The Mauryan Era -- A Turning Point In History

Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragiri Hills where Chandragupta died

Rock Edict at Sannati, Gulbarga

Asokan Pillar at Vaisali

  In Indian history there are so many kingdoms ruled by various kings without having any sense of national unity. Frequently they used to wage wars to extend their kingdoms or to show off their power and greatness. The rule of  Mauryan Dynasty from 321 B.C. to 185 B.C. ushered in a broad perspective with a sense of unity and efficient administration. Many social and political changes took place during their times. Relations with foreign countries like Greece, Syria and Rome were improved. Great kings, scholars and social reformers were born during this era making it one of the most memorable ages in the annals of the whole world. The first emperor and founder of this dynasty was the great Chandra Gupta Maurya (340--298 B.C.?), who was not of royal descent. With his leadership skills and bravery he was able to dethrone the inefficient and dictatorial Nanda royal clan and occupy the throne as people were vexed with the riegn of Nanda rulers. In this enterprise Chanakya, a learned teacher from Takshsila, helped him to realize his dream as Chanakya was also humiliated by the Nanda rulers when he went there to caution them about their autocratic and unfair ways of administration. He expanded his kingdom through central and western India and defeated the Satraps whom Alexander appointed as representatives when he had left India. Chandragupta's territory extended up to Assam in the east, up to Afghanistan and south east Iran in the west. Alexander's chieftain who was a ruler of the entire Northwestern region made peace with Chandragupta and formed an alliance by offering his daughter's hand in marriage to Chandragupta and gave away the northwestern kingdoms to him. Thus right from Chandragupta's time Indian rulers maintained good relationships with western kingdoms like Persia, Syria, Greece and Rome.  He built a stately palace which was admired by Megasthenes as very magnificent and splendid even surpassing the grandeur of Persian and Babylonian palaces. He built a wooden wall around the town consisting of 64 gates and 570 towers. The traces of an eighty-pillared hall of this magnificent palace were found during excavations at Kumhrar near Patna. At the age of forty-two he became the disciple of a Jain Guru, Bhadrabhahu and gave up his throne. He went to Sravanabelagola in Karnataka and led the life of a Jain monk  and later attained Nirvana by observing the Jain custom of Salekhana that is starving oneself to death.

Asandhimitra, Ashoka's Chief Queen

Tishyaraksha, Last Wife of Ashoka

After Chandragupta's abdication of the throne, his son Bindusara (320-273 B.C.)  became the emperor and like his father he ran administration effectively. He extended his kingdom further by winning Deccan region and other kingdoms up to as far as Karnataka. He patronized Ajivaka saints and believed in their philosophy which does not recognize the supremacy of Brahmins and sacrificial rituals. The Ajivaka saints led a simple and peaceful life and believed that every thing in creation is predetermined by destiny. Bindusara also maintained cordial relations with the foreign kingdoms like Persia,Syria and Greece. Bindusara was said to have many wives and many sons. In those days kings married to forge political alliances. Ashoka, though born to a brahmin Lady called Subhadrangi, became the king after gaining mastery over other contenders by acting in a very rigid and strategic manner. He was said to have killed six brothers who were also scheming to bring him down. He displayed his prowess and tact when he suppressed the rebellion in Takshsila where his eldest brother Suseem ( 304-270 B.C.) had failed to control.


 When Ashoka was in Ujjain as Governor of Avanti, he married a merchant's daughter called Vidisa Mahadevi (286--242 B.C.) of Sakya clan. She encouraged Ashoka to follow Buddhism and did not accompany Asoka to his capital as she was not of royal lineage to be his chief queen. At the age of 20, he became a father to a son called Mahendra in 280 B.C. In 282 B.C. a daughter called Sanghamitra was born to Vidisa. Both Mahendra and Sanghamitra were later sent to Ceylon by Ashoka to propagate Buddhism. His second wife, Karvaki, was a fisherman's daughter in Kalinga. Ashoka fell in love with her and married her. She bore him a son called Tivala who later was appointed as the Viceroy of Takshsila afterwards. She is the only queen whose name had been mentioned in Ashokan stone inscriptions. In the Queen Edict her charitable acts and donations had been described. Probably her son, Tivala, might have died before his father's death and hence was not made the king of Mauryan empire. His third wife, Rani Padmavathi, belonged to a royal clan and she bore him a son by name Kunala. Ashoka's fourth wife,  Asandhimitra remained as the chief queen right from Asoka's accession to throne in 270 B.C. till her death in 240 B.C. She was the pricess from a small kingdom located in east Haryana and she was a staunch follower of Buddhism. The largest Sthupa measuring about 80 feet in height and 250 feet in diameter is still seen in the little town of Asandh in Haryana. She stayed in Pataliputra as chief queen while Ashoka's first wife, Devi, stayed in Vidisa and His third wife, Karvaki in Kausambi. Asandhimitra did not have any children, but took care of Kunala whose mother Rani Padmavathi died soon after giving birth to her son. After her death in  240 B.C. Ashoka married her maid Tishyaraksha who was far younger than him in age.  She was made chief queen by the king. She did not have any progeny but took care of Ashoka in his old age. She died in 238 B.C. just six years before Ashoka's demise in 232 B.C.

