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 Goddess Durga

Goddess Durga

Vijayanagar Empire,15th Century CE,Chennai Museum

This is one of the masterpieces of the Chennai Museum.  Carved out of a solid block of granite, one of the hardest stone to work with, the detailing if the jewellery is mind boggling.  The dexterity of the sculptor is clearly established.  In South Indian sculptures the complexity of the sculpture increases as the century rolled by. Thus, the Pallava artists were beginning to learn how to carve in granite. Their sculptures are plain and simple. The Chola sculptors were more apt in dealing with granite. Their sculptures are more detailed than Pallava ones. The Vijayanagar artist was at home with granite. Their sculptures are most elaborately carved than either the Pallava or Chola ones. 

Another unique feature about this piece is that though she is called Goddess Durga, she carries a conch and a disk in her hands, both weapons of Lord Vishnu.  Though She is part of the Shakti cult ( a cult of Hinduism which believed in faminine    divine), yet she carries weapons associated with Vaishnavism. Thus, She appears to be a fusion of Shaivism and Vaishnavism.  

Durga is the eternal Mother Goddess. She protects and promotes us; She destroys and annihilates what is evil. She is our inner mind.  Like her, we must learn to destroy what is bad in us. We must nurture what is good in us. This is equally  true of society. The society should protect the good and destroy the bad. This is, in fact, the very basis of Rule of Law in any nation. Goddess Durga, like other Gods and Goddesses, re - establish the Rule of Law in the world at large. That is why we always pray, " from darkness take me to light; from death take me to immortality." Those who preserve and promote and observe the Rule of Law continue to live in light and achieve immortality. 

 Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh

Chola Bronze,11th Century CE,Chennai Museum

Chennai Museum has a large collection of Chola Bronze.  And naturally so as Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu was the seat of the Chola dynasty. 

India has an ancient tradition of bronze casting. The oldest metalic statue comes from Indus Valley Civilisation : the Dancing Girl. But there are also beautiful bronze sculptures from the post - Gupta Period from Bihar and Bengal. In fact, there is a life - size Buddha in bronze from Sultanganj, Bihar. The Pala Dynasty of Bengal has also produced fine bronze sculptures.  Even today Tamil Nadu continues to produce exquisite bronze sculptures following the ancient method of lost wax technique in casting the figure. 

The figure is first made in wax, then covered with clay. When the clay is fried, holes are left through which the melted wax would escape and the impression of the sculpture would be left inside the hardened clay. Thus the wax is lost.  Then molten bronze is poured inside the cavity of the mould. After the mould cools down, the baked clay is broken, revealing the bronze statue. The Rough edges are filed, the finer details are carved, the statue is polished, and sold. Chola Bronze are considered to be masterpieces of Indian art.  

Lord Ganesh is a popular God of the South.  During the Vedic period, Lord Vishnu in the form of a horse headed god was considered the God of Wisdom. For according to the Vedic people, the horse was the most intelligent animal. Till they domesticated the wild elephant. As elephants became important, the God of wisdom changed from being horse headed to an elephant headed. Most likely, some tribes in Maharashtra used to worship the elephants as a tribal God. The Aryans adopted him as their God of wisdom after the post - Gupta Period.  For the oldest statues of Lord Ganesh are discovered in Maharashtra from the post - Gupta Period.  

In South Indian art Lord Ganesh is depicted either standing, sitting or dancing. He is a jovial god who amuses us with his childish images and inspires us with his wisdom. Since wisdom can solve all the problems, He is considered to be the God who solves our difficulties. Since no task can be achieved without knowledge, He is the first God to be worshipped. For action without knowledge and wisdom leads to chaos. Thus, He creates harmony and order. He maintains the universe.  

While we all worship him, at times, we forget the importance of knowledge and wisdom in our life.

 Goddess Durga Fighting with Mahisasur

Goddess Durga Fighting with Mahisasur

 Mahaballipuram, Pallava Dynasty, 7th Century CE

           One of the most brilliantly executed panels of Mahaballipuram is this one. We are all familiar with the killing of Mahisasur by Goddess Durga.  But here the sculptor has depicted the battle when the tide has started turning against Mahisasur.  He is on his back leg, tilting back; his warriors have fallen, while the Devi ' s army is advancing. There are dead bodies strewn in the battlefield.  ( Notice the corpse in the middle of the panel--a top view of a dead body). The Pallava artist has used the cross diagnals to make the panel more dynamic. The panel is full of fury and energy. It is a battle scene frozen in stone. 

         Mahisasur Mardani sculptures capture the final act of killing of the demon. Here the defeat has just begun. The artist has purposefully depicted the story in the middle.  Life itself is a constant battle between good and bad. It  is a fight which is uncertain. When the tide may turn, we do not know. It took the Pandavas eighteen days to defeat the Kauravs.  But fight we must wage within ourselves to cleanse the evil within us. Similarly a fight goes on within a society with regard to its evil practices, with regard to class struggle, with regard to ideologies. But we should not be overwhelmed by being in middle of a battle.  The fight should be with a sense of detachment. 

        The Pallavas could teach us many things about life through such stunning sculptures ! 

 Dharmaraj Rath

Dharmaraj Rath

Mahaballipuram, Pallava Dynasty,7th Century CE

     A larger version of the Arjun Rath,  and the most imposing structure is the Dharamraj Rath or the Yudhisthir Rath. It is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Like the other temples  this temple is also unfinished.  But has sufficient number of sculptures of Lord Shiva in his different manifestation to tell us that it is a Shiva temple.  We can see two images of Lord Shiva in this picture itself. On the left is Bhairav, the violent form of Lord Shiva;  on the right is his peaceful form. Both co - exist side by side as the ancient Indians believed that creativity and destruction go hand in hand. 

      Yudhisthir is an interesting character in Mahabharata.  Said to be the son of Yama,  the Hindu god of Justice and death, Yudhisthir is personification of Dharma  ( righteous conduct ).  If Bhim is brute force, Arjun is intellectual,  then Yudhisthir is wise. Yet, at times his wisdom fails him and he gives into temptation as when he played the dice game and wagered, his brothers, his wife and even his Kingdom.  He spends the rest of his life in remorse for his faults. Like us, he is constantly caught up in dilemma about what is right and what is wrong. But his answers to the questions posed by Dharamraj, Lord Yama prove his steadfastness to Dharma.  

        After he has answered all the questions, Dharamraj asks him to chose one of his brothers who should be resurrected as all the four brothers were lying dead before him. Yudhisthir asks that Sehdev, the youngest brother, should be revived. Dharamraj is puzzled at this choice. He asks Yudhisthir to explain his choice. For, Yudhisthir has not asked that Arjun or Bhim should be revived. Yudhisthir says, " in the dice game I had waged my brothers.  Arjun and Bhim and I are from the same mother. But Nakul and Sehdev are from Madari, my younger mother ( step-mother). If I ask for Arjun or Bhim it would be unfair. For neither of Madri 's children would live. I must be fair to both my mothers. Sehdev is the yongest of us all. He has to be protected by the eldest. Let him be resurrected. " Dharmaraj was pleased with Yudhisthir ' s sense of fairness and justice. He revived all the four brothers. 

