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A creator in every sense
He is a true custodian of the traditional culture of this land. He feels his life, rather his very presence in this world, is to be a designer, a builder, an architect and a sculptor, to create in alignment with the laws of existence and also to expound the science behind vaasthu to one and all. Meet Padma Bhushan Dr.V.Ganapati Sthapati. – A S Gopal. |
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“What are you preparing me for, my Lord? What is the purpose of my life? What am I here for?” Many such questions rise in a million minds, but not that all of them find the answers. There are a very few to whom the answers come in search of them. He is one of them. He feels his life, rather his very presence in this world, is to be a designer, a builder, an architect and sculptor, to create in alignment with the laws of existence and also to expound the science behind Vaasthu to one and all. The 133-feet Valluvar statue standing tall at Kanyakumari is the highest stone statue in the world, and this ‘work of a genius’ happens to be his creation. Considered a masterpiece, the Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, is also his creation. He is solely responsible for flooding both the east and the west coasts of the USA with temples. He has worked on projects in many countries and is most sought after for his insights into Vaasthu. |
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He creates not only sculptures, but also sculptors. He was the principal of the college of architecture and sculpture at Mamallapuram for 27 years. He is 82, but age has no bearing on his passion for his work. He is still active, still dynamic and still creating. His words came straight from his heart, and it is loaded with emotions and convictions. He is working at preserving the traditional culture. His works on Vaasthu are scientific and he has established a research lab, Vaasthu Vedic Research Foundation, in which he tutors students from many countries. Awards and accolades from all over the world have been coming in search of him. Meet Padma Bhushan Dr.V.Ganapati Sthapati. |
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In his four-acre campus, I froze for a moment when I saw an eighteen-feet single-stone marvel. Over a period of five years he had created a replica of the Ranganathar of Srirangam temple, which will soon be installed in Sri Lanka. It was stunning, majestic and it certainly didn’t look a statue to me, but much more than that. Expressing his feelings about this metamorphosis, Ganapati Sthapati said, “Everything is a manifestation of god. Every stroke is a painting. That awareness should be there in oneself. It is only the paramathma that is manifesting as the jeevatma in different forms. Being a silpi (sculptor), one has to know the arithmetic of existence. Only with consciousness combined with arithmetic you can create these symbols of god. The poet is embedded in the poem; the sculptor is embedded in the sculpture. The chiselling may be from me, but it is He who manifests through me.” |
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Expressing his views on the essence of sculpting, Ganapati Sthapati said, “We start with an image in our mind and go in search of the right stone. The selection of the stone happens when you find a stone that speaks to you and something within you tells you that it is the stone. As chiselling happens, a relationship with the stone happens. The stone keeps communicating with is tougher than replicating an existing form because you are actually bringing a new form into existence. In that sense it was gratifying to give form to Madhavi and the goddesses of Tamil through my sculpting.” |
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Ganapati Sthapati practices a very rare art form and he comes from a lineage of traditional architects and sculptors. So, is this art form a genetic inheritance or can it be acquired? Answering this he said, “Yes, genes play a significant role. It comes in the family, but that doesn’t mean that this skill can’t be learnt. I was the principal of the college, which is only one of its kinds in the entire Asia, where students have been taught and they are successfully practicing. They practice learning by imitation, where the student imitates the master and learns. First the experience is given and then the understanding happens. There should be surrender to the master for learning to happen. Anything that is read gives you understanding, but only experiences give you the feeling. It is the heart, which should prevail over the mind.” |
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The flow in which Sanskrit slokas came out of his mouth was stunning. Be it English, Tamil or Sanskrit he converses with élan. Explaining about eh forgotten aspects of languages he said, “Tamil and Sanskrit are born from the same womb. Every language has a literary part and the technical part. Only those who are initiated and well trained in the technical aspects of the language can understand the expressions of that language. Unfortunately the technical aspects of Sanskrit and Tamil have been ignored for ages. These languages were born about 16,000 years ago in Kumari continent, which forms the southern part of India. This is the place where the great Mayan was born as a prodigy, possessing the mystical knowledge and he unfolded it to the world for the first time.” |