Buddhist Stupa built by Ashoka at Sanchi

 Bindusara ruled his kingdom for 25 years and died at the age of 52, in 273 B.C Ashoka claimed his right to throne in 273 B.C. but it took him four years to settle the issue and but it took him four years to settle the issue and finally celebrate coronation ceremony in 269 B.C. After coronation he spent eight years of life enjoying the courtly pleasures and luxuries. Ashoka waged his first and last war in 261 B.C. against Kalinga run by a feudal republic and won it after killing thousands of soldiers. Kalinga was once a part of Mauryan empire during the rule of Nanda kings. Later the Kalinga kinga asserted independence and developed alliance with Java and Ceylon kings. To control Kalinga's dominance and make it a part of Mauryan empire, Ashoka decided to fight and annex the Kalinga kingdom which resulted in a huge loss of human lives and damage to property. This terrific war brought about a complete change in his outlook. In one of his edicts Ashoka described the impact of this war as follows:

"Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Priyadarsi, conquered the Kalingas eight years after his coronation. One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingas had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the Dharma, a love for the Dharma and for instruction in Dharma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas.

. He was attracted to ideals of Buddhism and did his best to propagate them in many ways. He tried to maintain cordial and peaceful relationship with all neighboring and remote kings by sending Buddhist emissaries and by setting up pillars and rocks on which the principles of Buddhism was carved and kept near monasteries and city centers. These are called pillar and rock edicts carved in Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts. In some places Greek and Armaic script was used where foreign citizens lived. Each pillar was 40 to 50 feet in height with a pedestal on its top on which some animal figure or symbol was seen. In later times some of these animal figures were destroyed by foreigners. Out of  many pillars nineteen pillars are seen now, six of them having animal figures erected on the top. Ashokan pillars were made of buff-colored sandstone obtained from Churnar near Varanasi. In some places they were made of spotted red and white sandstone procured from Madhura region.  He also constructed Buddhist Stupas containing the holy relics of the Buddha or Buddhist saints and disciples. They look very grand with beautiful carvings and architectural designs as seen in places like Sanchi. Gaya. In one of his pillar edicts he strongly advocated kindness towards animals and against indiscriminate killing of animals.

"Twenty-six years after my coronation various animals were declared to be protected – parrots, mainas, ruddy geese, wild ducks,nandimukhas, gelatas, bats , queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, vedareyaka, fish,tortoises, gangapuputakas, porcupines, squirrels, deer,bulls, okapinda, wild asses, wild pigeons,, domestic pigeons and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible. Those nanny goats, ewes and sows which are with young or giving milk to their young are protected, and so are young ones less than six months old. Cocks are not to be caponized, husks-- hiding living beings are not to be burnt and forests are not to be burnt either without reason or to kill creatures. One animal is not to be fed to another.

— Edict on Fifth Pillar

    

                 Ashoka’s First Rock Edict in Girnar.

Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, has caused this Dhamma edict to be written.[1] Here (in my domain) no living beings are to be slaughtered or offered in sacrifice. Nor should festivals be held, for Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, sees much to object to in such festivals, although there are some festivals that Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, does approve of.

Formerly, in the kitchen of Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, hundreds of thousands of animals were killed every day to make curry. But now with the writing of this Dhamma edict only three creatures, two peacocks and a deer are killed, and the deer not always. And in time, not even these three creatures will be killed. 