        The sense of equality, of fairness is the heart and soul of Justice.  For justice cannot exist in their absence. We are duty bound to protect and promote the "younger" brothers. If we don't, then we are being a tyrant. Mahabharata teaches us that were Dharma exists, where the sense of fairness lives, peace and prosperity thrive.  As a nation, we should not forget this.

 Raths at Mahaballipuram

Raths at Mahaballipuram

Pallava Dynasty, 7th Century CE

        One of the greatest dynasties of South India was the Pallava Dynasty (6th -8th Century CE ). They were the contemporaries of the Chalukya Dynasty of Karnataka.  There were incessant wars between the two dynasties for 300 years. Not only the Royal egos, but also the fertile lands of the Tungabhadra region caused these wars.  While the Pallavas wanted to expand their kingdom north westward, the Chalukyas wanted to capture the Tamil lands to the south and to have the hegemony of the sea. 

         Mahaballipuram is one of the most ancient ports of India. Plinny the Yonger, the famous Roman historian mentions the Indian ports of Baruch and Mahaballipuram in his book on Ports of the World. The Romans had strong trade ties with South India, so much so, that under Emperor Tiberius, the Roman Senate passed laws against import of import of exotic Indian animals and cotton textile.  This is one of the first examples of protectionism in global market. 

         Mahaballipuram was a thriving port city. But these temples called "Raths" were left unfinished. Five monolithic temples were carved out of s single hill. Here we see three of them. Although these Raths are named after the Pandav brothers, but the Pandavas never came this far to the south. Interestingly each temple is carved in different style. The first one, a Durga Temple has a hatched roof structure.  The long building we see here in this picture is like a long gallery from Ajanta Caves.  The Shiva temple, we see in the foreground, is built in the Dravidian style. Like Pattadakal in Karnataka, here the architects were experimenting with different styles of architecture.  This not only proves the dexterity, but also reveals the myriad  imagination of the Pallava architects. The adventurous spirit of the Pallavas is reflected both in their art and in their seafaring to the East Indies. The Pallava spirit or the Tamil spirit is indomitable. 

 Virupaksha Temple

Virupaksha Temple

Chalukya Dynasty, 745 CE

         Chalukyans were bitter enemies of the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.  They fought each other for two hundred years. The balance would tilt at times in favour of the Pallavas, at times in favour of the Chalukyans.  

        Raja Vikramaditya II (r. 733-744 CE) captured Kanchipuram thrice in his life. Even as a Crown Prince he had subdued the might of the Pallavas.  As a king, he conquered them twice. 

       His wife, Queen Lokmahadevi built the Virupaksha Temple in order to commemorate the King's victory over the Pallavas. The temple is the finest example of Early Chalukyan architecture at Pattadakal.  Ironically while the temple commemorates the defeat of the Pallavas, yet the Virupaksha Temple is a based on the Kailashnath Temple at Kanchipuram.  The conqueror had no hesitation to learn from the conquered. This clearly proves the liberal spirit of the Chalukyan mind. 

       The temple is a huge one, divided into different parts. It is the first temple in Karnataka to have a large entrance gate, a precursor to the lofty "gopuram " which will mark later Kannada architecture.  Since the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, it has a huge statue of Nandi, the bull in the " Nandi Mandapa", or a temple dedicated to Nandi. 

        The temp is profusedly decorated with episodes of Lord Shiva.  But dedication to Lord Shiva did not exclude depiction of stories from the Bhagwat Purana, the Ramayan,  and the Mahabharata all of which deal with Lord Vishnu.  This clearly reveals the catholic vision of the Chalukyans.  While devoted to Lord Shiva, they were equally respectful towards Lord Vishnu. 

        Pattadakal also has a Jain shrine. Thus different religions could peacefully co - exists without any conflict or confrontation.  The magnanimous vision of the Chalukyans is woefully missing today. We have much to learn from them. 

 Temples if Pattadakal

Temples if Pattadakal

Chalukya Dynasty, First Half of 8th Century CE

          If Badami was the political capital of the Chalukyan Kingdom,  Pattadakal was the seat of the Royal coronation. The word "patta" means title. About 22 kilometres away from Badami, it is the Westminster Abbey of the Chalukyan Dynasty. 

        The site preserved by the ASI, and declared as UNESCO site contains eight temples. All the temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The two largest temples, Virupaksha and Mallikarjuna, are commemorative temples. Vikramaditya II (r. 734-45 CE) defeated the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.  His two wives constructed these two temples in order to commemorate his victory. They are the largest temples at Pattadakal. 

       But the importance of Pattadakal is lies elsewhere: it is the cradle of Indian architecture.  In India temples are constructed in three styles: the Northern  (Nagara ), the Dravidian ( in the South),  and the Eastern ( in Odisha ). The Nagara has a tower ( the Shikhar ) over the sanctum sanctorium. The Dravidian has a step- pyramidal roof; the Eastern also has a tower ( the Shikhar ), but it is squat in size. 

        As Indian architecture evolved from the cave temples to the free standing and construed temples, Pattadakal is the missing link. The Chalukyan architects experimented with both the Northern and the Dravidian styles simultaneously.  Thus, in this picture you see the Northern style with its tower ( Shikhar ) on the left, and the Dravidian, with the pyramidal roof, on the right. 

        Experimentation is not the forte of Indian civilisation. In fact, our civilisation is marked by what is termed as "sufficient efficiency. " Once a thing has achieved sufficient efficiency, we do not improve upon it any further. This is unlike the West where experimtation and innovation are the hallmark of the civilisation. 

        But the Chalukyan mind is an innovative mind. It experimented with different designs. It is a mind free of dogmas, free of prejudices. It is a mind which is open to ideas from all sides. It is a mind which is not afraid to experiment, to take chances. Its architecture, thus, reflects a highly creative, innovative, liberal and visionary mind. A rare mind indeed. 

 Lord Bahubali

Lord Bahubali

Cave No. 4, Badami, Chalukya Dynasty, 6th Century CE

         While Cave No. 1 is dedicated to Lord Shiva,  Cave Nos. 2 and 3 are dedicated to Lord Vishnu.  Cave No. 4 is dedicated to Jainism. Here we find sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras or Gurus. 

         Son of Rishabhadev, the first Jain Tirthankara, Bahubali defeated his brother Bharata.  But became disillusioned with the intra - family feud. He abandoned his Kingdom and his clothes and became a Jain monk. He stood in deep meditation for a year till vines grew from the sides and enveloped him. His two sisters reminded him that he couldn't reach enlightenment as he stood on an 'elephant'-- Ego. ( We see the two sisters beseeching him). He also renounced Ego. He reached Moksha or liberation from the cycle of life and death. 

        Renunciation has an ancient ancestry in India. The human mind is obsessed with possession : my family, my house, my car, my laptop, my ipad etc. But we are like tenants in a house. Nothing is ours as we are not the owner. We are mere transit passengers.  Yet we crave for tangible objects. 

