A vast number of temples erected or renovated during Vijayanara times have entire walls covered with panels of bas relief sculptures depicting stories from Ramayana and other Hindu legends. One such panel that caught my eye during my Dec 2024 visit was Shravana Kumar's story. The panel is situated in the northeastern corner, visible as soon as you step into the temple premises. There are four four panels on this slab with the story progressing from bottom to top. The bottom most panel shows Sharavan walking while carrying on his shoulder his aged parents in baskets hung from a long bamboo pole. The next panel shows King Dasharatha shooting an arrow towards Shravana. Dasharatha is hunting at night and capable of identifying and shooting targets in darkness. Shravan Kumar who is filling a pot with water from a pond is mistaken for an animal and shot by Dasharatha. In the next panel are two scenes; the grievously injured Shravana tells the king about his aged parents waiting to quench their thirst then Dasharatha finds his parents delivers the sad news. The devastated parents curse Dasharatha that his life would end after being separated from his son. The last panel, not seen here, seems to show a shocked Dasharatha after cremating the aged couple and their son.
In Indian culture the name Shravana Kumar is synonymous to dedication to parents. Such values were inculcated into young minds through stories passed down from countless generations. There are dozens of moral based stories from our legends..
I must revisit Hazara Rama Devastana and find other stories.
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