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Chapter 149  Temple Reconstruction Part: 1

Temples also act as communal hubs, serving as the core architecture that binds the essence of the community through festivals, rituals, and cultural elements, providing a platform for social interactions, and charitable activities, and even in the past, conflicts were resolved in temples. With all these features, it is no surprise that temples also acted as economic drivers. Pilgrimage centres attracted traders, artists, designers, and service providers, greatly increasing the economic activity of the area. One of the main points is that temples are preservers of history and culture; through murals, sculptures, and inscriptions, temples narrate themes of history, mythology, and social practices. Temples act as living museums, preserving and transmitting cultural heritage across generations.

Considering all this, Vijay decided to rebuild the temples in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Sri Lanka. This is a significant undertaking that requires substantial wealth and labour. While Vijay could have opted for cement, which would have saved time, cost, and manpower, he chose to adhere to the traditional approach—constructing these temples with stones and relying on pure engineering. The only extra material he decided to incorporate was Roman cement.

First, he had to find many architects. To rebuild the temples that have been fully destroyed, a brand new design is required. For the temples that have only been damaged and looted, an experienced engineer should be sufficient.

Vijay went through his memories, both from his past life and the present, in search of an architect. He found none in his past life\'s memories, but fortunately, in the present timeline, he identified an artisan design group headed by Vishwakarma. Vishwakarma had served as the architect during his father\'s renovation of the Virupaksha Temple in the capital. Upon learning the details about Vishwakarma and his group\'s achievements, Vijay became confident in the quality of their work. He didn\'t feel the need to personally verify their previous work on the Virupaksha Temple, as he already knew the temple from childhood, and on top of that, he was aware that the same temple would be listed under the UNESCO World Heritage site in the future.

He wrote a letter to Vishwakarma and his team, addressing them collectively. Vijay used the term \'collectively\' to highlight the difference between Western and Bharatiya architecture. While Western architecture emphasizes individual contributions, Bharatiya architecture leans towards a collaborative effort. In the Bharatiya tradition, a group of artisans collectively works on different parts of the building based on their expertise. Despite this seemingly decentralized approach, the main foundation of the temple is designed by the most experienced architect under royal patronage. Once the main blueprint is finalized, the rest of the craftsmen contribute to filling in the details as per the main designer\'s sketch.

Although this type of architecture gives away a lot of control from the main architect, it also can\'t be denied that this way of construction could make the architecture more elaborate, artistic, and capable of containing a lot more artistic value. This approach allows for thousands of individual statues and carvings to be designed, adding richness and diversity to the overall artistic expression, which a single person could never do. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Next, he finalized the temples that will be rebuilt, restored, and expanded in scale. The number of temples planned to be reconstructed is small in each state, but the scale will be massive, turning them into architectural marvels and tourist attractions. He made this decision because reconstructing all the temples destroyed by the Islamic Invaders would be impossible, numbering in the hundreds. He did not have the financial resources or the manpower to do it all at once. Therefore, he decided to rebuild the main temples that are indispensable to the culture and people in the area. Additionally, he aimed to encourage the people to rebuild their own temples that had been destroyed. This way, it would be much easier on his finances, and it would also put the people of the newly occupied territory at ease, proving to them that the Vijayanagar Empire would be different.

Starting with the temples in Maharashtra, Vijay selected five key locations. The first is the Ajanta and Ellora caves, a core temple complex of Maharashtra. This UNESCO World Heritage site features breathtaking cave temples dating back to the second century BCE or earlier, showcasing Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain influences. The second temple is the Bhimashankar temple near the Sahyadri mountains, built in the 12th century and known for its amazing architectural style and serene atmosphere. The third temple is the Mahabaleshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, constructed in the 12th century. The fourth is the Tulja Bhavani temple in Tuljapur, Maharashtra, dedicated to the fierce form of the goddess Durga. The fifth is not a temple but a whole city, the lost city of Ter to be exact. Ter was once a flourishing Buddhist centre, now a collection of ruins dating back to the second century BCE. Vijay plans to rebuild this city complex and turn it into the cultural and educational centre of Maharashtra. Although there are still many such temples and sites in ruins, Vijay could only choose so many.