       Bahubali is a symbol of perfect renunciation, even of clothes and Ego. His giving up clothes is similar to the story of St. Francis of Assisi who also gave up his fine clothes when he lost a civil suit to his own father. It is symbolic of giving up one's identity. To give up ego, to see the world with equanimity is to realise the Tao-- all things are interconnected. Hence, there can not ever be "we" and "them", or "mine" and "his". Such a vision leads to the ultimate philosophy of "Live and Let Live". 

 Natraj ( Lord Shiva Dancing )

Natraj   ( Lord Shiva Dancing )

Cave No. 1 at Badami, 6th Century CE

            Badami has four cave temples which were excavated during the Chalukyan period  ( 6th- 8th Century CE ). These  cave temples were carved after the Ajanta Caves.  They may not be as elaborate as the Ajanta Caves,  but they continued the same traditions. In fact, the Badami caves are influenced by the Ajanta Caves.  But compared to the Ajanta,  these caves are modest in size, and in complexity. But nonetheless,  this is the beginning of Hindu art as compared to the Buddhist art of Ajanta. 

           We do not know the chronological order in which the caves were carved. But Cave No. 1 being the simplest may have been carved as the first cave. Although the Chalukyan Royalty were Vaishnavites, but Cave No. 1 is a Shaivite cave. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.  

          On the outer wall of the Cave is this over life size sculpture of Lord Shiva as a dancer or Natraj. The most famous Natrajs are of course the Chola Bronze ones. But here we see Natraj depicted for the first time. He has eighteen arms, he stands on a pedestal,  while Lord Ganesh, like a child,  tries to imitate His father. Nandi, the bull, stands quietly as though nothing is happening.  A drummer beats the rhythmic patterns of the music. 

           It is said that the eighteen arms capture different postures of Bharatnatyam. It is not that the God has eighteen arms, He could have just two arms. But the arms are shown in motion. It is a continuous narrative, as it were. But the image is a dynamic one. The flaying arms capture the fast movement, the rhythm ofthe dance. 

           It is dance which represents the whirling universe: it turns and twists, it moves and swirls. It is still yet in movement. The universe dances to Time ( the drummer). But a sense of calmness pervades with a sense of wisdom  ( Lord Ganesh). However, through life, through its ups and downs, Nature is unmoved  (Nandi, the bull ). The over lifesize sculpture is not about a God who is merely dancing; it is an existentialist statement.  It is full of philosophy.

 City of Badami

City of Badami

District Bagalkot, Karnataka

            Badami is one of the most ancient cities of the Deccan. Although the area around the city was inhabited since Mesolithic times, it reached its zenith under the Chalukyan Dynasty  (6th- 8th Century CE ). Before we explore the art treasures of Badami, it is imperative to know a bit of its history.  According to the Puranic lore, the area was ruled by two demonic brothers, Vatapi and Ilvala. Ilvala would kill Vatapi, and feed his meat to the guests. Then, he would ask Vatapi to come out; Vatapi would come out, thereby killing the guest. Saint Agastaya was also fed Vatapi ' s meat. But before Ilvala could call his brother out, Agastaya said "Vatapi be digested." Vatapi never came out. This myth clearly speaks of Aryanisation of this region. 

        Pulkeshin I (r. 544 - 67 CE) established Badami as the capital of the Chalukyan Kingdom.  He named the city as Vatapi. For two centuries Vatapi was the seat of the Chalukyan Kingdom.  

        The Chalukyan Kings and Queens were great patrons of art, architecture,  literature, dance and music. They experimented with architecture,  excavating cave temples, and constructing free standing temples. Their experiments can be found in Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.  It is there architectural imagination which has given rise to both the Northern (Nagara ) style, and to the Dravidian style of architecture in India. Thus, they are the founders of Indian architecture as we know it today. 

        Although initially the worshipped Lord Vishnu, but subsequently they became worshippers of Lord Shiva. But their dedication to Hinduism did not make them blind to other religions. In fact the equally patronised Jainism and Buddhism. In fact one of their Kings has boasted that different religions are peacefully coexisting and flourishing in his Kingdom.  Assimilation was the hallmark of the Chalukyan Dynasty.  

        But simultaneously Chalukyans were a proud race. The bitterly fought with the Pallavas of Kanchipuram for two hundred years. The constant warfare destroyed both the kingdoms. Both are in ruins today. 

         There is much to learn from the rise and fall of the Chalukyans!

 Lord Shiva as a Column of Fire

Lord Shiva as a Column of Fire

Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal,8th Century CE

          Raja Vikramaditya II ( r. 734- 45 CE) had finally defeated the Pallava King of Kanchipuram. His two Queens, Lokmahadevi and Trilokmahadevi erected two temples at Pattadakal.  The Virupaksha temple was commissioned by Queen Lokmahadevi.  It is the pinnacle of Chalukyan architecture.  The fact that the queens commissioned the temples clearly proves the harmony within the royal harem. It is also testifies to the Socio-economic and political importance of the queens. 

         Since Goddess Lakshmi was the family Goddess, we see the Gajalakshmi sitting at the top. She is being bathed by two elephants. 

         In the Shiva  Purana there is a story about a pillar of fire which had suddenly appeared. Both Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma wanted to prove that one was better than the other. Brahma went towards the top of the flame ( the tiny figure on the left hand side), while Vishnu went towards the bottom of the flame ( figure has been damaged towards the right bottom). But neither could find the end of the flame. But to prove His superiority,  Brahma lied and claimed that he had discovered the top of the flame as He brought a Kewada flower from the tip of the flame. Lord Shiva appeared from the flame and cursed Brahma that He will not be worshipped as He had lied. Kewada flower would not be offered to the gods, only it's essence will be burned. For Kewada flower had conspired with Brahma to cheat Vishnu. 

        This story proves the superiority of Lord Shiva over the other two members of the Hindu Trinity. It also establishes the concept of crime and punishment.  Even the Creator can be punished.  For Dharma  ( the laws of righteous conduct ) are above Him. Rule of Law is eternal and omnipresent.

 Goddess Chamunda

Goddess Chamunda

 Bhopal Museum.

            Goddess Chamunda is said to be a manifestation of Goddess Durga. Sambhu  and Nishambu were two great demons who constantly fought with the gods and tortured humanity. All the Gods combined their energies and from their energies Goddess Durga appeared. She fought with the demons. Sambhu and Nishambu had two generals: Chanda and Munda. To kill them, a goddess appeared from the brow of Durga, Chandika.  When She killed Chanda and Munda She came to be known as Chamunda. 

        Of the Seven Mothers ( Saptamatrikas ) Chamunda is the most ferocious.  She is easy to recognise as She is depicted as skeletal, with flat drooping breasts, with sunken eyes, with a garland of skulls, with eight or ten or twelve arms carrying different weapons, and corpse as her vehicle. She was popular in Tantrism as a Goddess who frequented the cremation ground and one who drank liquor and ate meat. During Dashehra festival animals are sacrificed to her. 

           According to historians, originally she was a tribal goddess of the Vindhyas region who was assimilated into mainstream Hinduism. She was also adopted into Jainism, but as a benevolent goddess. She is the Kuldevi  ( the family goddess ) of the Oswal Jain.  

