Gravity defying Hanging Stone Pillar…..at Kotai koil, Dharmapuri,India

When I boarded the intercity bus from Bengaluru city in India to Dharmapuri located in Tamil Nadu,India on 25th February 2019 in the early morning hours I had very little idea about stone sculpture wonder of gravity defying Hanging pillar located over there.

It is a Hindu Fort temple popularly known as Kotai koil or Mallikarjuneswara and Kamakshi temple. The temple history originates from 8th century.It has very rich architectural and wonderful religious and literary legends associated with Adhiyaman dynasty.

I wish to highlight here only about the single gravity defying Hanging pillar located in the Ardha Mandapam just very closely infront of the sanctom santorium.Here 4 granite pillars weighing approximately each 2.5 tonnes are located. Out of four pillars one of them is hanging and not grounded as supposed to be otherwise.

Photo location: Kotai Koil, Dharmapuri,Tamil Nadu,India

As one may wonder to find a gap between the pillar and the ground. The gap measures approximately 2cm. If you don’t believe it then see with your eyes how I am successfully inserting my red bath towel and a piece of paper in the two centimetres gap between the hanging pillar and the basement and taking it out very easily.

I pinched my hand many times to realise whether it is dream or reality. It was indeed reality and not dream.

After taking more pictures with the oral permission of temple personnel I left that wonderful Spot.

While leaving I was wondering how to express my impression if one calls moonlight is sculpture and sunlight is painting. In this situation I am very delighted to quote the words of Damien Hirst that ” Painting is so poetic,while sculpture is more logical and scientific and makes you worry and wonder about GRAVITY”.