This
is the origin of my magnum opus, after the release of that bulky
book recently published, THAT LORD SIVA TO BE ADORED, covering 300
temples.
Soon the wheels were set in motion, and during the spade work, another easily digestible, and sweetsmelling delicious food
for thought flashed across my mind and visualised the grandeur of the ten incarnations of Sri Mahavishnu Enraptured by the
grandiose part played by each, and the gigantic temples built to perpetuate their superb glorious acts, I decided to bring out
the glory of each avatar as revealed in the much hallowed icons of temples. This accounts for the emergence of the idea of
writing 'Incarnation - wise' Of course this sounded good and will elate the pure religionists too by its novelty, when
delineation of incarnations reflecting the process of evolution from Matsya to Kalki gets completed, giving me scope for the
picturisation of Sri Mahavishnu's infinitude - cosmic form But obtaining the source material was found to be the toughest
work ever imaginable akin to Herculean task; and even if one tries to stride like colossus across the entire gamut of temple
literature, he could neither see shrines, nor get anything for incarnations, like Matsya, Kurma, Parasurama and particularly
Balarama. So there was a complete breakdown of the vehicle in the initial stage, taking me to temples beginning with the
Matsya to Kalki Avatar Libraries supposed to be the repositories of knowledge on all branches do not possess even a single
leaf feeding the mind with relevant information adequate for those temples extant, for the above So the Incarnation wise
representation proposal was about to vanish as instantly as it flashed. Strenuous efforts in ransacking of all the available
and approachable shelves in big libraries t long last rewarded me with some sort of information - neither complete nor
perfect yet, I commenced climbing on the slender thread linking to the temples dedicated especially to Matsyavatar.
Kurmavatar, Vamanavatar, Parasuramavatar and Balaramavatar too When reached the sannidhis through the scanty
material, I was disappointed thoroughly; for, it does not visualise the aspect in its totality - only bare outlines glimmered.
Tried however much, full illumination eluded me. Hence the presentation of a few particulars of those temples concerning
with the first three, next fifth and sixth and finally the eighth of the Dasavataras. With the available, inadequate information
completed those five Hark! for the rest of Avataras like Narasimha, Rama, Krishna and Kalki, the abundant availability of
right material is so over - whelming that it upset my mental poise - what to take and what to reject on what ground and how
much confounded me beyond endurance, that I laid down my pen for long, allowing mind to transform itself into cud-chewing
quadruped, hoping it may supply requisitefood. The knotty problem was solved in a way, but confining it to the limited scope
of the project posed another problem. Out of four hundred number for inclusion in the book, how many for Narasimha and
others is another thorn in the flesh.
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