           She was misunderstood by the Westerners who mistook her for a witch. She was also seen as a hedonistic goddess and thus a symbol of a  barbaric civilisation.  But they failed to realise that at times Nature takes on a demonic features in order to destroy evil itself. The Mother continues to be loving and kind, but to fight evil She appears to be angry and grotesque.  But underneath the ferocious form is the serenity and compassion of a Mother. 

 Goddess Chamunda

Goddess Chamunda

 Bhopal Museum.

            Goddess Chamunda is said to be a manifestation of Goddess Durga. Sambhu  and Nishambu were two great demons who constantly fought with the gods and tortured humanity. All the Gods combined their energies and from their energies Goddess Durga appeared. She fought with the demons. Sambhu and Nishambu had two generals: Chanda and Munda. To kill them, a goddess appeared from the brow of Durga, Chandika.  When She killed Chanda and Munda She came to be known as Chamunda. 

        Of the Seven Mothers ( Saptamatrikas ) Chamunda is the most ferocious.  She is easy to recognise as She is depicted as skeletal, with flat drooping breasts, with sunken eyes, with a garland of skulls, with eight or ten or twelve arms carrying different weapons, and corpse as her vehicle. She was popular in Tantrism as a Goddess who frequented the cremation ground and one who drank liquor and ate meat. During Dashehra festival animals are sacrificed to her. 

           According to historians, originally she was a tribal goddess of the Vindhyas region who was assimilated into mainstream Hinduism. She was also adopted into Jainism, but as a benevolent goddess. She is the Kuldevi  ( the family goddess ) of the Oswal Jain.  

           She was misunderstood by the Westerners who mistook her for a witch. She was also seen as a hedonistic goddess and thus a symbol of a  barbaric civilisation.  But they failed to realise that at times Nature takes on a demonic features in order to destroy evil itself. The Mother continues to be loving and kind, but to fight evil She appears to be angry and grotesque.  But underneath the ferocious form is the serenity and compassion of a Mother. 

 Lord Kuber

Lord Kuber

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century CE, Bhopal Museum

            Lord Kuber is the Hindu God of Wealth.  He is an interesting character in Hindu pantheon.  For, He is step-brother of Ravan. He is said to live underground and not in the sky as other gods do. He is a demi-god. It is easy to recognise him as he has a protruding belly (as in this sculpture ),  usually carries a bag full of money or gems; the bag being made of a mongoose skin. 

          He lives underground as precious metals and gems are found under the earth. Mongoose has the ability to burrow under the ground. Hence, bag full of gems and money-- bag made of mongoose skin. 

           Kuber symbolises "arth" ( economics); the second goal of Hindu life. The ancient Hindus recognised the importance of trade and commerce, of money. Unlike the Greeks and Romans, we have two dieties for wealth: Goddess Lakshmi and Kuber. But while Goddess Lakshmi symbolises the benign aspect of money,  Kuber depicts the voracious or the greedy aspect of money. He is thus shown as indulging in drinking as well: "drunk" with the power of money. His arrogance is also well known. Thus His character is also a warning to the people, not to be arrogant about one's wealth.

            To acquire wealth is certainly a laudable goal. But to be greedy and arrogant and ostentatious are wrong characteristics in a person. Wealth which is hoarded is called "Kulakshmi", a sister of Goddess Lakshmi who personifies poverty and pestilence. For money which is locked up is useless to the society.  Like blood, money too should circulate to keep the society healthy. Money spent on charity, on the poor and the downtrodden, earns good deeds or Karma. Money spent on oneself is said to be wasted. It reflects egoism and arrogance. Money spent wisely is a boon, spent foolishly, it is a curse. 

           Kuber symbolises both the be aspects of arth, money: the beneficial and the destructive.  This is why He is a demi-god, and yet related to Ravan.

 Lord Ram and Goddess Sita

Lord Ram and Goddess Sita

13th century , CE,Bhopal Museum

        The eternal pair of Ram and Sita is the ideal couple in Hindu mythology. Ram is the most pious king as He upholds the Dharma ( righteous conduct) at every step of his life. He is the ideal son, and the ideal brother. However, His credentials as an ideal husband have been questioned. People claim that he was unkind to Sita on two occasions : when He asked her to prove her chastity, and when He exiled her to the forest. 

        What has been seen as a short coming in Ram's character, has strengthened Sita as a character.  In fact, Sita is considered one of the five Satis  (powerful women ) in Sanskrit literature.  Born of mother Earth, She has a will of her own. When Ram tries to persuade her not to come to the forest with him, she tells him about the Dharma of a wife ; when Lakshman hesitates to leave her alone when Ram has gone away to chase the golden deer, she chides Lakshman;  when Ram asks her to prove her chastity, she chides Ram. Eventually as a sign of protest she leaves Ram only to enter mother Earth.  She is not a weakling, she is a woman with an independent mind. Yet, she knows the limits placed by the society. She balances her role as a wife, daughter-in-law, as a sister-in-law, and as a mother. She is not a simple character, but is a strong persona in Valmiki' s Ramayan. She can be a role model for the modern woman: upright, independent, forthright, articulate, intelligent,  and one who stands up to question the orthodoxy of the society. She is not the one to be confined by the artificial limits of the society. She may be tolerant like mother Earth,  but she is not docile and weak. 

 Lord Shiva

Lord Shiva

Pratihara Dynasty,9th Century CE,Bhopal Museum

         This is an unusual image of Lord Shiva.  For while He holds a trident (trishul), He carries a lotus bud (symbol of Lord Vishnu ),  and a pitcher of holy water ( symbol of Lord Brahma ). Thus it seems to be a composite image of the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.  

         The Lord sits calmly, ever smiling and ever young. Like the Lord, we too are the  creator,  the maintainer, and the destroyer. The snake  is the symbol of desire,  of the changes in life. We too are full of desires; we too are prone to changes in life. The trident is the symbol of the three mental states: the sub - consciousness , the unconsciousness, and the consciousness.  All three are bound, like the shaft of the trident, with superconsciousness. The holy water is a symbol of the purity within us that is hidden from us and others. But it has the capacity to cleanse us of our dilutions,  of our egos, of our desires. The end result is the reward of beauty  ( the lotus). The lotus of thousand petals is the symbol of superconsciousness which is inherent in us, which we can achieve with some efforts. Divinity is within us. It all depends which facet of the divinity we cherish and cultivate. 

 Lord Buddha Returns to Kapilvastu

Lord Buddha Returns to Kapilvastu

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

         The news has spread that Prince Siddharth as Buddha was returning to his native city, Kapilvastu. His wife, Yashodhara decided to take their son, Rahul  to the Buddha. She taught the child to ask for his inheritance. The Buddha says, "I have only my alms bowl which I can give to you as your inheritance. " Both the mother and child look at the Buddha. Yashodhara had decked up herself with the hope that she would be able to induce the Buddha to stay back and become a householder.  But all in vain. Buddha left Kapilvastu in order to preach the Dharma to the people.  

