of the book which are many indeed. First, it was excellent judgement to choose to relate selected stories from the epics. It is

high time that Americans are introduced to the delight- ful and poignant stories that are so familiar to Indian

audiences. Second, although a layman may find them

Kathakali: An Introduction to the Dance-Drama of Kerala. By CLIFFORD R. JONES and BETTY TRUE JONES. Pp ii + 115, illus. San Francisco: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF EASTERN ARTS and New York: THEATRE ARTS BOOKS. 1970.

This work takes its place among a very few books which are currently available on traditional forms of Indian dance-drama and theatre. On the whole it does so with distinction and high merit.

The body of the study convincingly leads the reader

through the preparations which eventually culminate in

performance (Chapters II through V). Beginning with

Chapter VI the authors introduce us to detailed descrip- tions of Kathakali choreography, music and acting. By choice the authors have concentrated on Kathakali as a

performing art and thus excluded several important aspects of consideration. For example a historical ac- count of the development of Kathakali is confined to a few brief remarks in the Introduction. They have apparently chosen not to discuss the literary values and the aesthetic merits of the plays. As a consequence we may only hope that the authors will soon publish a more comprehensive edition so that we might share in their keen observations of these important features of Kathakali.

The publication of this work was arranged to coincide with the American tour of the Kerala Kalamandalam Kathakali troupe. And probably for this reason the Jones have addressed their remarks "primarily for the interested layman." But they have also chosen to intro- duce numerous technical terms in their discussion, many of which have never appeared before in print. In

my estimation this results in a confusion of objectives. Spattered among the relatively clear and simple textual

descriptions are complicated and difficult Indian names and terms. How then may a layman who is not an expert in these materials be expected to read the text with ease?

If the authors had confined themselves to fulfilling only the first objective they might have produced a definitive text on the subject. But unfortunately they have marred the major intent of their work.

In spite of my own reservation about this matter I do

not wish to detract from the positive merits of the book which are many indeed. First, it was excellent judgement to choose to relate selected stories from the epics. It is

high time that Americans are introduced to the delight- ful and poignant stories that are so familiar to Indian

audiences. Second, although a layman may find them

Kathakali: An Introduction to the Dance-Drama of Kerala. By CLIFFORD R. JONES and BETTY TRUE JONES. Pp ii + 115, illus. San Francisco: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF EASTERN ARTS and New York: THEATRE ARTS BOOKS. 1970.

This work takes its place among a very few books which are currently available on traditional forms of Indian dance-drama and theatre. On the whole it does so with distinction and high merit.

The body of the study convincingly leads the reader

through the preparations which eventually culminate in

performance (Chapters II through V). Beginning with

Chapter VI the authors introduce us to detailed descrip- tions of Kathakali choreography, music and acting. By choice the authors have concentrated on Kathakali as a

performing art and thus excluded several important aspects of consideration. For example a historical ac- count of the development of Kathakali is confined to a few brief remarks in the Introduction. They have apparently chosen not to discuss the literary values and the aesthetic merits of the plays. As a consequence we may only hope that the authors will soon publish a more comprehensive edition so that we might share in their keen observations of these important features of Kathakali.

The publication of this work was arranged to coincide with the American tour of the Kerala Kalamandalam Kathakali troupe. And probably for this reason the Jones have addressed their remarks "primarily for the interested layman." But they have also chosen to intro- duce numerous technical terms in their discussion, many of which have never appeared before in print. In

my estimation this results in a confusion of objectives. Spattered among the relatively clear and simple textual

descriptions are complicated and difficult Indian names and terms. How then may a layman who is not an expert in these materials be expected to read the text with ease?

If the authors had confined themselves to fulfilling only the first objective they might have produced a definitive text on the subject. But unfortunately they have marred the major intent of their work.