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Sculpting is a work, which needs enormous concentration and patience. Explaining about it he said, “A sthapati is one who is a designer and a builder, who applies the arithmetic of existence in whatever he creates. Architecture is the highest form of arithmetic. I haven’t done anything to improve my concentration. It comes from the within. So much has changed in this world, but the tool to chisel hasn’t been replaced and only that helps in achieving precision. This is not the work of the mind alone. The heart enjoys the process with the awareness to bring but the truth. Sculpting is nothing but the spiritual genius within manifesting out as material genius. Ayan’s creation will change, but Mayan’s creation will not change meaning that the creation of Brahma will change but the creation of Sthapati will not change. It is like god enjoying god’s work.” |
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Ganapati Sthapati is considered the doyen of traditional architecture. It is he who caused the vaasthu renaissance. He explained, “The vaasthu scripture was first authored by Mayan. According to me it is nanotechnology. It is the same formula, E=mc2. Energy contains matter and matter contains energy. It is the Vaasthu (energy), which manifests as Vasthu (matter). Existence is comprised of the five elements, namely fire, air, water, space and land; beyond that is sound and beyond that is light; then comes Kalam (time). Space contains everything filled with energy grids. Construction of building is based or grids, which essentially has to be aligned with the energy grids. This process is based on the system of unit measurements, which are the rhythmic vibrations of time. Creating a form in alignment with these factors is the science of vaasthu.” |
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Explaining the significance of Vaasthu he further said, “Construction of any four walls contains vibrations within and hence any encompassed form is a living organism. Any construction has in it ingrained the attributes of the primal substance. Those who know the science and practice traditional architecture bring out the manifestation of Vasthu in that space. These people are known as the Viswakarmas, the clan I come from. It is unfortunate that the contemporary scholars have not taken enough care to go through the silpa sastras and have misinterpreted the vaasthu tradition and this does not convey the exact meaning. One can experience the vibrations, but to learn that arithmetic one needs a guru and I was blessed to have one in my father.” |
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Ganapati Sthapati, with a lot of emotions, said that the Sthapatis are not given the due respect and recognition for their work. He said, “It is a pity that people have not listened to us and the Sthapatis do not get their due. What pains me is the ignorance with which people live their lives. In spite of having over 35,000 temples for over 16,000 years in south India, so many traditional and cultured people, we still live in ignorance. It is said in the sastras that the sanctum sanctorum is not a home of god, but very much a form of god. Considering the temple building as a form of god, one who is well versed in chanting Vedas should worship with mantras and that forms the reason for functions like kumbakishekam (consecration) for temples.” |
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Ganapati Sthapati has been a student, a sculptor and a teacher. His feelings towards the roles he plays are very different. He said, “I still play all the three roles. My life is what I do. I forget my personal life when I work. My father used to say that Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, is still learning. As long as I am alive I will be a student. I still enjoy my sculpting. When I carry the Uli (tool for sculpting) it gives me a different meaning. In teaching I insist on sincerity from my students. I am very demanding as a teacher.” |
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Ganapati Sthapati is a true custodian of the traditional culture of this land. He is now building a memorial for Mayan, the revered sage. It was an absolute delight enjoying his wisdom and emotions, and was an enriching experience. God created him so that he can create the gods for the temples. Ganapati Sthapati, a creator in every sense. |
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“Existence is comprised of the five elements, namely fire, air, water, space and land; beyond that is sound and beyond that is light; then comes Kalam (time). Space contains everything filled with energy grids. Construction of a building is based on grids, which essentially has to be aligned with the energy grids. This process is based on the system of unit measurements, which are the rhythmic vibrations of time. Creating a form in alignment with these factors is the science of Vaasthu.”
by courtesy |
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