After ruling nearly for forty  years Ashoka died in 232 B.C. leaving his vast kingdom. The Mauryan power gradually declined afterwards. The allies of neighboring kingdoms asserted their independence  and rebelled against the Mauryan emperor. The kingdom was divided into two parts. The eastern part was ruled by Ashoka's grandson, Dasarath and the western part was ruled by Kunala.  Dasarath continued the same policies of his grandfather. He believed in Ajivaka philosophy and he dedicated rock-built caves in Nagarjuna Hills to Ajivaka Brahmins. Kunala and Dasarath seemed to have died at about same time in after ruling for eight years. Samprati, Ashoka's grandson ruled both parts between 224 B.C. and 215 B.C. He was a staunch supporter of Jainism and renovated many Jain temples. Later Salisuka, who followed Jainism, was portrayed as a wicked and quarrelsome king in the astronomical treatise, "Gargi Samhita"   ruled from 215 to 202 B.C. Later Devavarman (who believed in Buddhism) ruled from 202 to 195 B.C. Afterwards Satadhanvan ruled for a period of eight years from 195 to 187 B.C. By this period Magadh has lost many of its kingdoms and many foreigners came to occupy the western parts of the empire. The  last Mauryan emperor was Brihadratha, (a Buddhist in faith), who ruled only for two years from 187 to 185 B.C. was murdered by his own chieftain, Pushyamitra who became the king and founder of the Sunga dynasty.

 Too much centralization of powers, vast territory, foreign invasions and lack of co-ordination and efficiency led to disintegration of the Mauryan empire though some say that Ashoka's de-recognition of the Brahmin supremacy and Vedic rituals led to divisions among the rulers. Though Ashoka denounced violence and bloodshed, he maintained firm grip over his subpordinates and imposed rigid punishments on the rebels and offenders. Ashoka's reforms and humanitarian outlook changed social conditions and people enjoyed many facilities and contributed much to Buddhist cause of establishing many monasteries and charitable institutions. There are many myths exaggerating his former life of cruelty towards his brothers and family. But the fact is that he was forced to act to realize his aspiration of claiming the throne amidst equally ambitious and conspiring members. He appointed some of his brothers as viceroys at Takshsila, Tosali, Ujjain and Suvarnagiri. He was  rigid in imposing punishments as per the Mauryan system of law and administration. But it is enough to say that his conversion to Buddhism has broadened his vision of Dharma and Ahimsa and paved the way to maintain peace and harmony throughout his empire. The famous writer H.G.Wells in his book "The Outline Of History" complimented Ashoka in glowing terms, which is very true and make Indians proud of their heritage and history.

" In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves "their highnesses," "their majesties," and "their exalted majesties" and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star ,  even unto this day."

                             
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                Dated :  29th July, 2016                                          Somaseshu Gutala    

THE TRUE PHILOSOPHER

                             













 Once my father encouraged me to go through a bunch of letters approximately sixty-five in number, just to make me acquainted with the easy and simple style of a letter-writer, his friend, who died after accomplishing his true mission of printing his magnum opus on "The Gita", a commentary revealed in the light of Chaitanya's philosophy. Though I was not familiar with him, once or twice, we had the pleasure of inviting him to our house, and felt extremely tired to hear his endless talk. What a flood of  words touching on every topic of day-to-day life without drawing our attention towards the sombre depths of philosophy ! When we see great people, we  think of them as strange as a  distant isle surrounded by the sea of mystery. But in my father's friend, the true human touch predominates and saintliness gleams as mild as the rosy dawn without hurting our eyes with intensity of light. 

  My father's friend  is a very frank person who is capable of entertaining anyone with his past reminiscences and grey-gone events in a lively and humorous way. The man in the saint gives a warm touch to his words and writings. He is simple in his words and never sacrifices his thoughts for bombastic words of metaphysics.Philosophers are also men. They too have their inner stirrings of mind and responses to outward impacts and influences. This is true in case of my father's friend also. Moreover he frankly confesses them without hesitation. Yet a moral sense flows beneath his utterances. Pearls of truth shine through his limpid speech undisturbed by snobbish high-brow flourish of  words. 

