SY IKS Unit:2 Social System and Arts in Indian Knowledge Tradition

 

1 Social Systems and Arts in Indian Knowledge Tradition

1.    Dance, Music, Architecture, and Visual Arts

A culture that is truly complete and all-encompassing is the one that stands the test of time on this earth. The term “complete and all-encompassing” implies that such a culture should consider all aspects of human thought, both individual and societal, from every angle. When evaluated against this criterion, Indian culture emerges as a true exemplar. This is why Iqbal, who became the national poet of Pakistan after the partition of India, declared:

“Greece, Egypt, and Rome have all perished, but

there is something about our existence that will never fade!”

This “existence” refers to our very being, our holistic way of life. We were far ahead in all aspects of life, far, far ahead!

• Let me illustrate with a small example: I first visited America in 1994. Having already travelled extensively in Japan and Europe, I did not have as much excitement or curiosity about America as I should have. However, I had heard a lot about America. The man who was showing me around there was, fortunately for me, an Indian. A Bengali gentleman, he was showing me all the novelties of America. He started showing me the amusement of drive-ins, explaining how convenient drive-ins are in America, even in remote areas. He also showed me drive-in ATMs, where you can pay and pick up your food packets while sitting in your car, after eating at McDonald's.

I was also a little impressed and scared by it. He went to Raigad after five years. There, on a vast expanse of land, he saw platforms built in a single row, the height of a man, and out of curiosity asked the guide about it, “What is this, brother? For whom would such high, identical platforms have been built?” In a natural voice he replied, “This was the market at that time.” Think, at that time, where would people who came to the market on horseback put their horses? Therefore, the Maharaja had provided the facility of platforms so that people could ride horses and shop for what they needed. To be honest, my hair stood on end when I heard this answer !!

Who will we consider modern? Our Shivaji Raja, who built a drive-in market for his people and soldiers three and a half centuries ago, is to be called modern, or is America, which has been practicing drive-ins for the last 50-60 years, to be called modern?

This example is from today's era. We Indians have been reformers and progressives for the last many decades. Our entire lifestyle was progressive. Along with science and spirituality, arts and music subjects were created and developed in our country and gradually gained proficiency. Indians have done the work of taking various arts to a high level and giving them a definite form. Our tradition of singing and playing music is ancient.

Goddess Saraswati is considered the adorable deity of this art. A veena is seen in her hand. The Shardamba Devi temple built in Sringeri in the ninth century is a temple of Saraswati. The ancient Saraswati temple of Gadag was built in the 11th century. But idols of Saraswati are found earlier. An ancient statue of Goddess Saraswati was found in Bharuhun. Which is from the 1st century AD. There are also some sculptures of Sharada dancing. But most of the idols are seen holding veenas in their hands. So how old will the veena be?

Thousands of years old, of course. So see how long music has been mentioned in our country..!

The stringed instrument 'Veena' held by Saraswati should be at least 4000 years old. In ancient times there was a one-stringed Veena. Bharat Muni in his book 'Natya Shastra' mentioned two main Veenas - 'Chitra' (made of seven strings) and 'Vipanchi' (made of nine strings). While he also gave information about other second-class Veenas like Ghosha and Kachchhbi.

years old. Music is mentioned in the Rig Veda. The 19th and 20th mantras of the 30th chapter of the Yajurveda talk about playing many instruments. That is, playing instruments must have been considered an art at that time. Along with stringed instruments like Vana, Veena, Karkariya, there is a mention of percussion instruments like Dundubhi, Gargara, and wind instruments like Bakur, Nadi, Tunav, Shankha etc.

Only in the 'Sama Veda' is music described in detail. At that time, the notes were called 'Yam'. The 'Sam' of the Sama Veda should have a close relationship with music. The relationship would be so strong that in the 'Chhandogya Upanishad' the question is asked, what is the speed of 'Sam'? The answer is - Swara.

In Vedic times, the singing of three notes was called “Samrik” (today's Samuhik). These three notes were - Ga, Re, Sa. Later, seven notes were formed. The group formed by fixing the order of the notes was called “Sam”. Later in Europe, the sequential group of notes of Western music came to be known as scales in modern times. This means that the notes of the music developed there three to four thousand years ago were echoing all around. Later, Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra came to us, and the antiquity of Indian music was sealed.

