Ramakrishna Mutt Temple, Mylapore – The Temple
This
temple is dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, who is a symbol of Universal Religion.
All the different sects are to be united in the Universal Religion. This
religion consists of the essence of all religions. As you enter the Universal
Temple compound the beautiful marble edifice stuns you into a moment of deep
admiration and reverence. The temple is located at a distance so that you can
get the full impact of the beautiful building. A flight of steps leads up to
the Universal Temple of Ramakrishna and you enter the hall with lofty wooden
doors folded back. Immediately you can see the seven-feet tall benevolent
figure of Ramakrishna seated on a marble lotus.
His
image is flanked on either side by Ma Sharadadevi and Swami Vivekananda, the
philosopher/thinker who has had a tremendous impact on modern-day India. All
the images in the shrine are carved out of pure marble. The first impression is
of peace and tranquility as you spot people of all ages sitting in deep
meditation. People of all religions, caste and creed come to this temple for
succor. Even though they are not allowed to speak during meditating hours, they
enjoy the serene atmosphere.
People
visit this temple at any time of the day to utter silent prayers. In the basement,
there is an air-conditioned meeting hall where the head of the mission and
other monks deliver spiritual discourses. A parikrama (circumambulation) of the
temple takes you through the lovely gardens with flowering shrubs and trees. The
place is clean and invigorating. You can visit the Ramakrishna Mutt Book Shop
that is nearby. The Mutt stands as a symbol of religion, harmony and peace.
Every activity of the Mutt is considered as form of worship. They run a free
hospital, Boys Home, schools and many other institutions.
According
to Swami Vivekananda, the temples of Sri Ramakrishna should be built for
enabling the devotees to advance spiritually for realizing the truth with no
hatred towards other faiths. The guidelines for building the temple of Sri
Ramakrishna at Belur Math1 were laid down by Swami Vivekananda
himself. Keeping this as basic, various other architectural features familiar
to the region are added while maintaining its universal outlook. So, various
architectural elements and motifs found in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and
the churches and cathedrals of Europe are synthesized in this Universal Temple.
a) The Entrance Gateway:
Abutting
the main road in the west, the imposing 60 feet wide entrance gateway is placed
in such a manner that its centre line corresponds with the centre line of the
temple. From this gateway, it is possible to have not only the full view of the
temple but also a partial view of the top part the Vimanam (central tower) over
the Garbha Mandira (Sanctum Sanctorum). From the centre of this gate one can
have a clear view of the marble image of Sri Ramakrishna installed in the
shrine. The central part of the gateway is 20 feet wide on either side of which
there is a watchman cabin. The whole structure of the gateway is designed in
chaste Vijayanagar style belonging to the Dravidian idiom of temple
architecture.
b) The Forecourt:
The treatment of this temple’s forecourt is like the
ones found in front of the monuments of Mughals at Agra and Delhi i.e. Taj Mahal,
Itimadud-Daula and Akbar’s Tomb in Agra, Red-fort at Delhi. It’s 30 feet wide
central lawn is flanked by 15 feet wide pathways paved with coloured ceramic
tiles, and is well protected by an elegantly ornamented low parapet wall with
eight light pedestals.
c) The Ground Floor of the Temple:
(i) Swami Ramakrishnananda Auditorium:
The
floor of the prayer hall of the temple is at a height of 10 feet from the
ground level. The space below the floor level of the prayer hall and other
parts of the temple floor is used as auditorium and rooms for shrine purpose.
The front part of the ground floor, right below the front portico and the
entrance lobby of the prayer hall has space for keeping more than 2000 pairs of
footwear. In the space below the central grand staircase, facilities have been
provided for the devotees for washing their feet.
The
major part of the area below the prayer hall, has been developed as an
auditorium which is intended for conducting spiritual talks, bhajans and other programs.
This auditorium is named after Swami Ramakrishnananda, a direct disciple of Sri
Ramakrishna and the founder of Chennai Math. An ornamental wooden picture frame
containing a portrait of Swami Ramakrishnananda is placed in the centre of the
40 feet wide stage.
It is
possible to accommodate 600 persons in this auditorium. The service staircase
in the rear of the ground floor provides access to all rooms in the rear of the
Garbha Mandira and the central tower above the Garbha Mandira. In this floor,
an adequate number of rooms are set apart for carrying out the services
connected with puja.
(ii) Central Stairway:
Whenever
temples are constructed amid built up parts of human settlements (villages,
towns and cities), the Shilpa Sastras recommend that the level of the temple
floor should be higher than the ground floor level of the houses around it.
This adds to the grandeur of the temple. The prayer hall of the Chennai temple
is at a height of 10 feet from the level of the paved path around the temple.