In spite of my own reservation about this matter I do

not wish to detract from the positive merits of the book which are many indeed. First, it was excellent judgement to choose to relate selected stories from the epics. It is

high time that Americans are introduced to the delight- ful and poignant stories that are so familiar to Indian

audiences. Second, although a layman may find them

difficult to follow, scholars and students cannot but appreciate the detailed discussions of the practices of Kathakali especially in Chapters VI through IX. Perhaps the Jones are the only western writers who are trained to speak with authority about these matters. They have been practicing the art since 1959. Third, students may also thank the Jones for including a guide to pronunciation and diacritical marks as well as a useful glossary of terms.

Last, it is rare in criticism to draw attention to the layout and design of a book but this work demands and deserves comment. Jan Steward seems to have selected the basic color scheme from a statement in the text which refers to the ancient division of all reality (gunas) into white, black and red. Naturally the combination of these colors produces dramatic contrasts. Sometimes the text is presented in effective rectangles of contrasting print and background. Sometimes the photographs appear as faint shadows which seem to emerge from a page. Some- times dramatic closeups of hands, feet and eyes of the Kathakali actors are interspersed with small vignettes of group scenes. Perhaps the most impressive photo- graphs are those dynamic hand gestures on pp. 85 and 86 which drive home the significance of Kathakali gestures as a Morse Code of abstract signs. But one word of criticism. At times they distract from the text to such an extent that the reader's eyes are helplessly drawn from an interesting discussion by the clever tech- niques of the print. One may only hope that some com- promise may be reached in experiments such as these in which the photographs unobtrusively reinforce the text.

FARLEY RICHMOND MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

The Simhachalam Temple. By K. SUNDARAM. Pp. xiii, 295. Simhachalam (A.P.): SIMHACHALAM DEVASTHANAM. Rs. 12.

Situated in the Eastern Ghats, ten miles north of

Visakhapatnam, the Simhachalam temple is a Vaish- navite shrine of which the main deity is Varaha Narasimha. The author, a member of the Department of

History and Archaeology of Andhra University, has

given us a detailed account of the temple's history, ritual observances, architecture and sculpture. While, as one might expect, the emphasis is mainly on the past, some information is provided on the present situation and the modern community of which the temple is the center.

The origin of the temple is lost in antiquity. In fact, relatively little is known of the surrounding region until the 11th century. It was and remained what the author terms a " 'low pressure' area in the sense that its develop- ment was occasioned by external influences rather than

difficult to follow, scholars and students cannot but appreciate the detailed discussions of the practices of Kathakali especially in Chapters VI through IX. Perhaps the Jones are the only western writers who are trained to speak with authority about these matters. They have been practicing the art since 1959. Third, students may also thank the Jones for including a guide to pronunciation and diacritical marks as well as a useful glossary of terms.

Last, it is rare in criticism to draw attention to the layout and design of a book but this work demands and deserves comment. Jan Steward seems to have selected the basic color scheme from a statement in the text which refers to the ancient division of all reality (gunas) into white, black and red. Naturally the combination of these colors produces dramatic contrasts. Sometimes the text is presented in effective rectangles of contrasting print and background. Sometimes the photographs appear as faint shadows which seem to emerge from a page. Some- times dramatic closeups of hands, feet and eyes of the Kathakali actors are interspersed with small vignettes of group scenes. Perhaps the most impressive photo- graphs are those dynamic hand gestures on pp. 85 and 86 which drive home the significance of Kathakali gestures as a Morse Code of abstract signs. But one word of criticism. At times they distract from the text to such an extent that the reader's eyes are helplessly drawn from an interesting discussion by the clever tech- niques of the print. One may only hope that some com- promise may be reached in experiments such as these in which the photographs unobtrusively reinforce the text.

FARLEY RICHMOND MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

The Simhachalam Temple. By K. SUNDARAM. Pp. xiii, 295. Simhachalam (A.P.): SIMHACHALAM DEVASTHANAM. Rs. 12.

Situated in the Eastern Ghats, ten miles north of

Visakhapatnam, the Simhachalam temple is a Vaish- navite shrine of which the main deity is Varaha Narasimha. The author, a member of the Department of

History and Archaeology of Andhra University, has

given us a detailed account of the temple's history, ritual observances, architecture and sculpture. While, as one might expect, the emphasis is mainly on the past, some information is provided on the present situation and the modern community of which the temple is the center.