Bharata Muni's period is believed to be 500 BC. But there is no consensus on this matter. According to some scholars, he was born 100 years before Christ. Be that as it may, it is certain that due to Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra treatise, it could be proved that Indian music was composed on the basis of scientific principles and was fully developed. This treatise provides systematic information about other arts that are complementary to Natya Shastra. A detailed description of songs and music can be seen in it.

Which is the oldest music in the world? Or which is the oldest instrument? It is said that in 4000 BC, the people of the country of Egypt made some instruments like flutes. A trumpet-like instrument was built in Denmark in 2500 BC.

But Pythagoras introduced the Western world to the specific series of notes (in the melody). In 600 BC, he created a circle (group) of notes and then arranged them in mathematical terms.

Unfortunately, many old documents and other materials in India were lost during the Islamic invasion. So, we cannot present the definite history of our music to the world. But a record of 2500 years before Christ has been found. And according to that, new music or instruments were discovered at that time.

It doesn't seem like that. Looking at the note, it seems that an attempt has been made to codify the developed art of music in that writing. Based on the mentions made in the Rigveda and Samaveda, it can be said for sure that our music is at least five thousand years old. In the Samaveda, a developed and advanced musical system is solved through sutras. One by one, the petals of the flower of music seem to be opening before us.

Just like the Vedas, there is also mention of music and other arts in different Upanishads. In the Shrautasutra, there is Katyayan's Shrautasutra. It is actually a Vedic ritual related text. But there is also a melody of songs and music sung on the occasion of festivals. The time period of this Shrautasutra is believed to be around 3000 years ago.

If we consider Western music, there is a specific mention that their music is two to two and a half thousand or at most three thousand years old. Along with that, new discoveries have also been made in this field. There is also a clear mention of what discoveries were made. On the contrary, the description that is found in Indian scriptures is literature that gives information about the developed musical system. This means that Indian musicology had developed thousands of years ago with a scientific method. How many years ago? It is difficult to say...!

It is also unfortunate that most of the information and references available on the history of Indian art is the result of research done by Western scholars. Names like Brodie, E. Winduish, V. Smith, Pishel, Jacobi, Harman Keet. are dominant. Therefore, the history of Indian music has been seen only from a neglected point of view.

The same neglect as in the case of music is also seen in the case of Natya Shastra. Just like India, a comprehensive development of Natya Shastra took place in Greek..! There the drama flourished in all sixteen arts. In the 19th century, there was a fierce debate on whether the Indians had taken all the ideas from the Greek stage, imitated them, or whether the Greek stage was influenced by Indian Natya Shastra?

We recognize Chhattisgarh as a 'Naxalite-infested region'. Even today there is no peace, there is anarchy and fear. But this is not the real picture of Chhattisgarh. Apart from Naxalism, there are many other things here that enrich this region. Make it rich. Many relics of ancient times can still be seen here today. Being a naturally inaccessible region, this region has been relatively less affected by Muslim invaders compared to other regions. Hence, there has been less destruction here compared to other regions. As a result, some important places have been able to survive.

One such place is the Sita Bengara Cave. Located 280 kilometres from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, these caves are located near the village of Ramgarh in Sarguja district. This is a completely mountainous area. But the road to Ramgarh is good as it is on the Bilaspur-Ambikapur Road. What is the special feature of the caves that has been specifically mentioned? This cave is the first known theater in Asia (perhaps the whole world).

The paintings on the walls of this cave are evidence that the cave was used between 200 and 300 BC. The cave has three chambers (rooms). One of them is large. This large chamber can seat 50 to 60 spectators. There is also a stage. It is believed that the poet Kalidasa composed the epic “Meghadut” while sitting here.

It is only our misfortune that, let alone the common man, even our great artists who roam freely in the field of art and cite examples of Greek, Roman, French and British theater from time to time do not know about these caves.

The main chamber of this cave is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide. The walls are straight and the entrance is round. Holes have been drilled in the walls in some places to prevent echoes from bouncing off the walls of this completely enclosed cave. Half of the cave is like a stage and the other half is for the audience to sit. Here, the stage area is low and the semicircular part of the cave is high. Steps have been carved out to create seating for the audience. In this cave there is an inscription in Pali language written in Brahmi script. The meaning of its writing is as follows. 'The poets who make the heart glow, who are of great nature, forget themselves in laughter and humor at night, far from Vasant, embracing garlands of jasmine flowers...'