The prayer hall is to be approached by a 16 feet wide stairway having 24 steps
and paved with marble slabs. The railing of the stairway is decorated with
balusters resembling the water pot (Kamandalu) usually carried by wandering
monks.
The side
entrances of the prayer hall are also to be reached through 6 feet wide
staircases, symmetrically placed on both sides of the temple. Their
architectural treatment resembles the central stairway. On the two sides of the
main stairway, two elegant pavilions, resembling the Mandapas, attached to the
Garbha Mandiras of the small temples of Orissa, have been built according to
the Kalinga idiom. These shelters are mainly intended for distributing Prasad
to the devotees.
The Prayer Hall Floor:
a) The Portico:
The
central stairway of this temple lands in the wide colonnaded portico through
which devotees will have to enter the prayer hall. This portico which assumes
the role of a Mukhamandapam of the traditional Hindu temple, is supported by
four ornamental columns rising to a height of about 20 feet. This concept is
inspired by the facades of the Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. The
architectural motifs in these columns closely follow the ones found in Jain
temples and the tombs and mosques of Gujarat. For entering the prayer
hall from the portico, one will have to pass through a beautifully carved 8′.6″ x 9′.0″ wooden door.
The
symbols of several religions are prominently displayed on this door and they
reveal that any person belonging to any religion, sect or creed is welcome to
come to the prayer hall and participate in the prayer and worship. The sun
window over the ornamented architraves of the main door is similar to the sun
window motif above the main entrance door of the Belur Math temple. The
architectural composition of this part of the main entrance and the two side
entrances to the prayer hall are based on the designs of the entrances of the
Buddhist rock-cut Chaityas at Ajanta.
b) Prayer Hall:
The plan
of this temple with a long flight of steps in the front terminating at the wide
colonnaded entrance portico, its rectangular prayer hall (60′ x 110′), its square shrine and Puja-preparation rooms etc.
resembles the plans of the cathedrals and churches of Europe conceived in the
shape of the Latin cross. As in the case of Buddhist Chaitya halls this prayer
hall is divided into naves and aisles and the naves have a ribbed vaulted roof
rising up to a height of 42 feet in the shape of a pointed arch resembling
Anjali Mudra.
The
aisles of the prayer hall resemble the Parikrama path of the Buddhist Chaityas.
Both the sides of the naves have a flat roof. The number of columns in the
prayer hall is reduced to a minimum so that most of the people sitting there
will have a clear view of the marble image of Sri Ramakrishna. The portraits of
sixteen disciples of Sri Ramakrishna with carved wooden frames are fixed to the
four sides of the four central columns of the prayer hall.
Up to a
height of 9 feet from the floor level, the dadoes of the interior walls and the
architraves of the windows are cladded with marble slabs and the floor of the
prayer hall is paved with white marble slabs. The ornamentation of the high
gable wall surfaces (28′ x 22′) in the eastern and
western ends of the vault roof over the nave of the prayer hall is based on the
rock-cut Bhima Ratha at Mahabalipuram, the gables in Gothic churches of Europe
and Buddhist Chaityas. The prayer hall is well lighted and ventilated by
several large windows (3′.0″ x 6′.6″) and 18 small windows (1′.6″ x 3′.0″) in its vaulted roof.
All
these windows have been ornamented with circular arches and brackets resembling
Panjara, Mukha Nasi, and Alpa Nasi motifs which are usually found in the
Vimanas and Gopuras of South Indian temples. The prayer hall is also fitted
with an adequate number of ceiling fans for air circulation and lights to
provide soft illumination which will not distract those seated in meditation.
In short, one standing at the threshold of the main entrance, will be met with
the inspiring view of an aesthetically enriched interior of the prayer hall focusing
its lines towards the centre of the shrine.
c) Garbha Mandira:
The
central part of any Hindu temple is its Garbha Mandira. In this temple of Sri
Ramakrishna, the Garbha Mandira is large and square in shape with each of its
sides measuring 39 feet. The white marble image of Sri Ramakrishna is installed
in the Garbha Mandira and in all respects, it is identical with the one in the
Belur Math temple. This is made by M/s. G. Paul & Sons who made the image
at Belur Math. Sri Ramakrishna is seated on a fully bloomed lotus which is
placed over a beautifully carved marble pedestal. This marble pedestal is
placed in the rear half of the Garbha Mandira.
The
beauty of the image is further enhanced by framing it by four columns which are
fashioned after the graceful marble columns adorning the Maha-mandapas of the
Jain Temples of Mount Abu, these columns support the richly decorated shallow
central dome. All wall surfaces of the shrine, right from floor level,
extending right up to the ceiling, are paneled with marble slabs. For Holy
Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, separate shrines are provided on
either side of the Garbha Mandira. This is a special feature of the Sri
Ramakrishna temple at Chennai. These shrines open on to the prayer hall.
