Worshipping gods in the chemical age

Rhino, tiger and elephant are the images we have when we are said to picturise 100, 500 and 1000 rupees Nepali notes respectively. But what about the 10 rupees Nepali note? Does it evoke any picture? Probably not. However, upon closer look it has a sculpture of Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda.

This sculpture is one among the many inside the Changunarayn temple’s complex. This complex falls under the World Heritage Site list. In spite of holding such great archaeological and religious importance the sculptures, like the one in 10 rupees Nepali note, and many others within Changunarayan’s complex are in dire strait.

A life size 5th century statue of Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu kneels with his hands folded before the temple. Besides Garuda is one of the oldest Licchavi stone inscriptions. In front of the temple here is a statue of kneeling King Bhupatindra Malla and his queen.

There is a 6th century stone statue of Vishnu Viswarup, the universal form of Lord Vishnu that Lord Krishna showed Arjuna while speaking the Bhagavad Gita. On the Lakshmi Narayan Temple there is an 8th century statue of six-armed Trivikratha (Lord Vamana), and next to it is a statue of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Behind the last two statues is a little black slab that has an image of Narayan lying on the traditional serpent Ananta and above it Lord Vishnu with 10 arms and heads.

All these sculptures have started showing signs of wearing out with cracks and stains all over them. Sculputers of such significance have all been kept outside the temple without any attempt of preservation. Pandit Rajopadhya of Changunarayan expressed his concern regarding the worsening condition of these sculptures. He says that not only the heat and and rain but also the chemical filled tika and other ingredients that people throw at these idols, albeit in the name of worshipping, have to be blamed for the sorry state of these sculptures.

He further elaborates that earlier idols were worhipped with panchamrit that was benificial for these idols. But now panchamrit has long been forgotten and the only resort is the chemical mixed worshpping ingredients. If the idols are worshipped in such a way that harms them then such act instead becomes misdeed.

Seems like its best to just stick to offering prayers with folded hands and set aside all those chemical filled puja ingredients.