 In his letters we can sense a sublime spirit talking intimately to us, so friendly, that it forgets its own heights from where it descended. Many of his letters dealt with his domestic and financial affairs, and with his religious trips and tours. The main theme I understood from them is h is ardent desire to get his monumental work on "The Gita" printed soon, which had been written by him as far as thirty years ago at the bidding of his Guru. Another theme of his letters is his indefatigable words of praise and gratitude towards his friends . Most parts of his letters seem common and dry if we compare them with those of great letter-writers such as Lord Chesterfield, Nehru, Swami Vivekananda or John Keats. They wrote with a particular purpose with a view to passing on their views to posterity. But my father's friend wrote casually just as we write unbonneted (without ornamental touch) lines to our family members. But what I emphasize is that there is a grain of notable value in a bunch of ordinary letters, and here and there some flashes of his genius sparkle with true confessional spirit. We can have a glimpse of his inner mind and workings of his soul. Though he is frank, he always mentioned in his letters that he did not like his views to be imposed on public since all persons are not as detached and open-minded to understand the naked truths in an unperturbed and balanced manner.

 Therefore I selected a few passages which, I think, are quotable without any sense of causing offence or misunderstanding to anybody. As a devotee of Chaitanya cult he says: " I belong to Bhakti line which always favours Satsanga (the company of like-minded devotees) and not to Gnana line  (Path of abstract knowledge) with its seclusion and self-absorption into the relationless, inactive, indefinable Brahman."

Though he appears to be a wordly-minded person, at heart he is a detached Sadhu who says: "Let things take their own course and let us not worry for anything." Let us observe his opinion upon his own book "Commentary of the Gita" which he often referred to as his monumental work. He was patient enough to wait for more than three decades to get it printed. His last wish to see it in book form while he was alive was fulfilled. Observe his views on this book : " I do not much mind if my Telugu Gita could not be printed at all though it is a very important monumental work. The whole Gita is interpreted in the light of Chaitanya's philosophy which was so closely followed by Sri Aurobindo. I have very great respect for Aurobindo as he is a very great Krishna Bhakta and a very practical philosopher." He further adds : "Something in me says that my monumental work is sure to be printed in the coming months. Let krishna's will be done."  " The six M.S. Volumes of my Gita Commentary containing 740 pages will be thrown into the Arabian sea which is so close to us, as soon as I find symptoms of approaching death." A very poignant and desperate statement uttered by a noble person who was vexed with the indifferent attitude of the persons concerned. The lack of encouragement, funds and proper recognition delayed the publication of his great work. The old gentleman of eighty-three years never implored or begged the help of anybody including his sons, who were in decent positions and were well-settled.

 Though he was a faithful follower of Chaitanya cult, he was not fanatic about it. He boldly pointed out the flaws and foibles in the set up of the institutions or ashrams of Gaudiya sect even at the cost of displeasing others and losing their favor. See how boldly he wrote in the following letter.

"When once these ill-educated brahmacharis (celibate disciples)are placed in charge of mutts, they develop a sense of lording it over and begin to dictate to those that visit their mutts."

In another letter he declares: "My children are as much ultra-modern although they do not earn money like them in the name of God and Guru."

He further writes: " Nowadays it is very difficult to get a self-realized preceptor who can rightly guide us." -- a good warning for us who live in these days of so many fake gurus and sadhus who commercialized their ashrams and respect only the rich and influential persons.

 Though he humbly alleged that he belonged to Bhakti Cult (path of devotion), he was well familiar with gnostic philosophy too. He translated Mehar Baba's famous book "God Speaks" into Telugu and wrote a treatise on the philosophy of Aurobindo. He was well-versed in Sanskrit, Bengali, Telugu and English. Let us know his views on Sri Veda Vysa's Bhagavatam. "I have just now finished reading Srimath Bhagavatam of the sage Vyasa; I feel I should not read anymore books." 


                  "Blest are thou in knowledge and devotion sweet
                   Discarding these bonds for the divine lord of the  flute. 

