I am called a pillar

Over the many thousands of years, people have used me as a support structure to the many buildings they built for shelter.





In the accompanying picture, I am part of a temple, called the "Thousand Pillar Temple" in Warangal. Like one would guess from the name of the temple, we pillars started as a group of thousand way back in the 12th century. Some of us have stood the test of time and stayed this long to talk to you while some of us succumbed. It's been a thousand years since I was carved out of a shapeless rock into the beautiful pillar that I am now, with decorative patterns and intricate designs, thanks to the hands of the sculptor. I have become a thing of beauty which everybody admires than having stayed as an old rock which one would dismiss as a non-existent entity. What wonders beauty can bring !!

Having stayed for this long is an accomplishment in itself. I hear the pyramids have stayed for longer and I wish I would outlast them. But to be honest, I have seen enough to my heart's content in these thousand years. From the happy princes and princesses riding on horse tops one day to the luxury car driving 21st century man, the transformation has been exciting, beautiful and beyond any imagination.

I am particularly amazed at this one piece called the digital camera that people have come to use to take pictures. I remember in good old days, the royal artist would spend a week to get a reasonably close picture of us pillars, still prone to some mistakes, but this thing called the camera takes these impeccable pictures which are the exact replicas of us and I stand to wonder how intelligent man has become.

But I cannot hide my disappointment at the fact that ever since this device was created, people do not look at us for long. They come, take a look, capture us in their cameras, go back without even taking a second look!! With all the thousand years of observation behind me, let me tell you that the thing you call 'life' has become very fast-paced now. People never have time to take a second look.

With my long-earned wisdom, I can say one thing - Take a good second look and a third look too if you can. Because the next time you want to see one of us, we might have perished.

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An attempt to remind the world about the things of beauty around us on the occasion of a similar temple completing 1000 years in 2010. Quoting Keats - 'a thing of beauty is joy forever' !!

Writing style inspired/copied from 'My name is Red' by Orhan Pamuk :-)