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| The Vittala Temple Complex (Source: Flickr) |
India, being a blend of different cultures and heritage has a colourful past. Many rulers ruled in India from time to time but some had left behind a heritage that still amazes the world. Some places defy all the scientific laws and made us realise today that there are many things to learn from the past. Hampi, the capital of the great Vijaynagar Empire of South India is probably one of them. This empire is well known for its flourished art styles, magnificent architectural structures especially in temple building.
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| The Musical Pillars as it look from outside (Source: factofuse.com) |
The Vijaya Vittala temple or simply the Vittala temple is dedicated to Lord Vittala, an aspect of Lord Vishnu. It was built by the great Devraya II during the 15th century at Hampi, present day Karnataka. According to the legends, this temple was bulit for Lord Vittala but when he found it to be so grand, he returned to his modest home at Pandharpur (a place in Maharashtra, India).
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| Wonderful Rockcut Architecture at Hampi (Source: swadeshi.com) |
For years, the temple complex left behind a mystery. The large Ranga Mandap is erected over 56 pillars. Surprisingly, these pillars emit beautiful musical notes when tapped gently! They are known as the Musical pillars or sometimes SaReGaMa pillars. Every main pillar is surrounded by seven minor pillars which emit the notes. Each note differs from the other and more surprisingly the note changes according to the change of the object one is hitting with.
A vibration analysis study was made by the IGCAR (Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research) along with NIAS (National Institute of Advanced Studies). The study revealed the existence of collective vibration models in the pillars when one is struck and the correlation between the degree of coupling and sustenance of the long vibration was established. They believe that the musical pillars are not some kind of an accident but more of their scientific knowledge. The medieval people must have good technical knowledge and were aware of resonant properties. Though the mysetry has still not opened up, it needs more work to be done to know to truth.
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| A major pillar surrounded by seven minor pillars, a closure look (Source: nativeplanet.com) |
Because of these beautiful musical pillars, Hampi has made its presence in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Not only the Ranga Mancha but the other parts of this complex describes the great engineering works made about 500 years ago. The sprawling compound is ready to awe you whenever you visit!
----By Flicker
References:
https://explorehampi.com/musical-pillars-of-hampi/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/hampis-vittala-temple-of-musical-pillars/amp_articleshow/65608824.cms
https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/music-from-the-pillars/article7282158.ece/amp/
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