The origin of the temple is lost in antiquity. In fact, relatively little is known of the surrounding region until the 11th century. It was and remained what the author terms a " 'low pressure' area in the sense that its develop- ment was occasioned by external influences rather than

difficult to follow, scholars and students cannot but appreciate the detailed discussions of the practices of Kathakali especially in Chapters VI through IX. Perhaps the Jones are the only western writers who are trained to speak with authority about these matters. They have been practicing the art since 1959. Third, students may also thank the Jones for including a guide to pronunciation and diacritical marks as well as a useful glossary of terms.

Last, it is rare in criticism to draw attention to the layout and design of a book but this work demands and deserves comment. Jan Steward seems to have selected the basic color scheme from a statement in the text which refers to the ancient division of all reality (gunas) into white, black and red. Naturally the combination of these colors produces dramatic contrasts. Sometimes the text is presented in effective rectangles of contrasting print and background. Sometimes the photographs appear as faint shadows which seem to emerge from a page. Some- times dramatic closeups of hands, feet and eyes of the Kathakali actors are interspersed with small vignettes of group scenes. Perhaps the most impressive photo- graphs are those dynamic hand gestures on pp. 85 and 86 which drive home the significance of Kathakali gestures as a Morse Code of abstract signs. But one word of criticism. At times they distract from the text to such an extent that the reader's eyes are helplessly drawn from an interesting discussion by the clever tech- niques of the print. One may only hope that some com- promise may be reached in experiments such as these in which the photographs unobtrusively reinforce the text.

FARLEY RICHMOND MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

The Simhachalam Temple. By K. SUNDARAM. Pp. xiii, 295. Simhachalam (A.P.): SIMHACHALAM DEVASTHANAM. Rs. 12.

Situated in the Eastern Ghats, ten miles north of

Visakhapatnam, the Simhachalam temple is a Vaish- navite shrine of which the main deity is Varaha Narasimha. The author, a member of the Department of

History and Archaeology of Andhra University, has

given us a detailed account of the temple's history, ritual observances, architecture and sculpture. While, as one might expect, the emphasis is mainly on the past, some information is provided on the present situation and the modern community of which the temple is the center.

The origin of the temple is lost in antiquity. In fact, relatively little is known of the surrounding region until the 11th century. It was and remained what the author terms a " 'low pressure' area in the sense that its develop- ment was occasioned by external influences rather than

322 322 322

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Page 3: The Simhachalam Templeby K. Sundaram

Reviews of Books Reviews of Books

indigenous creativity ... The administration, the ritual, cultural life, architecture, sculpture and epigraphy of the temple reveal the influences from the regions of Orissa, Andhra and Tamilnad" (p. 216). The temple as it exists today is mainly the result of a renovation which amounted to a reconstruction undertaken in the 13th century under the orders of Narasimha Deva I, the builder of the Sun Temple at Konarak. Materials from earlier structures were incorporated so that some thirty- seven inscriptions from an earlier period still exist. It is clear from the earliest of these, dated A.D. 1087, that the temple was then a Vaishnava shrine. There is a question, however, as to whether at some previous time the shrine was dedicated to the worship of Siva. One of the pieces of evidence in support of this view is the main icon which has the form of a linga. This is not of stone but of sandalwood paste and it covers a very crude stone figure identified by the Vaishnavas as Varaha Narasimha. This icon, as the author notes "is at striking variance with the scriptural sanction for the preparation of a Narasimha image" (p. 67). The sandalwood paste is removed once a year at the most important of the annual festivals and the deity is worshipped on that occasion only in its original form. Tradition, unsupported by evidence acceptable to the historian, holds that Ramanuja visited the temple and according to one legend he found Simhachalam a center of Saivism, de- feated the pandits in a debate, and converted the temple into a Vaishnavite shrine. Some versions of the legend trace the peculiar form of the icon to events in which he was involved. After carefully reviewing the known facts the author concludes that the question as to the possible Saivite origin of the shrine cannot now be settled.