         Although greatly damaged, this fresco is considered one of the most poignant paintings of Ajanta Caves.  Siddharth 's family meets momentarily and parts ways. The dilemma is between the life of monkhood and of a householder.  Which is more appropriate.  The issue is between the right of a wife and a child to have the husband and the father back, and the right of a man to be free to preach his Dharma. Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism emphasised the life of a monk over the life of a householder. Perhaps this was one of the reason that Buddhism declined. If everyone becomes a monk,  how would the society survive? 

          Society is a mixture of the intellectuals and the labourers, of the aesetic and the householder, of the industrialist and the agriculturalist. It is a composite of different communities, different philosophies, different life - styles.  To impose one philosophy or brand of thinking is to tear the social fabric. The middle path of assimilation is the right path. Too many monks also spoil the stew! 

 Rani Celebrating Deepavali in Her Palace

Rani Celebrating Deepavali in Her Palace

Attributed to Nainsukha, Kangra School,18th Century CE

            Deepavali is an ancient festival. Initially it was celebrated to mark Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya after spending fourteen years in the forest. Subsequently, it became the festival for praying to Goddess Lakshmi,  the goddess of wealth. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu financial year.  In Bengal, on the other hand, Goddess Kali is worshipped on Deepavali. While for North India Deepavali is a major festival,  in South India it is hardly celebrated. 

             Here we see the Rani sitting in a chair. Both she and another Lady are busy with fire crackers. The maids have lit lamps all over the palace. There is music and light, gaiety and celebrations all around. Interestingly whole many  women are wearing Hindu dresses, the ghaghara and the odhani, ( the skirt and the stole), other women are sporting the Mughal dress of the inner pajama and Mughal caps. The life of the palace reflects the composite culture of its time. 

             Deepavali is a festival which celebrates our coming out of the woods: of destroying the prejudices,  the bad deeds, the evil spirit in us. And thereby moving from the darkness of our personality to the light within us. It is a celebration of our rebirth each year. 

            May the divine light inside you ever burn so brightly as to light up every corner of your  home, office and of our nation

 Hamsa Jataka : A Tale of the Golden Ghoose

Hamsa Jataka : A Tale of the Golden Ghoose

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period,5th Century CE

            Once upon a time the Bodhisattva lived as a golden goose in a lake with his flock. One day the Queen of Benaras had a dream where she saw a golden goose. She asked the King to get her the golden goose. He built a beautiful lake in order to attract the birds. One day the golden goose landed with his flock. The goose realised it was a trap to capture him. But he kept quiet till the flock had fed itself to its satisfaction.  Afterwards, the goose cried out about the danger. All the geese flew off. But Sumukha, the minister of the golden goose refused to leave his master. Both were caught and taken to the court. When the King heard about Sumukha' s loyalty towards his King, he was overwhelmed.  He received both of them with great honour. The golden goose taught the Dharma to the court. 

            Here we see the King with his courtiers listening to the golden goose with rapt attention.  The golden goose is sitting on a throne to the bottom right corner of the painting.  Faintly one can make out  two dark women who have brought a tray full of fruits. The pomp and show of the court is well portrayed in the attire, the jewels and the furniture of the court. 

            Loyalty is a virtue exhaulted by every civilisation : loyalty to family, friends, community and to the nation. Sumukh is an example of loyalty to the King and thus to the nation. 

            Further, in order to attract best ideas we have to create the right environment.  Only then do we receive the Dharma. We should be open to receive ideas from all corners of the world. After all, the court had received the sermon on Dharma from a bird! 

 Mrig Jataka : Taking Away the Golden Deer

Mrig Jataka : Taking Away the Golden Deer

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period,5th Century CE

           A golden Deer, a Bodhisattva,  found  a hunter lost in a jungle.  He guided the hunter to his village. He told the hunter not to reveal his existence to anyone. The hunter promised to do so. But the moment he reached his village, he informed the King's men. They informed the King. Meanwhile the Queen saw a golden deer in her dream. She told the King to search for the golden Deer. The hunter led the King into the jungle. The golden Deer was captured and brought before the King. The King was astonished when the Deer told him that the hunter had broken his promise.  The King ordered that the hunter be killed. But the Deer interceded and asked the King to spare the hunter's life. The King relented. The King told the Deer about the Queen's dream and asked the Deer if he would return with him to the court. The Deer left with the King. He taught the Dharma to the people and brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom.  

           In this painting we see the Deer being carried away in a cart. The hunter follows the cart. Notice the dog by the hunter's legs. A rare depiction of a dog in Indian art.

         The story is full of morality. It is about betrayal for money; it is about greed. It is about compassion;  it is about establishing Dharma ( righteous duties). 

          Deepavali is also about establishing Dharma over Adharma  (evil acts). We must preserve,  protect and propagate Dharma, the golden Deer.

 The Loyalty of an Elephant towards His Blind Mother

The Loyalty of an Elephant towards His Blind Mother

From the Matriposhaka Jataka, Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

          Once the Bodhisattva was born as a white elephant.  One day a hunter was lost in the jungle where the white elephant lived. The elephant took the hunter back to his village. The hunter, instead of being grateful to the white elephant, thought that he should tell the King of Benaras about the existence of the white elephant and earn a reward from the King. The King sent a few hunters into the jungle. The white elephant was brought to the King's court. A huge crowd had gathered to see the white elephant.  But when the King tried to feed the elephant, it refused all food. The King asked him why he was starving himself. The elephant told the King, " I have a blind mother who cannot eat without me. Then how can I eat without her? She must be starving in the jungle." Hearing the love and affection, sensing his loyalty towards his mother, the King freed the white elephant. Here we see the joy amongst the elephant upon the return of the white elephant. The blind mother elephant is caressing the white elephant. 

           The story is not just about the joy of a family reunion, but it is more about family loyalty. However, loyalty in a positive way. It is about sustaining each other emotionally and financially.  But it is not about hoarding things so as to leave riches for our children. As an old Sanskrit saying goes " why leave riches for a good son? He can earn on his own. Why leave riches for the bad son? He will squander away your hard earned wealth." 

            But like Dhrastraraj we are blinded by our love for our children. For their sake we harm our society and nation without realising that without a strong nation our next generation has no future. While we strengthen our family economically, we weaken our nation.

 The Elephant and the Hunter from Shaddanta Jataka Story

The Elephant and the Hunter from Shaddanta Jataka Story

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

             In the Himalaya lived an elephant with six tusks, Shaddanta.  He had two wives. One day he showered his first wife with the flowers of the Sal tree. He also presented her with lotus flowers from a lake. The second wife felt jealous. She vowed to take revenge by being born as Queen of Benaras. 

            As the queen of Benaras she feigned illness. She told the king that she can be cured only if she had the six tusks of Shaddanta.  Hunters were sent to capture him and to bring his tusks. Here we see the hunters around the huge Shaddanta.  He asked them as to purpose of their hunting him down. They told him about the queen's desire. Knowing who she really was and what was her purpose, Shaddanta, the Bodhisattva,  himself cutoff his six tusks with an axe  and gave them to the hunters. When the Queen saw the six tusks, she was full of remorse. For, she remembered Shaddanta, her loving husband from her previous life. She died of grief. 

             At times out of jealousy and anger we do tend to take revenge. But such anger boomerangs on us. Anger kills us and not the person with whom we are angry. Thus, the need to control these two emotions. For they lead to self - destruction. 

