The sacred Olympic flame was first lit at the original Olympic Games a national athletic festival held every four years which took place in Olympia ancient Greece followed by religious ceremonies and votive offerings. The Games were recorded from 776BC when only male Hellenic athletes competed but the Games were abolished 394 AD and again revived in 1894 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France when the International Olympic Committee was formed.
In the modern Games from Athens and beyond, relays of runners will carry the Olympic torch through many cities finally bringing it to London's Olympic Park to light the Olympic flame at the Olympic Games opening ceremony on 27 July 2012.
Today's dynamic, Olympic symbol of 5 linking circles represent the five continents from where world-class athletes will come to "this wondrous isle" to compete after years of painstaking, punishing training to win gold, silver or bronze for their countries. The Olympic Games a sporting chance and opportunity for the world to see the best athletes compete and perform and the very best to win. World athletes shall reign supreme when rigid discipline of mind and body is displayed in the exciting drama of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Heroes and titans of the sporting world come to link up and form circles of excellence while the demands, durability and strength of the human spirit are all tested and exhausted during the Games.
London's Olympic Park many centuries away from the echoes of ancient Altis and the groves of the hill of Cronus where contestants may have rolled half naked in the heat and dust to train hard. Sweat dripping off their gleaming bodies, preparing for the ultimate test of human endurance and stamina in men-only contests within the stadium while exciting horse races along with chariot races were held in the hippodrome.
Ancient Olympia, a sanctuary with its sacred shrines, divine oracle and temples to the family of Greek gods - the likes of Zeus, Hera, Apollo and Hermes who'd slipped off colourful celestial rainbows landing on earth to reign over the Olympians wearing their enigmatic Archaic Smile of happiness with their universal nous, a privilege of the gods.
Beam back to London's state-of-the-art Olympic stadium and Home Olympics with pressure building among British athletes, pressure to perform perfectly - must train and remain positive and determined while lesser mortals look on. Can almost feel the febrile excitement and tension of our superhuman heroes.
Gracing the grounds of the Olympic Park and part of the creative, cultural Olympiad, stands a lofty structure monument of our civic pride, Anish Kapoor's (today's Phidias?) grand spiralling tall sculpture the Orbit created from Mittal steel. A platform, contemporary shrine and high altar to gods of this Olympic festival, may they look upon the modern Olympians with compassion and kindness.
© By Amita Chatterji