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      20th July, 2016                                                  Somaseshu Gutala

ON OUR RETURN TRIP

View of Seine near Eiffel Tower

Statue of Seine at  Pont du Carrousal

 

View of Ile de la Cite

    The Seine, the life-breath of France, gives her inhabitants not only crops but also a busy flourishing trade and electricity as well. During her 777-kms long journey from Source-Seine at Langres Plateau, she flows through the regions of Normandy and Roven and joins the English channel at Le Havre. This river was linked by canals to the rivers Loire, Rhine and Rhone. This is the second largest river in France after the river Loire. The name of the river "Seine" comes from the Gaulish word "Sicauna" which means "sacred" (in Latin 'Sicauna'). The banks of the Seine were declared as a World Heritage Site in 1991. There are two beautiful islands on this river which attract many tourists from various parts of the world. The "Ile de La Cite" is the place where the first inhabitants called "Parisii" settled in the third century A.D. The second island is "Saint Louis" once called as "ile Aux Vaches" (Island of cows). It has many beautiful 16th and 17th century mansions built by the famous French architect, Louis Le Vau. The Ile Saint Louis is connected to Paris by four bridges to both banks of the river Seine, and to the Ile de la Cite by the Pont Saint Louis. So much about this beautiful river which flowing through the heart of Paris adds grace and charm to this historic city with her traditional as well as latest fashion trends.

Ile Saint Louis

The Mansion built by Louis Le Vah at Saint Louis

Artistic Facade of Hotel Chenizot

 After this refreshing ride, we had to conclude our European trip though  we missed seeing many must-see  tourist attractions in Paris. The Concergerie built in the heart of the "Ile de La Cite" was the palace built in 14th century with magnificent Gothic halls. The Saint-Chapelle was a 13th century Gothic church built by Louis IX who later became St.Louis. Notre Dame Cathedral started in 1165 by Louis VII and  completed in 1250 was another glorious gem of Gothic architecture providing a panoramic view of Paris from the top of its towers. " The Basilica of St.Denis " was the burial site of many French kings. More than seventy tombs with sculpted architecture are seen in this historic church. "The Conde Museum" housed in the mansion of Henri d'Orleans, Duke of Aumale and son of King Louis-Phillipe, contains the richest collection of paintings in France, next to that of the Louvre. There is also a library with precious works dating from the Middle Ages. Besides this there is also the  "Horse Museum " and the "Grand Stable" with horses of supreme breed which perform marvelous feats in the live show. And finally the most fascinating tourist shopping destination, Champs-Elysee, a 1.9 km long boulevard, located just opposite to the Place de La Concorde, attracts so many people with her fabulous theaters, cafes, luxury shops and hotels. Yet one can not see all the places in the world.  To see and appreciate Paris it needs a longer period of stay and some acquaintance with her glorious history and culture.

Concergerie at Ile de la Cite

                       

Conde Museum

                           

Basilica of St. Denis

Avenue Champs-Elysee

  Our tour manager plodded us to hurry up as there was a heavy rush for return journey from Calais to Dover. After downing our customary Indian meal at the same Indian hotel, we caught the ferry which was already crowded with so many passengers. After two hours we landed at Dover and from there by our bus back to our starting point in Wembley. It was almost 9.00 p.m. Our tour manager in his concluding farewell remarks spoke favorably about our patience, good company and strict adherence to time schedule without which we could not have covered so many tourist places within the time given. A wave of thankful smiles and laughter with farewell greetings rose from the departing tourists. Our tour manager gave a hearty dinner in the nearby hotel. For those who had to go to far away colonies he provided food packets as a gesture of courtesy. A very generous and sensible act indeed ! Before embarking on this trip we doubted our physical stamina whether we would be able to withstand the changes of climate in various parts of Europe. But we felt far more healthy by the salubrious effect of pollution-free regions of Switzerland and neighboring regions.  

 Note :  We owe much to our beloved daughter, Saujanya and our Son-in-law, Ananth, without whose encouragement and support, we would not have seen all these fascinating places. Their company during our trip made us feel quite happy and enjoyable. Our grateful thanks to them with best wishes.





                        
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        15th July, 2016                                                               Somaseshu Gutala                                                                               

A PLEASURE RIDE ON SEINE

Pont Neuf (1607)