            On the other hand, by compassion we can win people over. Like Shaddanta we become a hero. The choice again  is ours. 

 Scene from the Simhala Avadana Jataka Story

Scene from the Simhala Avadana Jataka Story

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

               The story of Simhala, the merchant's son, is quite instructive. Simhala sought his father's permission to travel abroad and to establish his business overseas.  But he, along with others, we're shipwrecked on the island of Tamradvipa. The island was inhabited by cannibalistic ogresses who disguised themselves as beautiful women.  Here we see Simhala sitting in a tent with a stunningly beautiful woman, an ogress.  Having lured the shipwrecked merchants, the ogress makes a meal out of them. Seeing their pathetic condition, a Bodhisattva in the form of a flying horse rescues many of the merchants including Simhala.  Simhala comes back home. But an ogress follows him to his Kingdom.  She appears before the King and tells him that Simhala has abandoned her and her child in an island. She asks for justice. Simhala tells the King that she is, in fact, an ogress who should be banished from the kingdom.  The King refuses to do so. At night the ogress invites her other friends from the island. They kill the King and the people. The kingdom is destroyed. 

           Similar story is also found in Homer's Ulysses.  

           The story is a warning about how beautiful ideas creep into a Kingdom,  how these innocuous ideas takeover the kingdom and destroy it. But these ideas are like the  Trojan Horse which we bring into our Kingdom with jubilation and fanfare. Only to realise how these ideas of exclusiveness, of 'we' versus 'them' have eventually torn the fabric of our society and nation. The great destruction by such 'beautiful ideas' leaves the nation desolate and destroyed. Like Simhala we should be discerning enough to banish such 'beautiful ideas' from amongst our midst. 

 Queen Shivali from the Mahajanak Jataka

Queen Shivali from the Mahajanak Jataka

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

           Besides painting innumerable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Ajanta artists have left a variety of sensuous women. Queen Sivali is certainly one of them. Young, voluptuous,  bejewelled, half nude, she is the ideal of feminine beauty in Indian art. Since women were seen as representing the Nature, they had to be well endowed in their beauty. Queen Sivali belongs to the category of Yakshini  ( the fertility goddess ). 

            But the queen is not free from the pangs of life. Her husband, King Mahajanak of Mithla, has just announced his intention to abdicate the throne and to take Sanyas  ( to renounce the world and to become a buddhist monk). The Queen is perplexed by the decision.  Her well kept hair are becoming dishevelled;  her string of pearls has started swaying as she takes deep breath (notice the two pearl strings in front of her stomach ). She looks at her husband in half disbelief. 

             Life can be uncertain at the best  of the times. Sorrow can come suddenly.  The cheeze can be moved without any notice. Even the rich and the beautiful, even the powerful and regal are subject to the whims and caprice of life and Time.

 The Monkey and the Buffalo

The Monkey and the Buffalo

 Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

          Jataka stories contained lots of wisdom in the form of folklore.  Here is the story of a mischievous monkey who would close the eyes of a buffalo who was a Bodhisattva. The monkey would play with him all day. One day another buffalo stood in place of the kind buffalo. The monkey mistook him to be the kind buffalo.  He closed the eyes of the buffalo.  The buffalo was enraged. He threw the monkey down and gorged him to death. 

           The fable is both about compassion and anger. It is also about genuine gurus and fake ones. We get entangled with fake gurus and are gorged to death. It is also about trusting and not trusting the people. One should be careful in choosing the right kind of friends. A wrong company can lead to injury and death. 

          Through simple stories complex messages were given to the common man. The stories are relevant even today as they contain the wisdom of ages. 

 Dancers and Musicians

Dancers and Musicians

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period,5th Century CE

            Dance has an ancient ancestry in India. Said to originate from Lord Shiva,  it is a sacred art which began in the temples and ended in the market.  The "Dancing Girl " from Indus Valley Civilisation  (2500 BCE) is the first glimpse of this art form in India.  In 2nd Century BCE  Bharat Muni is said to have written the first book on Dramatology called the Bharat Natya Shastra.  He dealt extensively with dance. 

            Dance is an expression of joy, of love, of celebration.  It is part of human nature. The movement of the body frees the mind from its captivity and releases myriad energies. According to the Darwishes it is a medium of communication with God. 

           To the Indian dancer, dance is a form of worship  where the dancer surrenders himself/ herself to the diety.  It is a sublime prayer. 

            But here we see a court dancer entertaining King Mahajanak in a Jataka story. While the dancer sways to the music of flutes, drums and cymbals, the ladies orchestra plays on. Although stitched clothes were an exception in ancient India,  but here the dancer is in a tunic. Surprisingly the musicians are all women. This painting is a testimony of the talents of our women and of the liberal attitude of the society to permit women to learn music. 

            But slowly the classical dance and music are fading away, just the way this painting has faded away.

 Bodhisattva Vajrapani

Bodhisattva Vajrapani

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

          While Bodhisattva Padmpani is the embodiment of compassion, Bodhisattva Vajrapani is of power and force. According to his name, he is the weilder of the thunderbolt  (Vajra). Thus, he is the symbol of brute force of Nature.  One who destroys evil by brute force. Surprisingly for a dynamic figure, the image is rather placid. In his hand, he holds an unclear object. Although in Ajanta he is depicted as a graceful, quiet, peaceful figure, in Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese Art he is a ferocious figure. 

            Both the Bodhisattvas depicted the twin aspect of Man: the rational and the irrational or as the Greeks called it the Apollonaire  ( named after God Apollo, their God of wisdom and poetry) and Dionysian  (named after God Dionysus,  their God of wine). Psychologists also deal with these two aspects of human nature, the constructive and the destructive.  

              History too is a witness to such impulses. While Dara  Shikho, the elder son of Shah Jahan, championed compassion and unity of the Mughal Empire, Aurangzeb advocated fundamentalism and terrorism. The fundamentalist forces won the royal battle near Dholpur: the Mughal Empire was shattered in few decades. The choice is ours whether to encourage the irrational and the destructive forces, or to strengthen the liberal and constructive forces. 

 Visvantara Jataka ( Story of Prince Visvantra)

Visvantara Jataka ( Story of Prince Visvantra)

 Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

          Ajanta is known more for its frescoes than for its sculptures.  The discovery of the caves in early 19th century was an eye opening event. Till then, no one knew about paintings of ancient India, though paintings were mentioned in Sanskrit literature.  The discovery of Ajanta led to the emergence of the Bengal School of art founded by the Tagore family. 

         The paintings in Ajanta depict the Jataka stories --tales about the previous births of Lord Buddha. He is said to have narrated all his previous births. The stories are moral paradigms for people. They emphasise love, compassion, sacrifice,  pity,  generosity. 

         Prince Visvantra was a generous person to a fault. When Kalinga suffered a famine, he gave away his magical elephant who could bring the rains to Kalinga.  His own people were enraged, as Kalinga Kingdom was their enemy. The people demanded that the Prince be banished from the kingdom.  