Next, moving on to Chhattisgarh, Vijay chose the Mahamaya temple constructed in the 8th century and dedicated to the goddess Durga as it is one of the representative works of the Nagaraj style architecture. He also included the Kailashnath temple, which is located near the Mahamaya temple. This 10th-century Shiva temple is another archaeological gem of Hindu architecture. The third temple selected was the Chitragupta temple, dedicated to the divine accountant Chitragupta, built in the 12th century. The temple is known for its unique brick architecture and intricate terracotta panels depicting scenes from daily life, providing insights into the culture of the era. Next is the Ramgarh fort temple complex built in a fort. The Ramgarh Fort temple complex is nestled atop a hill, boasting a cluster of temples dating back from the 12th century to the 15th century. Each temple showcases distinct architecture, from Nagara style to influences from Buddhist and Jain traditions. The last location is again a ruin, Just like Vijay did in Maharashtra, he picked the Sirpur ruins, an ancient city established in the third century BCE, which was once a flourishing centre of Buddhism. This ancient city was chosen to be rebuilt and made into the cultural and educational centre of Chhattisgarh.

In Odisha, the first temple chosen was the Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar. This temple, a masterpiece of Kalinga architecture, is an 11th-century Shiva temple that dominates the Bhubaneswar skyline with its soaring deula (tower) reaching 150 feet. Unfortunately, due to improper maintenance, insufficient funding, and frequent looting by the Mughals, the temple is in disrepair. Vijay decided to repair and rebuild the temple, expanding its scale and making it larger.

The next temple selected was the Jagannath Temple in Puri. As one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites throughout history, Vijay had no difficulty choosing this site. This 12th-century temple houses the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. For this temple, a larger gopuram will be built, along with widening the streets and roads of Puri for a better and more convenient Ratha Yatra. The third temple chosen was the Konark Sun Temple, a rare temple dedicated to the Sun god Surya, built in the 13th century. This magnificent temple, shaped like a chariot, impressed Vijay the most. Consequently, he ordered the temple to be rebuilt and expanded in scale. And finally, two more temples were chosen in Odisha, they would be the Sarala Temple, a 16th-century temple dedicated to the manifestation of goddess Shakti, and the Tarini Temple, dedicated to goddess Durga.

In Sri Lanka, due to the Mughal influence not reaching there, many of the temples remained intact. So, Vijay only had to rebuild the main temples destroyed by the Dutch. Vijay decided to repair the Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the first century BCE, which showcases a blend of Buddhist art and architecture. The next temple is the Katargama Temple, dedicated to a Hindu deity worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus, holding unique religious significance in Sri Lanka.

The focus then shifted to constructing one of the largest Hindu temples in the world, named Divya Vishnu Prasad Mandir, to be located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The reason? Vijay wanted to build a whole new temple because the majority of Sri Lankans were Buddhist, and he aimed to strengthen the connection to the mainland through this temple\'s network. For the dimensions of this temple, Vijay fully intended to make it one of the largest in the world. Drawing inspiration from Swaminarayan Akshardham in Robbinsville from his past timeline, he chose this temple design because it aligned with the size he envisioned, and he loved the design of the temple.

Vijay did not intend to make extensive changes to the design of the temple and kept it as it was. The temple to be constructed will cover an area of 16 acres of land by its footprint and a whole temple grounds of 2 km all around it. The central Mahamandir should stand tall at 191 feet, dominating the skyline of Kandy, and will measure 255 feet in length and 345 feet in width, demonstrating the grandeur of its architecture. The Maha Mandir will have 24 pillars showcasing the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism, and carvings of many saints of other Dharmic religions, reflecting the temple\'s commitment to interfaith harmony.

Having completed the list of temples he wished to rebuild and restore, Vijay convened with his finance minister to discuss the budget with the architect group that was about to arrive.

P.S. Please let me know if I left out any main temples, Also sorry for the data dump, I felt like the story needed it. Thanks.