This Sita Bangara cave, which is near the village of Ramgarh, is a short distance away from the cave of Jogi mara cave is located. These caves contain colorful paintings that date back to 300 BCE, and they depict a variety of artistic expressions. One of the paintings shows a dancer seated amidst a crowd of singers and dancers. In addition, there are also figures of theaters and people. Dr. T. Bloch, a German archaeologist, believes that these paintings date back to the time of Emperor Ashoka. This means that they are older than the paintings found in the Ajanta Caves.

Overall, it seems that the caves found in the Ramgarh region were once centers of art. Sitabengara, in particular, may have been a theater. However, some people do not believe this. They argue that Sitabengara was a center of art, but it was not a theater. They base this on the fact that the structure of the cave does not match the dimensions given by Bharata Muni in his treatise on theater, the Natya Shastra.

However, it is important to note that Bharata Muni was a contemporary of the caves. Therefore, it is not possible that the caves were built according to Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra. The structure of the caves, with its stage and seating for spectators arranged in tiers descending from above around a semicircle, is similar to that of Greek theaters.

This means that drama and other arts were flourishing in our country even before Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra. This also means that Bharata Muni does not provide a new definition of theater, but rather collects and presents to us in a systematic and orderly manner the scattered pieces of an invaluable art form. This means that the glorious art of theater in our country is more than three thousand years old.

The greatest feature of Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra is that he has rightly presented to the people the existence of theater in India. The whole world has recognized it.

The tradition of ancient theater is found in only two countries in the whole world: Greece and India. Greece has experienced very few foreign invasions, so the ancient ruins of its theaters can still be seen today.

References to Greek theater can be found in literature from the 5th century BC. Theaters built at that time still exist today. Greek architects took advantage of the natural slopes of hills, creating seating for audiences by building steps and terraces. The Epidaurus amphitheater, for example, had seating for 6,000 people on steps built on such a slope.

In Greece and Rome, a large circular space for the orchestra was placed in the center of the stage area, below the steps. A similar structure can be found in the Sitabenga Caves in Sarguda district. This raises the question of how a theater structure similar to those built in Greece 400-500 BC could have reached such a remote and mountainous region of India just a century or two later. Does this mean that the Greeks based their theaters on Indian stages? Or could it have been the other way around?

In 333 BC, Alexander the Great, the king of Macedon, died. It has been established that there were close ties between India and Greece even before his arrival in India. The writer Meena Prabhu traveled extensively throughout the world and described the places she visited in her books in beautiful language. One of her books is “Greek Anjali,” in which she describes her three-week trip to Greece. In the book, she writes that the house in which she stayed as a guest for a few days was more than 3,000 years old and belonged to an archaeologist specializing in theater.

The greatest feature of Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra is that he correctly presented the existence of theater in India to the people. It was recognized by the whole world. The tradition of ancient theater is found in only two countries in the whole world: Greece and India. Greece has experienced very few foreign invasions, so the ancient ruins of its theaters can still be seen today.

References to Greek theater can be found in literature from the 5th century BC. Theaters built at that time still exist today. Greek architects took advantage of the natural slopes of hills, creating seating for audiences by building steps and terraces. The Epidaurus amphitheater, for example, had seating for 6,000 people on steps built on such a slope.

In Greece and Rome, a large circular space for the orchestra was placed in the center of the stage area, below the steps. A similar structure can be found in the Sitabenga Caves in Sarguda district. This raises the question of how a theater structure similar to those built in Greece 400-500 BC could have reached such a remote and mountainous region of India just a century or two later. Does this mean that the Greeks based their theaters on Indian stages? Or could it have been the other way around?

In 333 BC, Alexander the Great, the king of Macedon, died. It has been established that there were close ties between India and Greece even before his arrival in India. The writer Meena Prabhu traveled extensively throughout the world and described the places she visited in her books in beautiful language. One of her books is “Greek Anjali,” in which she describes her three-week trip to Greece. In the book, she writes that the house in which she stayed as a guest for a few days was more than 3,000 years old and belonged to an archaeologist specializing in theater.

The greatest feature of Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra is that he correctly presented the existence of theater in India to the people. It was recognized by the whole world. It's interesting that there is a synonym for the word “word” in Greek as well. “Abda” reminds Meena Prabhu of the poem by the great Marathi poet Mardhekar.

