by John Aguiar
FRIEND PRADIP RUNS a studio in Ponda.. The other day, he presented me with a photograph of Sai Baba. He told me the photograph was an original and exposed during the times when Sai Baba was living. I was surprised and wondered whether one could go into our past - in a time machine - with a camera, and get treasures of glimpses of our rich legendary past, the events described in the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, and the Puranas.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would have posed for a group photograph with his asthpradhan mandal just as our Prime Minister and our Chief the ministers do after their swearing in ceremonies of the cabinet.. A photograph of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambajiwould have appeared on front page of all the newspapers with headibg" Dhivaji escapes fom Agra"..
With photographers around, the war of Kurukshetra would get wide publicity both in the Hastinapur Times and the Inraprasta Samachar like we have seen the photographs of Kargil appearing almost every day on the front pages..
The pandavas would have their memories of vanvas (exile) in an album. The most interesting events to be photographed would be the Draupadi Swayamvar (public choice of hand from amongst many suitors), Sita Swayamvar, the war between Lord Krishna and Kans mama, Lord Rama and Ravana, Bhim and Duryodhan. It would be interesting to keep a original photograph of Hanuman carrying Dronagiri on his palm. The photographs of Maneka, Ramba and Urvashi would turn the Miss World and Miss Universe of today green with envy.
. Today it is the artistes who concoct the faces of gods as per their imagination. All gods look alike. Round faces, fair complexion. The only way one can recognise them is by their dress, their vehicle on which they sit and the weapons they carry with them. In the case of Lord Vishnu, he would have the Sudarshan Chakra on his finger and he would be resting on Shesh Naga. Lord Kirshna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, will also have the Sudarshan Chakra, which was his favourite weapon, and a trademark peacock feather on his head..
Lord Shankar would be with the trishul(trident), damru (drum), a snake around his neck and the moon above his head, The moment a paining with a tanned face is shown, one will at once recognise it to be of Ravana.. Three heads would immediately identify Bhramha, the creator. A beard, long hairown, one will at would immediis and flowing amera had come of gods and the beautiful gold or Ich of Lord Shankar would be with the trishul (tridenas (drum), a snake around his neck and the moon above The moment a painting with a tanned face is shown, on once recognise it to be that of Ravan. Three heads would immediately identify Brahma, the creator. A beard, long hair and white robes would suggest the form of Jesus.
How nice it would be if the invention of the camera had at that time! We would have all the photographs of gods, heroes of history and epics in the original. All gods and goddesses are depicted with beautiful gold ornaments. The artistes who made those ornaments would been experts in their field during those times. A photograph of all the artistes with their work would be the greatest inspiration to our goldsmiths of today. Vishwakarma was the chief architect of the gods. But nobody knows what he looked like. If photographs were possible at that time, Vishwakarma's photograph would have preserved by every modern architect. When he created the universe, god must have purposely not created this character called the photographer who would go around clicking photographs with hiscamera and flashgun and disturb the heavenly peace. The photographer would have not spared even god himself and would have made him sit and pose for a portrait of a lifetime. (The Navhind Times, November 13, 2001.)
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