International Yoga Day
The philosophy of Yoga reflects upon several fields of studies, be it art, education, health or spirituality. It is an integral part of India’s way of life. As we celebrate the 8th International Yoga Day, we bring you the heritage temples showcasing beautiful carvings of the yoga asanas.
Acyutraya Temple of Hampi, Karnataka
The pillars of the Achyutaraya temple at Hampi showcase Yoginis performing various asanas. Built during the erstwhile Vijaynagar empire in the early 16th century, it is also known as Tiruvengalanatha temple. Originally a Vaishnav temple, its premises had a large market. Along with numerous yoga asanas from the Hatha yoga branch, its pillared halls also have carvings narrating the stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana.
Vidya Shankar Temple of Shringeri, Karnataka
Built in the year 1338 A.D, the Vidyashankara temple is a unique monument built entirely of stone. The highlight of this temple is a mandapa with twelve pillars marked by the twelve signs of the zodiac in their regular order. Several yoga postures are carved on the walls of this temple.
Sri Rangam Temple, Tamil Nadu
Sri Rangam or Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is one of the most illustrious Vaishnav temples in India. Dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu, it is constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture. The temple complex is massive in scale- spread over 156 acres, making it one of the biggest temples in the world. It has bas-reliefs depicting Yogis performing Hatha Yoga.
Natraj Temple, Tamil Nadu
The Thillai Nataraja Temple, also known as the Chidambaram Nataraja temple, is a temple dedicated to Nataraja, form of Shiva as the Lord of dance. The wall of this temple display carvings of the postures from the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni. They form a foundation of the Indian classical dance system-Bharatanatyam. Along with the Natraj, the walls showcase yogi and yoginis in different asanas of Hath yoga.
Photo Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/15th-16th_century_Achy
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