“How much I bow to you, how much I remember you,

how many words I create for you, O abda abda in my mind...!”

In short, there is a lot of scope to assume that just as Sanskrit, many arts like drama would have reached Greece. Putting aside such comparative talk for a moment, even in our country.

A rich, mature, magnificent culture was developing thousands of years ago; in which arts like singing, playing music, and drama were given importance. We saw in the previous chapter that the seeds of Natya Shastra can be found in the Rig Veda and Sama Veda. Panini composed Sanskrit grammar in the period 500 years before

Christ. There is also a mention of Natya Shastra in it. In it, the two actors Shilali and Krishashva are repeatedly mentioned as Sutradharas. Shilali is mentioned in the Yajurvedic Shatapatha Brahmana and Samavedic Anupada Sutra. Experts on this subject have considered the Shatapatha Brahmana to be even more ancient than four thousand years according to astrology.

The characteristics of drama are described in detail in the Agni Purana, considered to be extremely ancient. There is a special mention of the parts of the composition of the drama like Mangalacharan, Poorvaranga etc. On the basis of evidence, even Western archaeologists like Wilson have acknowledged that Indian drama did not originate from outside the country and its development has taken place in India itself.

It is certain that Bharat Muni gave a systematic form to Indian dramaturgy by writing the treatise 'Natya Shastra'. This treatise, which provides a comprehensive analysis of music, acting and drama, should have been written around 300 to 400 years before Christ. According to some scholars, this treatise had 37 chapters. The treatise available at present has 36 chapters.

One is amazed to read the insightful and detailed analysis of dramaturgy that Bharat Muni has done in this treatise. We use the words 'Anki', 'Dvianki', 'Trianki' to define the time limit of a drama. Bharat Muni uses the word 'Ank' in the same sense. But he did not know the meaning of this word. According to Bharat Muni, the word 'Ank' is a word that has come down through tradition (conventional), so he has used this word as it is.

This means that the art of Indian dramaturgy has been going on since many years before Bharat Muni. Bharat Muni has given a detailed description of many characters of the drama like Patra, Sutradhar, Nayak, Nayika, Peethmarad (Nayak's companion who takes care of him), Vit (cunning citizen), Chat, Vidushak etc. While creating the structure or form of the drama, Bharat Muni has mentioned five natures of meaning. Beej, Bindu, Pataka, Prakari and Karya. Similarly, a detailed description of the five states (situations) and five sandhis of the drama has been given.

‘The first play mentioned by Bharat Muni is Samvakar Amritmanthan’.

The playwright Bhasa was a contemporary of Bharat Muni or passed away a hundred years later. Bhasa was a poet, more than a playwright. The plays of Bhasa, which became famous later, were also praised by Kalidasa and Banabhatta.

Bhasa may have been mentioned in many places, but the plays written by Bhasa had disappeared into the abyss of time. Long after, in 1912 AD, three plays of Bhasa were discovered in a monastery located in the state, researcher T. Ganapati Shastri found Sanskrit plays written by Bhasa in Malayalam script on palm leaves. The number of plays found is 13. However, based on the available evidence, it can be said that Bhasa must have written more plays than have been found. Natyaprēmi Krishnaji Lakshman Soman introduced Bhasa's plays for the first time in Marathi in 1931 CE. The play Priya Dar currently performed on the stage is based on the Sanskrit play Madhyamavyayoga by the great poet Bhasa.

In short, it can be said that Indian theater has an extremely ancient, ancient, and glorious tradition. Evidence has been found that the world's first play was written in an Indian language. Our misfortune is only that even today, the so-called intellectuals and artists associated with the theater business only cite references to Greek, Italian, French and English plays. Even today, Sartre, Shakespeare, Shaw, Ibsen, Chekhov are considered the ideals of drama. Of course, all these artists are also of the same high quality, they are the best. But because of this, the neglect of Bharata Muni, Bhasa, Kalidasa and Banabhatta, who are the masters of timeless genius, is not considered justified..!

We are the heirs of this glorious tradition of theater. If only 'self' identity awakens, then a lot can be said...! The purpose of writing the book “Bharatiya Gyanno Khajano” is to bring to the people many wonderful and enlightening things that have disappeared over time in our country. Each article of this book is reaching millions of readers through print media and social media and a flood of positive feedback is pouring in through letters, phones and social media.