         In this painting, Prince Visvantra is shown in his palace with his wife, Madri. They are busy in dalliance. On the left side, we see the couple leaving the city. The cruel Brahmin,  Jujuka, prays to the Prince to give him the two young children of the Prince, so the children can look after the physically challenged Brahmin. The Prince parts with his children as well. 

          This is one of the finest paintings of Ajanta.  The multiple narrative is interesting.  The artist has caught different strata of society : from the Prince and the Princess to the servants in the bedchamber to the ordinary citizens looking out of the window seeing the Prince leaving the city to the Brahmin who intercepts the Prince and the Princess. The naturalness of the beetle nut trees in the background lends naturalism to the otherwise stylised painting. 

           The story highlights the importance of compassion, even for one's enemies; it emphasises sacrifice of the political leader for the welfare of the people. It stresses on equanimity  despite the sudden change of fortune: from palace to forest. These Jataka stories continue to be relevant for our modern life as well.

 The Temptation of Mara

The Temptation of Mara

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 5th Century CE

            Generally the walls of a Chaitya Halls are covered with beautiful paintings.  But there is one hall which has beautiful sculptures all around the apse.  The Archeological Survey of India, which maintains the Ajanta Caves, has beautifully illuminated the sculptures. The sculptures cover various events of Buddha's life.  

            While Buddha sat in deep meditation, he was tempted by Mara, a demon. Mara sent his army of goblins to torment Buddha; he also sent his beautiful daughter to tempt Buddha. We see his army of goblins in the right; his beautiful daughters in the front. But despite the torments and temptations, Buddha was steadfast in his meditation

             Temptation is part of human nature. We easily get tempted by material things or by sexual desire. Thus, temptation finds mention in all the major religions of the world. While we meditate the unconscious fears and desires come out. This is depicted in myths, and the art as temptation.  

            A hero is one who does not succumb to temptation.  Many of us abandon our duty to be honest and yield to the temptation of material wealth. We give into corruption.  A nation, like a person, who gives into temptation, can never reach Nirvana

 A Pillar from Ajanta Caves

A Pillar from Ajanta Caves

Gupta Period,5th Century CE

         While the three types of pillars invented by the Greeks are well known,  the variety of pillars invented by the Indian architect has hardly been explored. And what a variety of pillars we have: from the massive round pillars of Indus Valley to the simple pillars of Sanchi, from the ornate pillars of Ellora to the hanging pillars of Lepakshi Temple in Andhra Pradesh. There are pillars in animal forms in South Indian Temples to the musical pillars of the Padmanabhan temple in Trivendrum.  There is the gallery of 1000 pillars in the Rameshvaram Temple to the 1000 pillars of Ranakpur Temple in Rajasthan --and no two pillars are alike ! But the ingenuity of the Indian architect is forgotten. 

            Here is a pillar from Ajanta. The Ajanta Caves themselves have about ten types of pillars. The beauty of this pillar is not only it's simplicity,  but also the use of sculpture in the square. The sculpture depicts a young couple chatting with each other while two servants stand by. The sculpture not just captures the opulence of the golden age of Indian history, the Gupta Period,  but also contains a political message : all is well in the Gupta Empire. If couples have time to chat, then there is peace and prosperity in the Empire. Since a happy family is essential for the prosperity of the society,  the family had to be emphasised. No other pillar in the world carries a more socio-political message than this pillar in Ajanta. 

          These days we do chatting, but no longer in the cosy surrounding of a family. The family as a social unit is under danger. Perhaps we need to learn something from the ancients. 

 Lord Buddha Delivering His First Sermon at Sarnath

Lord Buddha Delivering His First Sermon at Sarnath

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,3rd -5th Century CE

        In order to understand  Buddhist art it is essential to know the use of hastamudra ( hand gestures) in the images. Here the hands are interlocked;  the hands depict the Dharma Chakra ( the wheel of Law ).  The two seated deers, at the base, indicate the Deer Park at Sarnath--the place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. The two lions symbolize both his royal lineage and the fact that henceforth Dharma shall "roar like a lion""---its message shall be carried everywhere.  It is looking at the iconography  (the image) that we know which episode of Buddha's life is being portrayed. 

         The images created during the Gupta Period had a great impact on subsequent Indian art. The images are simple, bereft of ornamentation,  elegantly proportionate, serene, inward looking, and full of harmony. This is considered the "classical" style of India. 

          These images were exported out of India both by our traders and by the Chinese scholars who visited our country during the ancient period. Such images can be found in Java and Cambodia.  Near the Indo-Afghan-China border there are 1000 caves carved by the Chinese. Interestingly the first set of caves are copies of the Ajanta Caves.  The last set of caves have Chinese figures, but Indian attire. With the spread of Buddhism, Indian art travelled throughout Asia. 

 Facade of a Cave Depicting Gautam Buddha Delivering His First Sermon at Sarnath

Facade of a Cave Depicting Gautam Buddha Delivering His First Sermon at Sarnath

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,5th Century CE

        The Ajanta sculptor created various images of Lord Buddha.  Here we see him delivering his first sermon at Sarnath. This sermon is called "setting the Dharma Chakra  (the wheel of Law) in motion." 

          Dharma, in ancient India, did not mean religion. It meant "righteous conduct." Buddha with his eight - fold path of righteous conduct is said to have set the Dharma into motion. Dharma also means "duty" as in your duty towards your family, community, and nation. It also meant "Law" as in Dharmashastras  ( Law Books). It was felt that if everyone performed their assigned duties, society would function without friction and factions. Unfortunately, today we are obsessed with "right". But we are least bothered about "duties" which we to our families, neighbourhood,  community, and nation. Mahabharata says, " where there is Dharma (duty or Law), there is peace and prosperity." Dharmashastras claim "those who protect the Law, the Law protects them." 

         Perhaps the time has come to restart the wheel of Dharma and to follow the Middle Path annunciated by Lord Buddha. For, in ancient wisdom lies our modern reality and practicality.

 Lord Surya ( The Sun God )

Lord Surya ( The Sun God )

Konark Temple,Eastern Ganga Dynasty,13th Century CE, National Museum, New Delhi

      Imported by the Kushan Kings in the 1st Century CE, from Iran, Lord Surya is a late entry in the Hindu pantheon. As Hinduism developed, He was fused with Lord Vishnu and came to be called Suryanarayan. 

       His western ancestry is reflected in His attire : usually He wears a squarish crown. He is the only god who is depicted with boots. He is shown either standing or squatting.  His chariot is said to be pulled by seven  "green" horses. 

       Amongst the nine planets in Hindu astronomy,  He is considered to be the most powerful.  Praying to Him is supposed to bring good health and great wealth. Even according to science tells us that vitamin D is essential for the body.

        With the rise of scientific temper, with industrial revolution, we had forgotten the importance of the Sun. But with concept of solar energy gaining ground, again Sun has become important. The wisdom of the ancients is dawning on the moderns. 