The later history of Simhachalam and its temple is better documented. It gradually became an important center of religion and learning with a large and elaborate establishment. After a setback in the 16th century when Muslims gained control over the area the fortunes of the temple were revived in the latter half of the following century under the patronage of a powerful zamindari family of Visakhapatnam District. The hill on which the temple stands remained part of their estate until 1949 at which time Simhachalam became an independent statutory body.

Because of the scope of this work and the care given to assembling data on all aspects of the temple establish- ment the author deserves the gratitude of scholars be- longing to many disciplines. The book is illustrated with thirty-one photographs and the inscriptions of the temple are listed with a summary of their contents in an ap- pendix. It is ungracious to end a review of such a valuable and interesting book with a note of criticism, but the index is too scrappy to be of much use, and a map of the entire region would have been helpful.

DOROTHY M. SPENCER UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

indigenous creativity ... The administration, the ritual, cultural life, architecture, sculpture and epigraphy of the temple reveal the influences from the regions of Orissa, Andhra and Tamilnad" (p. 216). The temple as it exists today is mainly the result of a renovation which amounted to a reconstruction undertaken in the 13th century under the orders of Narasimha Deva I, the builder of the Sun Temple at Konarak. Materials from earlier structures were incorporated so that some thirty- seven inscriptions from an earlier period still exist. It is clear from the earliest of these, dated A.D. 1087, that the temple was then a Vaishnava shrine. There is a question, however, as to whether at some previous time the shrine was dedicated to the worship of Siva. One of the pieces of evidence in support of this view is the main icon which has the form of a linga. This is not of stone but of sandalwood paste and it covers a very crude stone figure identified by the Vaishnavas as Varaha Narasimha. This icon, as the author notes "is at striking variance with the scriptural sanction for the preparation of a Narasimha image" (p. 67). The sandalwood paste is removed once a year at the most important of the annual festivals and the deity is worshipped on that occasion only in its original form. Tradition, unsupported by evidence acceptable to the historian, holds that Ramanuja visited the temple and according to one legend he found Simhachalam a center of Saivism, de- feated the pandits in a debate, and converted the temple into a Vaishnavite shrine. Some versions of the legend trace the peculiar form of the icon to events in which he was involved. After carefully reviewing the known facts the author concludes that the question as to the possible Saivite origin of the shrine cannot now be settled.

The later history of Simhachalam and its temple is better documented. It gradually became an important center of religion and learning with a large and elaborate establishment. After a setback in the 16th century when Muslims gained control over the area the fortunes of the temple were revived in the latter half of the following century under the patronage of a powerful zamindari family of Visakhapatnam District. The hill on which the temple stands remained part of their estate until 1949 at which time Simhachalam became an independent statutory body.

Because of the scope of this work and the care given to assembling data on all aspects of the temple establish- ment the author deserves the gratitude of scholars be- longing to many disciplines. The book is illustrated with thirty-one photographs and the inscriptions of the temple are listed with a summary of their contents in an ap- pendix. It is ungracious to end a review of such a valuable and interesting book with a note of criticism, but the index is too scrappy to be of much use, and a map of the entire region would have been helpful.

DOROTHY M. SPENCER UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The Khaidlakhadyaka (An Astronomical Treatise) of Brahmagupta, with the commentary of Bhattotpala. Edited and translated by BINA CHATTERJEE. Volume 1, Introduction, Translation and Mathe- matical Notes; Volume 2, Text and Commentary Vol. 1: Pp. x + 315. Vol. 2: Pp. 238. Calcutta: WORLD PRESS. 1970. $20.00.

Indian astronomy represents one of the most sig- nificant and advanced scientific disciplines prior to the scientific revolution. Moreover, it had an important influence on the development of Islamic and Western astronomy in the Middle Ages, as may be seen from the recent publications of E. S. Kennedy, O. Neugebauer, D. Pingree, G. Toomer, and others. Hindu methods reached the scholars of Baghdad late in the eighth century well before the time they became acquainted with the corpus of Greek astronomy. Even though many medieval astronomers preferred the methods carefully described in Ptolemy's Almagest, there were also those who continued to use tables based on Hindu astronomical theories. As Professor Toomer has ably shown, many tables included in the Toledan Tables, so popular in the Latin West, reflect this Hindu origin.'