There are many things that leave us speechless and stunned when we come to know about them. We are left awestruck and dumbfounded. Even today, the question of how our ancestors could have constructed and created things that seem impossible to us just two or three thousand years ago keeps growing bigger and bigger in our minds. Even today, we do not get a true and complete answer to this question.

The Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, or Five Element Shrines, are a group of five Hindu temples in South India, each dedicated to one of the five prime elements of nature: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. These temples hold immense religious, cultural, and historical significance, serving as a testament to the deep-rooted connection between human spirituality and the elements that sustain life.

The five elements, or Pancha Bhootas, are considered the fundamental building blocks of the universe in Hindu philosophy. They are believed to be present in all living things and to play a crucial role in maintaining balance and harmony in the cosmos.

The Pancha Bhoota Sthalams are not just ordinary temples; they are believed to possess unique spiritual and energetic qualities that correspond to the elements they represent. Each temple is situated in a specific location that is said to resonate with the energy of its corresponding element. The name of these temples are:

1. Kalahasti Temple

2. Ekambareswarar Temple

3. Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

To determine a specific location on Earth, we use coordinates, which we know as latitude and longitude. Latitude is the horizontal imaginary lines drawn on the Earth. For example. equator, tropic of cancer, tropic of Capricorn etc. And longitude are imaginary vertical lines drawn from north to south. The latitude and longitude of these three temples are as follows:

Serial No.	Temple Name	Latitude	Longitude	Panchmahabhuta Tatva
1	Sri Kalahasti Temple	13.76 N	79.41 E	Air
2	Sri Ekambareswarar Temple	12.50 N	79.41 E	Earth
3	Tillai Nataraja Temple	11.23 N	79.41 E	Sky

Looking at the table above, the longitude of these three temples is the same, that is, 79.41 E. That is, all three temples are located in a straight line. The distance between Kalahasti and Ekambareswar temples is about 350 kilometers. While Ekambareswar and Tillai Nataraja temples are one and a half hundred kilometers away from each other. There is no concrete information about when these three temples were built. The Pallava, Chola and other kings who ruled this region renovated these temples. It is truly astonishing to consider how these temples, built at such great distances apart approximately three thousand years ago, could have been aligned in a perfectly straight line.

Was the science of cartography so advanced at that time that they possessed knowledge of longitude and latitude? Even if we assume they did have complete knowledge of longitude and latitude, in order to construct the temples in a perfectly straight line, they would have required not only knowledge of cartography but also of contour maps. Or perhaps they employed some other method at that time? Could the knowledge of this method have been lost to the veil of time? All of these questions lie beyond the realm of our comprehension.

It is important to note that this is not the end of the story. When the two remaining temples are connected with the three temples that lie in this straight line, the resulting structure or configuration exhibits unique angles.

When we consider the depth and precision of the knowledge possessed by our ancient architectural scholars, we are left in awe. They arranged the five Shiva temples representing the five elements (Panch Tatva) on a stretch of land spanning several square kilometers. Through this arrangement, they are trying to convey something to us, to give us a hint. Unfortunately, we have not been able to decipher this coded language of their knowledge.

One of the Panch Tatva temples is located in Andhra Pradesh, while the remaining four are located in Tamil Nadu. The Sri Kalahasti temple, which represents the air element, is located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, about 35 km from Tirupati. This temple is situated on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi. For thousands of years, it has been known as “Dakshin Kailash” or “Dakshin Kashi.” 

This temple is extremely ancient, but the sanctum sanctorum of this temple was built in the fifth century, while the exterior was built in the eleventh century. There are mentions of Pallava, Chola, and later Vijayanagara kings renovating and constructing this temple. It is mentioned in many places that Adi Shankaracharya came to this temple. Shankaracharya himself mentioned this temple in his “Shivanand Lahari”. He has also mentioned the devotees of this place in his work.

This temple represents the air element among the five elements (panchmahabhutas). Some fascinating references are found in the temple. The Shiva lingam located in this temple is white in color. It is self- manifested (svayambhu). It is believed that this Shiva lingam is made of air element and hence it is never touched. Even without wind, the flame of the lamp keeps flickering: The scientific reason behind this phenomenon is yet to be discovered. The locals believe that it is because the Shiva linga here is made of the air element that the flame of the lamp keeps flickering.

