Non-random-Thoughts - Some Insights Into Form and Worship of Harihara

Non-random-Thoughts: Some insights into form and worship of Harihara.
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Non-random-Thoughts
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013
Some insights into form and worship of

Harihara.
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Previous articles:Padmanabha swamy in ananta sayana - the discussion continues.

Iconographic feature of Lord Padmanabha Swamy
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Continuing the discourse on Harihara, I am reproducing here some

more information based on the additional inputs sent by Dr S.
Kalyanaraman. He sent links to Harihara temple at Billawar at
Jammu, at Osian in Rajasthan and Harihara procession in
Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain. In addition he sent a scanned copy
of an old book on temple architecture of Orissa. My sincere thanks
to him for helping me expand my knowledge in temple art and olden
history.
The book on Orissa architecture opens me to another dimension of
Hindu temple art having its early origins in Lapita art whose
remnants are seen of all the places in Polynesia the region
which I believe bears the remnants of the scattered culture of early
Tamils or Proto-Tamils or Proto Manavas from whom the North
Indian population diverged and entered North India through Arabian
sea corridor and Dwaraka.
I also thank Mr skm, a reader for bringing to our notice the
existence of Harihara form in the Tamilnadu itself, at Sankaran
kovil. Reproduced below are the images of Harihara at Sankaran
kovil.
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Non-random-Thoughts
jayasree
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In this context, I think it is worth pondering on the exact verse of

Mayamatham on Harihara form. Verses 90 and 91 in Chapter 36 on
Iconography read as follows (translation by Bruno Dagens):
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"The half corresponding to Vishnu and that corresponding to Ishvara

are to be made in accordance with what has previously been said
(concerning each of these Gods). The half corresponding to Krishna
has the conch and the mace and that of Shiva the trident and the
axe. Each part is covered with the decoration befitting (the one
represented) and the God is to stand on a single lotus. The Vishnu
half is to the left and that of Shankara to the right."
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The mention of the name Krishna ("ShankhadaNdam tu

KrushNardhE" ) in this verse gives some clues on the origin of this
form. The first inference is that this form could have come into
existence after Krishna's times. As if to support this inference, the
sthala purana of the Harihara temple at Jammu has a unique story.
Some insights into form and

worship of Harihara.
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This is the Harihara temple at Billawar, in the district of Kathua in

the Jammu region.
The link sent by Dr S.Kalyanaram gives the following details of this
temple:
"This Siva Temple according to tradition is said to have been built
by king Babhruvahana, son of Arjuna. The ancient name of the
place was Belapur or villapur which got corrupted to Billawar. The
temple is noteworthy for architectural planning, sculptural wealth
and decorative scheme. It is Navratha on plan and consists of a
square sanctum internally crowned by curvilinear sikhara, Antarala
and a pillared mandapa. The wall portion has plain moulding at the
base and top. It has niched shrines for Parsvadevatas on its central
rathas and is studded with dikpala figures and rosettes in
pedimented niches at the corners and flanking rathas. The temple is
assignable to circa 10th century A.D."
Though the presently existing temple structure is attributed to the

10th century AD, the original temple was built by Babhruvahana,
the son of Arjuna. There is a story behind Babhruvahana. He was
born to Chithragatha, popularly known as 'Alli RaNi' in Tamil
legends. When Arjuna went on exile as a punishment for having
intruded the privacy of Yudhishtira with Draupadi, he crossed
Kalinga, then Mahendar parva and then went along the sea shore
and reached a place called Manipura. This is not Manipur of today.
Arjuna's trail shows that this Manipura was somewhere in the
eastern shore of South India or Tamilnadu or Srilanka. There he met
Chitrangadha, whose family was known to have been having only
one son in each generation. She was the only descendant in her
generation thereby making her the queen of the land.
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Arjuna married her and got a son by name Babhru vahaha or

Habhru vahana. After spending 3 years with her, he continued his
journey and eventually returned to Indraprastha. The local Tamil
legend tells about one Alli ArasaNi or Alli Rani having married
Arjuna. Under this queen it was all- female dominance in her
country. This legend has given rise to an allegory that any household
having the domination of the female will be referred to as Alli
Rajya. The female dominance was actually due to the abject
surrender of pearl divers, called Paravas or Parathavas to this
queen. The Parathava legends on their origins as noted in Thurston's
compilation of "Castes and tribes of South India" make a reference
to Alli Rani's domination over them. This was during Mahabharata
period. It was only in the later period, perhaps after the last deluge
(3500 years BP) they came under the rule of Pandyan kings. These
Parathavas possessed of good physical prowess took up the
commands of Chitrangadha and obeyed her. This perhaps gave rise
to the legend of female dominance. Later Babhruvahana became
their king.
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Later in the Mahabharata there came a situation when Arjuna was

overpowered by this son, Babhruvahana. When Arjuna went after
the horse for Aswamedha yajna, he entered Manipura where he was
received by his son Babhruvahana. Refusing to accept such
reception which he said was unbecoming for a kshatriya, he invited
his son for a fight. In that, Babhruvahana defeated him and Arjuna
fell down like dead. Then he was revived by Uloopi by the naga
gem. After that, Babhruvahan went on to meet Yudhishtira and
Kunti. That was perhaps the first time Babhruvahan went to North
India. That could have been the first time he was introduced to
Krishna. Until then he must have been acquainted with Naga cult
and Tamil practices of worship of Shiva and Skanda in Manipura.
The name of the place "Belapur" in Jammu where Babhruvahana

