CHENNAI: Gods, goddesses, great saints including lord Nataraja, Gautama Buddha, Tirumular and Patanjali are seen in yoga postures at the exhibition organised by the Museum at Fort St George to mark the first International Yoga Day. The pictures taken from various temples in Tamil Nadu are a feast to their eyes.
The exhibition includes pictures of sculptures of lord Narasimha in a seated posture and lord Trivikrama in a moving posture, lifting his leg, lord Siva in a dancing Urduva Thandava posture, lifting his leg up to his ears, sages doing penance by standing on one leg, etc. The seated posture of the Jaina Thirthankaras and Buddha in Ardhapadmasana and Siva in Padmasana are the examples for yoga depiction in our culture from time immemorial.
Inaugurating the five-day exhibition, M Veera Shanmugamani, Commissioner, HR and CE Department, Tamil Nadu Government, said yoga was not just one more set of exercises. “Yoga is a science of right living and should be incorporated in our daily life,” he added.
There is a separate section at the exhibition that throws light on the great saint of Tirumular and the 18 Siddhas of Tamil Nadu. Through his 3,000 verses in Tirumandiram, Tirumular deals with various aspects of yoga in detail. He emphasised the importance of both the physical and mental health of a man to extend his life tenure. Pathanjali Maharishi, father of yoga, explains techniques of practising yoga in his yoga sutras. There is a shrine still in worship in the temple complex of Ramanathasamy Temple at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. He is believed to be the incarnation of Adhisesha, the beloved snake bed of lord Vishnu. “This programme is an awareness event on yoga as well as our culture. Since the essentialities for life are depicted in the heritage monuments, through this exhibition, we request people to preserve them and advise them to maintain their mental and physical health,” said S Moortheeswari, Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, Fort Museum. K Lourdusamy, superintending archaeologist, Chennai Circle, and many others spoke on the occasion.