About 350 kilometers south of this temple, in a straight line, lies another temple of the five elements, called the Ekambareswarar Temple. This temple is located in Kanchipuram, a famous city in Tamil Nadu. This temple represents the earth element.

Being an earth element, the Shiva linga here is made of earth. There is a folk tale that Parvatiji sat under a mango tree and worshiped Lord Shiva to attain him, and she too was in the form of an idol made of earth...! That is why he is known as Ekambareswarar. In Tamil, Ekambareswarar means the god of the mango tree. Even today, a mango tree stands in the temple premises. Based on carbon dating, this tree is 3000 years old. This tree is considered a symbol of the four Vedas. It is said that this tree bears mangoes of four different flavors. This temple is located in Kanchipuram, which is known as the city of temples. Kanchipuram is also famous for Kanchipuram sarees.

A plaque in the temple is written in Tamil, Telugu, English and Hindi that this temple is 500 years old. It is difficult to say how old it really is. There are mentions of the Pallava king in the fifth century, then the Chola king and then the Vijayanagara king getting the temple renovated.

Both of these temples are located in a straight line to the south, about 200 kilometers from the Ekambarnathar Temple, the third temple of the five great elements. The Tillai Nataraja Temple, which represents the element of space, is located in the city of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.

This is a very ancient temple, established by Patanjali Rishi himself. The exact time period of the construction of this temple cannot be determined, but there are mentions of repairs and new construction by the Pallava and Chola kings in the fifth or sixth century. The 108 mudras of Bharatanatyam are carved on the stone pillars of this temple. This means that the highly developed Bharatanatyam dance science existed thousands of years ago. Many postures of Lord Shiva are carved on the stone pillars here, but the idol or posture of Nataraja is not carved anywhere. His idol is enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum.

Here Lord Shiva is in the form of Nataraja. He is accompanied by Shivakami, meaning Parvatiji. There is only a small empty space to the right of Nataraja's form. It is called Chidambaram Rahasyam. This empty space is adorned with a necklace made of gold foil.

According to popular belief, the empty space within the sanctum sanctorum of the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, which lacks a definite form, represents the element of sky (Akash Tatva). This empty space is covered with a red curtain except during the time of worship. During puja, this red curtain or covering is removed, and the formless element, the Akash Tatva, is worshipped. It is believed that Lord Shiva and Parvati, in the form of Kalika Mata, danced here.

About 40 kilometers from the city of Chidambaram, the Kaveri River meets the sea. In this region, in the 8th/9th century, the king had built a shipbuilding dock. The name of this place is Kompuhār. Once a large and famous port on the east coast of India, today it is just a small village. A few years ago, the Archaeological Department excavated at Kompuhār and unearthed a hidden treasure. They found an extremely rich and developed city that existed about two to two and a half thousand years ago. One is amazed to see the planning of this city, its roads, drains, drainage system, etc. About two to three thousand years ago, a very rich and

developed culture lived in this area. The culture that laid out the pattern of these five temples of the five elements on this vast expanse.

These three temples are constructed in a straight line, creating a unique angle. The fourth temple of the five elements, Jambukeswar, is located in the village of Tiru Manai Kaval Ikkal near Trichy. This temple is the one that represents the element of fire (Agni Tatva). The specialty of this temple, located on the north bank of the Kaveri River, is that there is a small but bubbling spring of water flowing under this Shivalinga. Therefore, the Shivalinga here is always submerged in water.

During the British era, an archaeologist named Ferguson conducted extensive research on this temple. His findings were widely accepted and considered authoritative by many scholars. According to him, the temple was constructed during the early Chola period. However, it is now recognized that his observation was incorrect. An inscription found in the temple provides evidence that the temple was built centuries before the Common Era.

The Arunachaleswarar Temple, the last of the Panch Bhootha temples, which form a unique angle with the other three temples of the five elements arranged in a straight line, represents the element of fire. Located in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, this temple is considered one of the largest temples in India.

Perched atop a hill, this temple sprawls across a vast complex. Enclosed within 700-foot-high walls, the temple's towering gopuram stands as tall as a 14-story building. This Shiva temple and the structures on its grounds are truly awe-inspiring. The fact that three of these temples lie in a perfect straight line cannot be a mere coincidence. These meticulously constructed temples, spread across the vast expanse of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, can only be considered a marvel. If we could decipher the symbolic language embedded in their design, we might gain insights into the unsolved mysteries of ancient knowledge.