  Throughout our period of stay in Paris, two things or fascinating sights captured our attention, wherever we went by their prominent position -- the river Seine flowing through the heart of Paris with floating boats and bridges spanned across her length with beautiful statues and designs : the second one, undoubtedly the lofty tower of Eiffel with her unique style of construction overlooking the city. On the last day of our trip we had the pleasure of sailing in a luxurious cruise boat on Seine which has many historic monuments and buildings located on both sides. The trip on the cruise affords a bird's eye view of the city of Paris besides providing the pleasure of viewing the graceful movement of the rippling Seine which ids eight meters deep. We got into the most luxurious glass-walled white-colored cruise at Pont d'Alma near the Eiffel Tower. This boat is one of the nine boats maintained by Bateaux Mouches, the most well-known Parisian tour operator serving tourists since 1949. The boat looked very trim and tidy with orange-colored cushioned seats on two tiers. As we were entering in a line, a photographer clicked photos to capture this lively moment. As the boat moved through brown waters, we listened to the audio-commentary in three languages-- English, French and German-- describing the buildings and monuments that came into our view as our boat chugged along. We passed under many bridges which were built across Seine. Nearly thirty-seven bridges exist across this river. The Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge built in 1607. It connects Ile de la cite and another natural island, Ile St.Louis. Pont Charles de Gaulle is the latest construction completed in 1996. The Pont Alexander III is the most spectacular construction built between 1896 and 1900. It was named after Tsar Alexander III who concluded the Franco-Russian alliance in 1892. This bridge connects the area of Champs-Elysses with those of Les Invalides and Eiffel Tower. Outside Paris Pont de Normandie is one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world linking Le Havre with Honfleur in Normandy, the northern part of Paris. It was started in 1988 and completed in 1995.  
         

Pont  Charles de Gaulle (1996)

Pont de Alexandre (1900)

                     

Pont de Alexandre 

Sculpture of nymphs on Alexander Bridge

  As we sailed, the lofty Eiffel Tower was seen even from distance dominating the other monuments around. This made us realize how this great city is represented by this Tower symbolically in many aspects. On the right side of the bank (North Bank or Rive Droit-- means right bank in French) is seen the Grand Palaice or the National Gallery of Art built in 1900 to house the major Exhibition. Concorde Square with her artistic fountains greeted our sight as if bidding farewell to us. The Triumphal Arch (Arc de Triomphe) commemorating Napoleonic Wars was seen with her grand arches and stout bastions. On the Left or South Bank (Rive Gauche= left bank in French) the Military Hospital and Shelter for war veterans "Les Invalides" was visible with her long retinue of chambers. The Grand Louvre Palace, now turned into a museum, with her imposing structure stood on the right side.  The Notre Dame Cathedral, the most ancient church of Paris of medieval times, with her twin towers and Gothic construction, shone like a crest jewel with pious radiance. In a brief span of time we were able to look at these magnificent monuments from a distance and appreciate their contribution to this city's charm and tradition. 

Pont Normandie (1995)

View of Seine from Pont Normandie

View of Eiffel Tower from the ferry boat

View of Notre Dame from Bateaux Mouches Ferry Boat

  Our boat took a u-turn and we were sailing back. Many tourists climbed up to the upper deck to feel the cool breeze wafting from the flowing river and to click photos of the panoramic view of Paris with her glorious towers, arches and the row of palatial mansions stretching far and wide. Some others went down to the cafe on the lower deck to feed their children with french candies and cookies availing themselves a chance to sip a hot cup of coffee or some drink. It took nearly one hour and fifteen minutes to have a brief view of Paris  from all sides sitting comfortably in our cruise. As soon as we got down we saw rows of photos displayed on the board. Tourists chose to buy them as cherished keepsakes of this happy trip. The ever flowing broad Seine blew a cool and refreshing whiff of breeze, a sort of flying kiss to bid farewell to her leaving guests. 

                                    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

10th July, 2016                                                               Somaseshu Gutala

MUSEE DU PARFUM (Fragonard)

Fragonard Museum Entrance

Perfume Museum upstairs

Perfume Boutique Counter

France is well-known for her latest fashions, culinary arts and perfumes all over the world. In spite of our brief stay in Paris, we had the chance of visiting the famous Fragonard Perfume Museum located near the Opera Station of Paris. The museum does not appear as spacious as we generally presume, but looks more like a boutique in the  two-story building of Napoleon III built in 1860. This musuem was named after the famous French Rocco painter, Jean Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) who hailed from Grasse, the world's capital of perfumes. This museum was first set up in  Grasse in 1926. The southern region of France and Provence region have abundant lavender fields, rose gardens and floral and fruit sources for manufacturing a variety of perfumes and fragrant products.

