Posts Tagged ‘Haasan’
Kondajji Varadaraja – “The Purple Cow” Effect…
At first glance, Kondajji, which is around 15 kms from Haasan looks like your typiclal “middle of the nowhere” village. Lush green fields on one side and a rivulet on the other side of a narrow road, nothing “out of the ordinary”… EXCEPT that this tiny village has a gigantic vigraha of Varadarajaswamy, an avatar of Lord Vishnu.
When we reached there on a drizzling saturday afternoon, we did not know what to expect. But we were in for a pleasant surprize. The Lord was gorgeously decorated as can be seen from this picture.
Kondajji Varadaraja Hasan
Rudresh, the self anointed priest, tells me that this could be a 14th century statue built under the times of Hoysalas. However, it was buried under ground to protect it from the then Muslim invaders who went about rampaging the cultural icons and dieties of the day.
Folk tales also have it that there was an old woman who dreamed of bringing the Lord to her place as she could not visit the “chenna keshava temple” which is around 15 kms from here in Belur. So, she managed to literally “move” the Lord by the power of her prayers. Hence the name “Konda Ajji” which would rough translate into “Old lady’s bringing”
Well..What is the purple cow connection? Hmm….People who have read Seth Godinwould have immediately got the connection. For others who are wondering who Seth is, that link is a good place to start. One of his books talk about the “Purple cow” effect as a powerful marketing message. I am willing to wager a bet that this temple is going to gain more visibility and popularity within an year or two. There is this “Otaku effect” that is currently gaining critical mass….
Here are a couple of more snaps of Kondajji village….
Lush greenery
and one more….
Kondajji rivulet
