Travelogue - A Visit to Pantheon in Paris, France

Avtar Mota  

The Pantheon Paris (Greek Pantheon meaning "Every God") is one of the popular Paris tourist attractions. This majestic neoclassical building with its 19th century paintings and sculptures stands elegantly in the midst of the world-famous Latin Quarter .

Latin Quarter isthe area of the University of Sorbonne During the Middle Ages, the University of Paris-now widely referred to as Sorbonne - was in its golden years and the whole area was filled with students who spoke Latin. Therefore the area was known as Latin Quarter Pantheon is a stunning example of both Neoclassical and Gothic architectural styles. A repository of incredible art collection, it includes frescoes, paintings, sculptures, and mosaics that depict key points in the French history. including scenes from the Revolution. Many

frescoes and paintings pay homage to St- Genevieve as well as key figures from history of France The Panthéon is conveniently located in the heart of the 5th Arrondissement( district next to Luxembourg Palace and the Jardin du Luxembourg, a beautiful green oasis in the heart of the city From Pantheon, one can also walk down to Saint-Germain-des-Prés to visit the famous Café de Flore that used to be frequented by intellectuals and artists of the 20 century that include Hemingway, Jean Paul Sartre Albert Camus and Pablo Picasso The Sainte Chapelle, the Sorbonne university the world-famous Shakespeare & Co. (book store) and the Notre Dame Cathedral Are also nearby.

Parisians consider Saint Genevieve as the patroness saint of Paris. Sometime in the second half of 18 century. King Louis XV of France engaged architect Jacques Soufflot for building a church in honour of the saint at her original burial site in Paris. There existed an old dilapidated church at the burial site of the saint Started in 1757, the church (Pantheon) was completed in 1790. When the construction was over, the monarchy in France had been thrown away by the Revolution The Revolution of 1789 transformed the monument into a temple for Great Men During the turbulent years of the 19th century, as regimes changed, it alternated in its role as a religious and reads this patriotic monument The new assembly finally decided to convert the church into a (Great men and a grateful nation) mausoleum of distinguished French citizens keeping it free from any Royal Tomb For sometime in the 19 century, the Pantheon was restored to church but finally it was officially decreed in 1881 that the Pantheon shall only be used as mausoleum. The remains of its architect Jacques Soufflot were transferred to it followed by the mortal remains of Victor Hugo Built on the classical principles of Gothic cathedral architecture, this structure also reflects influence of architecture style of Donate Bramante, the Italian renaissance architect and painter. The building also bears influence of Greek Temple architecture, especially the Façade and the Peristyle on the east side. In 1851, Jean Bernard Léon Foucault the noted French physicist added more attraction to the structure by suspending a pendulum from inside the ceiling of the dome. At present, one can marvel at the superb duplicate of the Pendulum the original of which was used in 1851 by Leon Foucault to demonstrate the Earth's rotation One can have the best view of the Paris skyline by climbing up to the dome It's a steep climb, but well worth it for the view The Pantheon building is 110 metres long. 84 metres wide and roughly 83 metres high The massive dome is supported by four pillars. The main dome is actually a set of 3 domes held together From the outside a single dome is visible. In 1790 Cross was put at the top of the dome Between 1830 and 1851. the Cross was replaced by a flag The cross returned after Louis Napoleon Bonaparte restored the building to church use However again the cross was replaced with a red flag during the Paris Commune in 1871 Later, the cross was again installed The inscription on the front of the Pantheon visible from outside Aux Grands Hommes, La Petrie Reconnaissante.

