|
Home > Temples of Kerala > Marking of directions -Square and Rectangle Marking of directions -Square and RectangleThe next step is finding out the eight directions (east, west, south, north, south-east, south-west, north-east and north-west) of the selected site and demarcation of a square for the sreekovil with the help of a stake known as sanhu. The stake is round with the shape of lotus bud at the top and a fixed base, (refer figure 1 (a) in Diagram 1). It has a length of 1kole* , a diameter of 2 arigulams at the bottom and one arigulam at the neck. Its girth gradually tapers towards top. The and one angulam at the neck. Its girth gradually tapers towards top. The procedure to determine the direction of the site is simple. On the sunrise of an auspicious and sunny-day, fix the stake at the centre of a level ground of 5koles in diameter, which has been daubed with cow-dug and where rays of sun are available throughout the day. With the help of a string of length of two koles (ie, twice the height of the stake), draw a circle on this levelled ground. The radius of the circle will thus be two koles. In the forenoon of a sunny day wait patiently till the shadow of the stake top touches the western side of the circumference line. Mark that point .Similarly in the afternoon the shadow the stake top touches the eastern side of the circumference line. Mark that point also .Repeat this in the next day also. In utharaayana, (the suns progress towards north , i.e. from Makara-Samkrama to Karkkataka-samkrama) and Dhakshinaayana( the sons progress towards south, i.e from Karkataka-samkrama to Makara-samkrama) periods, the position of the points differ. Taking into consideration these revolutions of earth, divide the distance between the points marked on the western side for both days into three sections. If the period of measurement falls on utharaayana a new point on the western side has to be marked towards south of the first day’s point, the distance added being one out of the three sections. In the sketch 1 it is presumed that the sun’s situations is in uttharayana and on a sunnyday on 1st of June. The figure is only illustrative and may not reflect the points on that particular day. Similarly a different point has to be marked on the eastern side on the circumference of the circle. All these are correction factors for the motion of decent of the earth. When the new points are joined by the straight line it will give the east-west direction. This line is known as bhrama-soothra.On this line draw to equal circles, the centres being F and G. The circles should be drawn in such a way that they should intersect. These circle are drawn in thin lines in fig. The portion overlapping the intersecting of circle resembles a fish. Draw a straight line, known as sushmna-naadi-soothra, across the center of the longer section of the figure of the fish which gives the north-south direction. This line, yama-soothra (north-south), determines the center of the ground. For demarcating a square plot for the temple this central intersecting point has to be taken as the basis. Draw four circles from 4 points equidistant from the central point as shown in fig. The size of these circle should be a equal diameter and large enough so that all that circles should intersect. It may also be ensured that central points of these four circles should be far enough depending on the size of the square. Four figures in the shape of fish will emerge from the intersection of the circles. The tips of these figures of fishes indicates the four direction viz. Agni (south-east or SE), Nirthi (south-west or SW), Vaayu (north-west or NW) and Isaana (north-east or NE). Draw two diagonal lines along the axes of fish shaped figures one from one NW to SE and the other from NE to SW. They are known as karnams (diagonal lines). Then join the outer tips of all these figures, and straight lines and they give a square. Different squares can be drawn depending on its use, Eg. the garbha-graha
anthar –mandala etc. Thus the square in the concept of temple is very important. Similarly after drawing karnams it is also possible to draw any type rectangular shaped garbha-grhas. It is considered that this method is more accurate than the position obtained by using a compass. Diagram 1 gives every step of the procedure mentioned above. The principle of the square has to be clearly understood. All those who search for truth will realise that even the concept of sunrise is a relative one. The concept of space also a volition of the mind. The Dik-paalas are considered as the powers who guard the limits of our mind and the square reflects the subtle body of the deity. In this context it is to be noted that the size of the plot depends on the extent of the temple complex which is described in detail in the next chapter. As and when the site of the sreekovil has been fixed the mud therein is removed upto six feet deep. Then, Vaasthu-bali is conducted in this pit as explained in paragraph 5.13. Then the pit is filled-up with pure and fresh sand taken either from the river-bed or sea-bed, as these sites are not generally used in Kerala for cremation or burial. * 45. The koles are of different measurements and show changes according to latitude. The length of kole varies by two yavams per degree of latitude. Accordingly length of kole at Kanyakumari (southern tip of India) is 30 inches and at Parasala (the border of Kerala) in the south of 29.56 inches. At Thiruvananthapuram it is 29.5 inches and at extreme north of Kerala at Manjeshwar the length of kole is 28 inches. Kole is divided into 24 parts. each part is known as angulam. Thus measurement of angulam in inches vary from place to place. The kole of a particular region is marked at the local important temple and it is a accepted for constructing temple and building of that locality. There are eight types of koles viz kishku(24 angulam),praajaapathyam(25 angulam),dhanurmmustikam(26 angulam),dhanurgraham(27 angulam),praachyam (28 angulam), vydeham (29 angulam), vypullyam (30 angulam), and prakeernam(31 angulam). For temples all these koles can be used but in Kerala kishku kole based on 24 angulams is now commonly used. However in old temples different koles were used and there fore when it is measured now it may not conform with the kishku kole. The unit of kishku kole are one paramaanu (atom)=0.0000045 inch; 8 paramaanu=one Thrissarenu =0.0022988 inch; 8Thrissarenu=1 romaagram (tip of hair)=0.0002874 inch;8 romaagram =1liksha (nit)=0.0022988inch; 8 likshas=1 yuka (louse)=0.0183906 inch; yukas=1yuva(barley corn or in some places known as thora or nellita)=0.147125 inch;8 yavams=1maathraangulam (1 finger) =1.177 feet;2vithasthis=1 kishku kole =28.248 inches or 2.354feet; 4 kishku koles=dand=9.416 feet ). Of the above yavam (0.37cm) maathraangulam(2.99cm), vithasti (35.87cm). kole (71.75cm) and dand (2.88m) are frequently used. For convenience however, the Maathraangulam, kole and dand are taken as 3 cm, 72cm,and 2.88 meters respectively. Maathraangulam having 8 yavams is considered as utthama(best). The other types of angulams are those having 7 yavams and 6 yavams and they are considered as madhyama(middle) and adhama(lowest), respectively. In some places kole having 24 angulams is considered as uhtama,23.5 angulams as madhyama and 23.25 angulams as adhama (Details of paramaanu etc are also given in Sreemad Maha Bhagavatha-Skanda III,Chapter 11.). The measurements adopted in Kerala is slightly different from those in Tamil Nadu.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