  If we go back and look into the history of perfumes, we know that they had been in use since 3,300 B.C. during the Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic period both for religious and decorative purposes. In Egypt perfumes were used by priests and royal persons both for rituals and for embalming the bodies of dead persons. Floral perfumes were brought to Europe in 11th and 12th centuries through Arabian traders. France became the center of perfume trade since 14th century. In 16th century Catherine De Medici from Italy married King Henry II of France and she brought her perfumer Rene Le Florentine to the French court. Thus France became a flourishing center for perfumes as she has many floral and fruit resources. During Renaissance Period and 17th century perfumes became very popular throughout Europe. It is said that Europeans used perfumes on their bodies and gloves to ward off bad smell since they bathed very rarely due to cold climate of their countries. Our tour manager jovially remarked that some kings used to take bath only on their birthday. The court of Louis XV at Versailles was known as "La Cour Perfumee" (the perfumed court) for their lavish use of rich perfumes and fragrances. 

Perfume Boutique in Grasse

Perfume vials at the counter

Lavender Fields in Provence

 The Fragonard Perfume Industry has centers in Grass, Eze and in Paris. Our tour manager arranged a guided tour of the museum and an English-speaking young French lady was engaged for this purpose. She welcomed us with a beaming smile and took us upstairs after a few introductory remarks to show us the museum comprising antique perfume containers, steam distillation apparatus and bottles. She explained briefly about the procedures of distillation and extraction of perfumes and various methods of packaging. She told us that Perfumes are used not only for giving a pleasant smell to our bodies but also to create a soothing and cooling effect on our minds and feelings. She informed us that nearly 200 kgs of lavender flowers are crushed to produce one k.g. of lavender perfume. She spoke on the purity and standard quality of the Fragonard  perfumes which are extracted from the flowers, fruits and barks of plants and trees cultivated in the fertile fields of Grasse such as lavender, rose, lily, lilac, violet, vanilla, orange, cedar wood, geranium etc. They are not mixed with artificial chemicals and are stored in gilded aluminium bottles or in colored glass vials so that their purity and quality are preserved for five to ten years. As Fragonard products are sold directly through their own boutiques, the expenses on intermediary agencies and advertisements are saved. So one can get best deals in addition to 10% discount on purchase of perfumes and other products from Fragonard with assurance of quality and benefit in quantity as well.  Some extra empty bottles are given free of charge so that one may share a little portion of their perfume to their friends or relatives as a gift. Fragonard products are available in twenty countries with a wide choice of perfumes like Bergamot, Magnolia, Sandal Wood, Cedar, Rose, Lavender, and Orange Blossom. 

In the Museum we  saw the Perfume Organ -- tiered rows of ingredient bottles arranged in the pattern of an Organ around a balance used by perfumers for mixing and testing fragrances-- a very ingenious idea indicating the intimate connection between Flora and Music, the food of Love. On the ground floor we saw rows of shining vials of perfume arranged neatly in racks and cupboards. Some bottles are neatly packaged in attractive covers- a worthy gift to any one. We also saw Botanical soaps wrapped in transparent covers-- egg-shaped, rose-shaped and heart-shaped transparent soaps. There are body oils and facial creams to add and nourish more smooth glow and shine to one's face. The prices of perfume vary from 50 to 120 euros depending on the volume and the ingredients used.

                  

Perfume Organ

Our guide also gave us some information about the proper use of perfumes and the proper way of storing them without causing any loss of quality. Perfumes should not be indiscriminately sprayed on the body. They should be applied on pulse points - the spots where perfume is easily absorbed such as the nape of the neck, behind ear lobes, and insides of wrists, elbows and knees. Cologne fragrance is released rapidly and lasts for two hours whereas Eau De toilette lasts up to four hours. Generally the fragrance of a perfume lasts from six to ten hours. Another astonishing fact is that  in perfume industry only ladies younger than 25 years are preferred as workers as they age very quickly due to the fact that they inhale the vapors emanating from various perfumes during preparation. In one way these pretty ladies are giving away their charms of youth for enriching the beauty and glow of others. Our guide gave us paper strips dipped in various perfumes and briefed us about their quality and their suitable use for both sexes. Many people bought perfumes of their choice as a lovely gift to their partners. Besides these perfumes will always be preserved in the caskets of their hearts as fragrant memories of Paris they have visited.

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      2 nd July, 2016                                                                    Somaseshu Gutala