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A Tiny Buddhist Temple in Bhopal
Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta
We have a tiny Buddhist Stupa next door to our home in Bhopal, India. It is about 10 feet in height, the base platform being about 5.5 feet in height, and then the brass statue which is about a feet in height and then the chattri or umbrella on top.
The temple has been constructed by this group of dwellers who live behind the statue. As you can see, they are slowly converting their kaccha, or unfinished/mud houses slowly into permanent dwellings and mostly belong to a Chattisgarh based lower caste "kurs".
Apparently they came over 18 years ago when they were facing problems with the tendu patta (have mercy - some of us are not well versed in hinglish - ed) policy of the government and then came over to Bhopal to act as casual labourers on building sites. Now, they are government employees or running small businesses. In other words, lower middle class employees, they have postal addresses and have now established an identity and the temple was built about 5 odd years ago. Good for them!
Last time I saw it, about 2 years ago, it had a clay statue, but then they replaced it with a metal one. It is NOT this one.
Quite a detailed statue, no? There is a curious story behind this particular statue. Apparently, few weeks ago, there was a spate of thefts in the neighbourhood and the metal statue was stolen (think about the global rise in commodities striking a tiny poor temple in a poor place in the depths of India, the cost of the metal itself is now so high that its worth stealing it for the intrinsic value itself rather than the artistic value). So anyway, the people in the neighbourhood got very upset and demonstrated, protested and blocked traffic. Guess what the police did? They went and purchased a new statue, plonked it on the pillar and requested that they do not file a compliant! Only in India.
Notice now its cemented in, but it has reasonably fine detailing now. Also note the incense stick holders. Very nice, I love the serene expression on the face of the Buddha. Also notice the wheel of time, or karm chakra on the front of the Stupa.
Sanjay Sharma
January 5, 2008
11:15 PM
The news is incomplete. At which place in Bhopal does the temple exists. When did the incident of theft occurred. Since I belong to Bhopal and work as a journalist, i DODN'T REMEMBER ANY SUCH HAPPENING IN THE RECENT PAST. The writer should have specified the date and place of the incident clearly.
bd
URL
January 6, 2008
01:54 AM
Hi T,
tendu patta are the leaves which you use to wrap beedees in.
http://www.mfpfederation.com/content/tendupatta.html
Hi Sanjay,
If you are working in Bhopal, please check out the temple in Rachna Nagar, just below the press complex, over the railway line. Just pass through the under bridge, first right and first left, keep on driving for about 200 meters, duck under an electricity scaffold wire and its on your right.
The incident happened in November 2007. Not sure about the thana involved but its either the habibganj thana or the thana next to the level crossing on the BHEL road (name escapes me for the moment). If you want more details, happy to check with my parents who live 20 meters away and got me to hump all the garden chairs inside every night to protect from the thefts! :)
cheers
bd
blokesablogin
January 6, 2008
03:59 AM
hey B(i)D(i)! Still enjoying your stint in India? A Neat Buddha.
bd
URL
January 6, 2008
04:03 AM
back home now with 6000 pictures and videos, lol, busy blogging them now, lol
it was nice and fun :)
thanks, buddha! :)
and yes, had a beedee for old times sake, lol
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