Architectural Features of the Exterior of the Temple:
a) Stone Slab Clothing the External Walls:
The
plain surfaces of all external walls are cladded with sand stone slabs brought
from Dolpur in Rajasthan and Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The external plain surfaces
of the walls are cladded mainly with Dolpur white stone slabs. The treatment of
the ornamental cornice (Prastara) at the top of all external walls, with 3 feet
wide sloping weather shades supported by decorative brackets and 3′.6″ high parapet walls above, with ornamental
panels, are similar to the pattern found in the Belur Math temple. This
architectural treatment is also influenced by the highly ornamented Prastharas
of Tamil Nadu temples with Sala motifs, and the parapets of the ancient palaces
and temples of Rajasthan with beautifully carved stone brackets.
b) Windows and Doors:
The
large prayer hall is provided with adequate light and air through windows and
doors bigger than those which are usually found in traditional temples. The
features of the Mukha Nasi, Alpa Nasi and Netra Koshta motifs which are found
in the Vimanas of the rock temples of Pallavas at Mahabalipuram and the Chola
temples built during the 10th and 11th centuries, have been adopted with
necessary modifications and simplications. Certain features like those which
have been adopted for decorating the windows of the Belur Math temple have also
been introduced in this temple.
c) The Front Façade:
The
front facade for the temple which is set back by about 180 feet from the main
road was shaped by synthesizing various features of the European Cathedrals and
some suitable motifs from Hindu temples. The treatment of the part of the
facade over the ornamental cornice consisting of wide weather shade and
decorative parapet, closely follows the Salahara treatment usually found on the
top of Mukha Mandapas of South Indian temples. The two end towers and the
central rectangular tower forming part of the treatment of the upper part of
the facade assume the place of the Karnakootas and Bhadrasalas which are also
found in the upper parts of Mukha Mandapas.
The
small pavilions with pyramidal roofs existing in between the end and middle
towers may be assumed to be the Kshudra Nasika motifs (with Netra Koshtas) of
the South Indian temple Vimanas. In the niches provided in the walls of the
small towers at the top and also in the middle of the Bhadrasala like central
tower in the front facade, the images of Durga, Hanuman, Vigneshwara, Garuda
and Kali are installed.
The
images of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna are placed in the niches in the western
walls of the small towers with the pyramidal roof located in between the end
and central towers. The design of the decorative lamp pedestals which are found
at the head and the base of the staircase railings and also in many other parts
of the temple is based on the design of Karnakoota motifs found in the Vimanas
and Gopuras of Tamil Nadu temples.
Vimana over the Garbha Mandira:
The
Vimana over the Garbha Mandira soaring up to a height of 102 feet is the climax
of this majestic temple. The Bhavadharini (Kali) temple at Dakshineshwar which
was built by Rani Rasmani, during the first half of the 19th century is a good
example of Navarathna temples in Bengal. In this temple and its precincts Sri
Ramakrishna spent the major part of his life. The features of this temple and
the Belur Math temple are fused in the Universal Temple.
Tamils
have their own cultural heritage and there is every justification in reflecting
certain essential features of their culture in the religious edifices in Chennai,
the capital of Tamil Nadu. Hence the concepts of “Tritala Vimana” of the
temples of Tamil Nadu, belonging to the Dravida idiom of temple architecture,
have been introduced in designing the 102 feet high Vimana of this temple. The
central tower or the Vimana takes the place of the Sikharam which is the
crowning part of the Vimana.
The
small towers at the corners of the two receding floors of the Vimana below the
crowning central dome represent the Karnakoota motifs of the South Indian
temple Vimanas. The central rectangular miniature towers between the square
miniature towers at the four corners of the second floor of the Vimana,
resembling Chandi mandaps of Bengal, can be considered to be “Bhadrasala” of
the Vimanas of Tamil Nadu temples.
In fact,
these small towers at the four corners of the two tiers of the Vimana are
designed in the shape of temples with Eka Tala (single storeyed) Vimanas with
Deva Koshtas (niches) where idols of subsidiary gods and goddesses are
installed. These niches contain images of the Ashtadikpalakas i.e Indra, Agni,
Yama, Nirti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, Isana and also Vishnu, Dakshinamurthy,
Surya, Rajarajeswari, Subrahmanya, Ganapati representing the Shanmatas as
codified by Adi Sankara.
The aim
of this dominant feature of the temple is to make it look majestic and graceful
like the bejeweled crown of the Lord. The pinnacle of the central dome of the
Vimanam consists of a 5 feet high lantern made of stainless steel, with a 3′.6″ high gold coated copper Kalasa. During nights,
this lantern may function as a light house indicating the very place where
seekers of spiritual illumination can come for refuge.