Interpreter of Maladies - In the Sun Temple

How do the description of the Sun Temple at Konarak and its sculptures further develop or refine one of the main topics explored in ‘Interpreter of Maladies?’

The scene of visiting the Sun Temple connects the two characters in the third person’s eyes. Although Mr. Das is concentrated on the same subject, what he attends to is just the unemotional and factual information –‘“It says the temple occupies about a hundred and seventy acres of land” Mr. Das said, reading from his book.’ (21) The child look though, if not look over the temple, seeing the desert behind. Only Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das are appreciating the Sun Temple with their own instinct and feeling. This connects the two in terms of the way they ‘see’ things.

The further connection happens when Mr. Kapasi is looking at Mrs. Das from her behind. It seems that Mrs. Das is embedded in the view of the Sun Temple while Mr. Kapasi is ‘re-visiting’ the same spot with new spectacle.

The Sun Temple consists of the some symbols regarding the Indian religion such as the sun god Surya, wheels and animals. ‘The wheels are supposed to symbolize the wheel of life…[t]hey depict the cycle of creation, preservation, and achievement of realization’(21) It seems that the stages towards the achievement are a cycle of one’s experience – from doing things to make a memory and keep the memory in mind to achieve a higher level by mental sublimation.

There are also many erotic sculptures in the temple. The narrative reveals that Mr. Kapasi has a special liking to the sun god for one of the representations is enjoying the company with women. And this representation of a concept is what Mr. Kapasi hoped that Mrs. Das had understood (23).

Visiting the Sun Temple is a physical tour of art interpretation. Mr. Kapasi’s interpretation of the sun god was generated and then attached to the physical statue. The hoping of Mrs. Das to understand is a metaphysical communication. The communication channel and the ability to understand each other are what Mr. Kapasi assumed.