From church to Republican temple, the Pantheon has always remained a symbol and a'sanctuary dedicated to greatness Eighty one persons are interred or commemorated inside- the Pantheon. This list includes Mirabeau (revolutionary), Voltaire (writer and philosopher), Jean Jacques Rousseau (writer and philosopher). Victor Hugo (writer), Lazare Carnot (politician and scientist), Marcelin Berthelot (scientist), Emile Zola (writer), Jean Perrin (Nobel Laureate and scientist). Louis Braille (educator). Rene Cassin (Nobel Laureate and Human rights activist), Gaspard Monge (mathematician), Marie Curie (Nobel Laureate and scientist), Pierre Curie (Nobel Laureate and scientist), Andre Malraux (writer and politician), Alexandre Dumas (writer) and many politicians, military officers and clergymen In fact, French president Nicolas Sarkozy wanted celebrated author Albert Camus to be reburied in the Pantheon to mark the 50th anniversary of the French writer's death. Jean Camus, the son of the late author opposed the plan However, Jean's twin, Catherine Camus, remained undecided The plan was shelved. It is pertinent to mention that Marie Curie, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for her work on polonium and radium, was buried in the Pantheon in 1995. To avoid any risk of radiation contamination, her coffin is shielded by several layers of lead Her body is perfectly preserved due to the radiation to which she was exposed during her work.

Admission to the Pantheon is free for all EU citizens and permanent residents of France, but tourists have to pay a small fee for a Pantheon tour. There are free pamphlets and audio tours available inside, as well as guides you can speak with if you'd like to learn more about the art, architecture, and history of the building .

Adults-11 50$

Youths (18-25)-95

Children (Under 18) - Free

$3 extra to access the upper parts of the Panthéon (April-October)

We were told that from April 2023. Pantheon in Rome shall also be charging tourists five Euros as entry fee. In high season (July to September), the Paris Pantheon is open every day of the week from 10:45 am to 7 pm. In low season (October to March), the Pantheon is open every day from 10 am to 6.30 pm. We visited Pantheon (Paris) on 27th of April, 2023. Using RAR train, we walked a distance of about 2 km from Chetelet (pronounced as Shetlay) to Pantheon crossing both the divisions of the Seine river near Notre Dame cathedral At Pont Saint Michel (bridge), I saw some Punjabis selling mineral water bottles to tourists for one Euro They appeared semi literate and from rural background. Were they Indians? I don't know They could be Punjabis from Pakistan also Were they Kabootars (illegal immigrants) who had arrived in Paris through some improper route? I don't know and can't say much. I saw Love Locks' tied to the railing of Pont Saint Michel (Pont means bridge in French) These locks of love are tied by lovers or newly married people. The 'Lock of Love is a sort of tradition or ritual that is practised on the bridges of the Seine River in Paris. Couples inscribe their names on padlocks, lock it on the bridge and throw the keys into the river. The ritual symbolises love locked forever. These locks are like Threads of Faith (Dhaesh in Kashmiri) tied inside the abodes of saints and Sufis in Kashmir.

I wanted to go to Sorbonne University nearby (about 800 metres away) to donate my book Landscape And Lament to the university's library but the sky got overcast and there was every apprehension of heavy downpour. We saw just three sunny days since our arrival (7 April, 2023) in Paris. It may be pertinent to mention that Jiddu Krishnamurti, Mohammad Hamouda Bensai (Algerian philosopher), NguvAn Hong Giáp (Vietnamese scholar), Jacques Derrida (French philosopher). Boutros Boutros-Ghali (sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations), André Comte-Sponville (French philosopher) and many more well known names have been students at Sorbonne university. I have been told by Dr K N Pandita (eminent Persian scholar and historian) to bring some soil from Sorbonne, a university with which Dr Zabiollah Safa, his teacher and Guru from Tehran University was associated. I shall surely do so upon my next visit to Sorbonne We boarded bus no 24 for our return journey to Ecole Vetrnaire, Alfortville I would conclude with a couple of Urdu poet Ahmed Faraz "Kisi ko ghar se nikalte hi mil gayi manzil, Koyi Hamaai tarah umar bhar safar mein raha.

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Courtesy:- Avtar Mota and 2023 June Koshur Samachar