established Harihara temple, rings similar to Vela- pur or the city of
VeL, Skanda vEL, or vElan Murugan. The VeL kings of Sangam age
were Skanda or Vela worshipers. Skanda was known as vEL. The
earliest reference to Skanda as Karthikeya comes in Valmiki
Ramayana. In chapter 3-230 of Mahabharata, sage Markandeya lists
out the various names of Skanda. The stories of Skanda were
narrated to Pandavas thereby showing that the cult of Skanda could
have started or spread only after Mahabharata. The vELir or vEl
people coming from Dwaraka to Tamil lands at about 3500 years BP
shows that between the time of Mahabharata (5000 years BP) and
the last submergence of Dwaraka (3500 years BP), the vEL worship
11/22/2013 11:23 AM
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was established in North India. As the vEL connection comes from

Tamil lands, the vEL people did not have any reservation in
migrating to Tamil lands when sage Agasthya led them after the
submergence of Dwaraka (Bet Dwaraka).
Coming to the topic, Babhruvahan's name appearing with the

establishment of a temple for Harihara in Belapur in Jammu, seems
to show that with him Skanda worship spread to Aryavarta (though
Skanda legends were known to Aryavarta much before that time).
The concept of Harihara as a fusion of Vishnu and Shiva also could
have been initiated by him. The use of the name Krishna in the
place of Vishnu, by Mayamatham, makes me wonder if
Babhruvahan conceived the idea of worshiping Krishna (from his
father's side) and his native Kula devatha Shiva (from mother's side)
together as Harihara. The presence of Harihara predominantly in
North India and parts of the Deccan which were worshipers of
Skanda ruled make me think so.
There is one more probability. From North India, the idea of Bel
could have spread to Persia as Baal. For the Hebrews, Baal was an
important deity. The word Hebrew sounds similar to Babhru vahan!
His name is variously pronounced as Habhru vahan or Babhru
vahan or Vabhru vahan. Babhru means deep brown or reddish
brown. Skanda was reddish in colour (the colour gave him the name
Senthil, sEyOn etc). I wonder whether Habhru became Hebrew and
his followers were the ones who left India. (genetic study traces the
origins of Hebrews / Jews to Fertile Crescent close to the borders of
Indian sub continent) Some connection between Hebrew and
Habhruvahan looks plausible.
The features of worship of Baal look very similar to Skanda who

was known as Baala, the youth. This connection will be explained in
detail in a future article. Let me confine myself by saying here that
Canaanite Baal, Sumerian Bel and Persian Marduk bear
resemblance to Muruga / Skanda / Velava. Baal was connected with
ram, with his abode on "high places" referring to hill tops (which is
where Muruga was connected to, in Sangam age), he subdued the
ocean (Ugra Kumara Pandyan, son of Meenakshi and Sundaresa did
that in Then- Madurai/ South Madurai), was connected with the
Tower of Babel (Muruga was associated with introduction of Tamil
language as a refined one), was associated with spells and
prophecies and violent gyrations (Velan veriyaattam was an oft
repeated event in Sangam texts. The cult of sacrifice of goat or ram
was associated with this Velan veriyattam which held violent
11/22/2013 11:23 AM
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gyrations/ dance movements. Baal was hated in the Biblical period

and was eventually shunned.
Continuing with Harihara, Osian in Rajasthan has a temple of
Harihara. This location is in Indus region with which Velir / vEl
were associated.
Harihara temple, Osian. 8th century
View from the south wall of the northwest shrine. Center band,
Vishnu on Garuda flanked by attendants (Brahma's daughters?) The
capitals of the columns are carved with human faces. Above, an
ithyphallic meditating figure (Brahma?)
11/22/2013 11:23 AM
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http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/osian/osi10.html
Harihara in Osian.
Inline image 2
For more pictures: - http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india

/osian/osi10.html
The Mahakaleshwara temple in Ujjain dedicated to Lord Shiva has
the Murthy of Harihara. On the 14th day in the Shukla paksha of
Karthik month, Harihara is taken out in a procession.
(http://www.hindu-blog.com/2010/11/harihara-processionat-ujjain-mahakal.html )
The Sankaran Kovil Harihara has an interesting connection with

Muruga in its story of origin. According to the temple legend,
consecration of Harihara was done by Ugra Pandian. A Pandyan by
name Ugra Kumara Pandiyan is associated with Kumara or Skanda,
the son of Meenakshi and Sundaresa. He was the first king after the
first Sangam was initiated. He was the one who subdued the surging
ocean by his javelin thereby getting the title "Kadal vadimalaba
ninRa Ugra PAndiyan". There are quite a few references about this
king in Sangam texts. He was given a cult status and came to be
worshiped as Skanda or Muruga. Skanda was perhaps the first and
earliest real life character who was worshiped in our society. Rama
and Krishna were the later day real life characters to be worshiped.
11/22/2013 11:23 AM
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The connection with Ugra Pandyan to Sankaran Kovil temple makes

Harihara as the oldest concept initiated by Skanda himself and
worshiped in the first Sangam age.
Posted by jayasree at 1:55 PM

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Non-random-Thoughts: Some insights into form and worship of Harihara.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Some insights into form and worship of

Previous articles:Padmanabha swamy in ananta sayana - the discussion continues.

Share this on Facebook

Maize in the hands of temple deities an indigenous concept of

(NEW) Appointment gadget >>

Continuing the discourse on Harihara, I am reproducing here some