№ MMXXVI

RACHNA · A LIVING ARCHIVE

Rachna by M.

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MM · XXVI

Canvas
Portrait of Chola Emperor Rajaraja I from the Brihadisvara Temple Murals

Shanta

तुम वही मन हो कि कोई दूसरे हो

Tum Vahi Man Ho Ki Koi Dusre Ho

Naresh Saxena
1 min read 3 versesमनद्वंद्वमौन

3 verses · ~1 min

कल तुम्हें सुनसान अच्छा लग रहा था आज भीड़ें भा रही हैं तुम वही मन हो कि कोई दूसरे हो

गोल काले पत्थरों से घिरे उस सुनसान में उस शाम गहरे धुँधलके में खड़े कितने डरे कँपते थरथराते अंत तक क्यों मौन थे तुम

किस तिलस्मी शिकंजे के असर में थे जिगर पत्थर, आँख पत्थर, जीभ पत्थर क्यों हुई थी सच बताओ, उन क्षणों में कौन थे तुम कल तुम्हें अभिमान अच्छा लग रहा था आज भिक्षा भा रही है तुम वही मन हो कि कोई दूसरे हो ।

इति

Naresh Saxena

The Poet

नरेश सक्सेना

Naresh Saxena

Portrait of Chola Emperor Rajaraja I from the Brihadisvara Temple Murals

Paired Painting

Portrait of Chola Emperor Rajaraja I from the Brihadisvara Temple Murals

This magnificent fragment preserves the likeness and majestic spirit of Emperor Rajaraja the Great, the visionary ruler who brought the Chola Empire to its zenith of cultural, spiritual, and military power. Painted during the completion of the monumental Brihadisvara Temple, the mural captures the sovereign in rich traditional regalia, adorned with ornate jewelry and a towering crown, holding a ceremonial standard. The gentle yet powerful grace of the figure reflects a golden age where devotion to Lord Shiva inspired peerless artistic mastery. As we gaze upon these earthen pigments, we witness a living prayer rendered in stone and lime, capturing the eternal dignity of a monarch who dedicated his empire to the divine.

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If this held you

Four more, in the same key.

Chosen for their rasa and their register, not their popularity. Each one carries some part of what Tum Vahi Man Ho Ki Koi Dusre Ho carries.