The manner and extent of transmission of Hindu procedures to the Islamic world remains unclear in de- tail because of the lack of surviving contemporary documents. But largely due to the efforts of Professor Pingree, many of the gaps in our knowledge have been filled by the skillful use of later evidence. This trans- mission seems to have been incomplete, in the sense that the reasoning underlying the complicated pro- cedures was not understood either in the Islamic world or the Latin West. Hence, it is imperative for scholars interested in these aspects of the history of astronomy to be informed of Hindu procedures as they were de- scribed and interpreted in India.

For these reasons, it is most welcome to have a new translation and commentary on one of the most im- portant Hindu treatises, The Khandlakhddyaka of Brahmagupta (composed in 665 A.D.). Dr. Chatterjee has included in this publication an edition of the Sans- krit text, an introduction on the works of Brahmagupta and the manuscripts consulted, a translation of PurvakhandZakhddyaka (I, 48-72) and the Uttarakhand- akhadyaka (I, 73-89), followed by mathematical notes and several appendices. In the former text, Brahmagupta states that he is presenting the rules he has adopted from Aryabhata (late fifth century), and in the latter he modifies the rules of Aryabhata to produce more accurate results.

The goals of the Hindu astronomers were quite similar to those of the Greek astronomers: to examine trigo- nometric problems related to the daily rotation, to

1 G. J. Toomer, "A Survey of the Toledan Tables," Osiris, 15 (1968), 5-174.

The Khaidlakhadyaka (An Astronomical Treatise) of Brahmagupta, with the commentary of Bhattotpala. Edited and translated by BINA CHATTERJEE. Volume 1, Introduction, Translation and Mathe- matical Notes; Volume 2, Text and Commentary Vol. 1: Pp. x + 315. Vol. 2: Pp. 238. Calcutta: WORLD PRESS. 1970. $20.00.

Indian astronomy represents one of the most sig- nificant and advanced scientific disciplines prior to the scientific revolution. Moreover, it had an important influence on the development of Islamic and Western astronomy in the Middle Ages, as may be seen from the recent publications of E. S. Kennedy, O. Neugebauer, D. Pingree, G. Toomer, and others. Hindu methods reached the scholars of Baghdad late in the eighth century well before the time they became acquainted with the corpus of Greek astronomy. Even though many medieval astronomers preferred the methods carefully described in Ptolemy's Almagest, there were also those who continued to use tables based on Hindu astronomical theories. As Professor Toomer has ably shown, many tables included in the Toledan Tables, so popular in the Latin West, reflect this Hindu origin.'

The manner and extent of transmission of Hindu procedures to the Islamic world remains unclear in de- tail because of the lack of surviving contemporary documents. But largely due to the efforts of Professor Pingree, many of the gaps in our knowledge have been filled by the skillful use of later evidence. This trans- mission seems to have been incomplete, in the sense that the reasoning underlying the complicated pro- cedures was not understood either in the Islamic world or the Latin West. Hence, it is imperative for scholars interested in these aspects of the history of astronomy to be informed of Hindu procedures as they were de- scribed and interpreted in India.

For these reasons, it is most welcome to have a new translation and commentary on one of the most im- portant Hindu treatises, The Khandlakhddyaka of Brahmagupta (composed in 665 A.D.). Dr. Chatterjee has included in this publication an edition of the Sans- krit text, an introduction on the works of Brahmagupta and the manuscripts consulted, a translation of PurvakhandZakhddyaka (I, 48-72) and the Uttarakhand- akhadyaka (I, 73-89), followed by mathematical notes and several appendices. In the former text, Brahmagupta states that he is presenting the rules he has adopted from Aryabhata (late fifth century), and in the latter he modifies the rules of Aryabhata to produce more accurate results.

The goals of the Hindu astronomers were quite similar to those of the Greek astronomers: to examine trigo- nometric problems related to the daily rotation, to

1 G. J. Toomer, "A Survey of the Toledan Tables," Osiris, 15 (1968), 5-174.

323 323

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