 Natraj

Natraj

Ellora Caves, Rashtrakuta Dynasty, 8th Century CE

           We are all used to seeing Lord Shiva as Natraj ( the Lord of the dance ) dancing in a circle of fire. But here the sculptor has captured a more dynamic (Tandav ) pose of the dancer. The Lord no longer stands silently on one leg; instead he whirls around with his torso twisted to the point that while we see his broad chest from the front, we also see his hips from the side. He flays his six arms dramatically in the air. One of the hands carries his 'damaru ' ( his small hand held drum). The artist has contrasted the forceful movement of the dancer with the quietly sitting figures at the bottom.  The Lord is a huge figure compared to the small figures in the forefront.  This is one of the most dynamic image of Lord Shiva as Natraj.

          While we sit quietly at home,  we don't realise the churning that goes on either under our feet at the center of the earth, or outside in the cosmos. But the concept embodied in the figure is about the eternal cycle of life and death,  of creation and destruction.  The forceful figure of the Lord symbolises the violent cycle of creation and destruction.  We passively sit as an audience viewing this immortal cycle. But most of us ignorant of this eternal and natural cycle. 

   The Temple of the Three Goddesses: Ganga, Yamuna and Swaraswati

  The Temple of the Three Goddesses: Ganga, Yamuna and Swaraswati

Ellora Caves, Rashtrakuta Dynasty, 8th Century CE

            Rivers have given us the fertile land and water for the beginning of civilisation.  All ancient civilisation, therefore, are river based: Egyptian on the Nile,  Indus Valley Civilisation on the Indus. Thus it was but natural for the people to venerate the Rivers. 

            In the Ellora Caves we have temple dedicated to the three famous rivers of the North: Ganga, Yamuna and Swaraswati. The temple is a unique one. For the temple faces the Kailash Temple in the Ellora Caves.  Are the three holy rivers paying their homage to the main diety of the temple,  Lord Shiva? Moreover, instead of the squat, plumpish ideal figure of woman, the River Goddesses are slim and tall nymphs.  While Ganga stands erect, in the central niche,  Yamuna and Swaraswati swagger in the left and right nitches.  The elegance of their walk is almost like a model's walk on a ramp. These women are not coy about their sexuality.  Since they are giver of life, they are confident of their role and status. 

           Today  while Swaraswati has disappeared, Ganga and Yammuna still continue to irrigate our fields. But unfortunately the super intelligent modern human beings no longer respect our rivers. We pollute them; we contaminate them; we kill them. Perhaps the ancients were wiser than us. They understood the value of water and importance of the rivers in our lives

 Lord Brahaspati

Lord Brahaspati

East Ganga Dynasty, 13th Century AD,From Konark

             Brahaspati is the planet Jupiter.  As the largest planet in our solar system, it was well known to the ancient astronomers.  It funds prominence in ancient myths. In Hinduism Jupiter is the Guru of the demons; in Roman mythology, he is the supreme God, better know as Zeus in the Greek mythology.  

             As a 'guru' (teacher), Brahaspati is revered for his knowledge.  It is said that with his 'mantras' (chants), he could revive the dead as well. In astrology, he is considered a benign planet which influences the academic career of a person. A person with a strong Brahaspati on his horoscope is said to have a fine mind and generally goes either in academics or into administration.  

            Iconographically, Brahaspati is easy to recognise. For there are only three gods in Hindu pantheon who support a beard: Lord Brahma,  Agni ( the God of Fire), and Brahaspati.  He holds a rosary, which symbolises repetition of mantras, or in other words, meditation. The water pot he holds symbolises the ability to cleanse oneself of illusions and delusions. It is the holy water which cleans our sins. Water which is the elixir of life. He sits in the lotus position  (Padam aasan), as though he is about to reveal the secrets of life and about to unravel the mysteries of the universe.  Like a good teacher he has a beautiful smile, full of calmness and detachment.  The Guru has always occupied a central position in our society.  For it is they who convert the beast (demons) in us into divinity. He is the teacher of the demons 

 Vrishabha

Vrishabha

Prathihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD, Kolkata Museum

          One of the most unique pieces of Hindu iconography: a goddess with the head of a bull! This sculpture is highly symbolic. The goddess is none other than Parvati who holds her infant child Ganesh in her arm. She has the head of Nandi,  the bull, Lord Shiva 's vehicle.  The vehicle of the goddess, the Lion, roars at her feet. Although the figure must have been a ten - handed sculpture,  but presently only three hands survive. 

         The goddess symbolises Nature. Like the bull, it is unpredictable;  like the lion, it is all powerful.  But it can be tamed by wisdom. What is true of mother Nature is equally true of us. Our mind is untamed, bull - headed,  violent, deadly. But can be tamed by wisdom. 

 Goddess Durga

Goddess Durga

Paramar Dynasty, 8th Century AD, Bhopal Museum,  M. P.

               A rather robust and full bodied Durga stands triumphantly over the still struggling  Mahisasur,  the Buffalo demon.  The battle between the good and the evil is an eternal one. Since the Gods were unable to defeat the demons, the Asuras, the contemplated together.  Their joint energy emerged in the form of Goddess Durga.  Each God gave her his weapons. Armed with the divine weapons, radiating with power and unsurpassable beauty, She allured and challenged the demons. All who fought her, perished at her feet. Although she triumphed, She is calm and serene. She displays no arrogance or emotion. She is detached from her action. While she protects the good, she destroys the evil. But like Nature she is detached from her own activities. 

            Such sculptures teach us the importance of detachment, of introspection and of serenity in our life. 

 Sada Shiva (Four headed Lord Shiva)

Sada  Shiva (Four headed Lord Shiva)

Paramar Dynasty,11th Century AD

          The four heads of Lord Shiva depict four different aspects of His. The creator,  the preserver, the destroyer.  The fourth face is of Devi or his Shakti  (power). Without His Shakti, He is lifeless. 

        The four heads also depict the ideology that every fact or situation can be interpreted in different ways. Thus there is no such thing as "the truth." Multiple interpretations are welcome. It is this thinking which has strengthened our civilisation of diversity and unity. 

 Lord Harihar

Lord Harihar

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD, Bhopal Museum

        The Indian civilisation is a civilisation of assimilation and not of extermination.  While the West believes in exterminating those who hold a different point of view, we merely assimilate those views and move on. Our ability to accept different  philosophies, different cultures, traditions and communities is our strength. 

         Lord Harihar is a prime example of this innate quality.  When a division occurred in Hinduism between the Shaivites and the Vaishnavites,  we combined both the Gods to create a half - Shiva,  half - Vishnu image.  Lord Harihar was born. Although he is not a very popular god today, perhaps due to our unipolar thinking, but He is still worshipped in the Lingraj temple at Bhuveneshwar.  

         Harihar is unique as he combines the quality of the intellect  (Shiva) and the quality of the heart (Vishnu). Here He holds the trident and the rosary of Lord Shiva --the ability to control the mind through meditation.  He also holds the 'Sudarshan Chakra' and the conch shell of Lord Vishnu--the ability to cut through difficulties and to sustain things. 

         It is a sculpture with a powerful message and philosophy.  Let us celebrate the multi - dimensionality of our Indian civilisation. 

 Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Chola Bronze, 10th Century AD

          One of the finest pairs of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati amongst the Chola Bronze.  The Chola sculptors introduced a new concept of male and female beauty.  While the rest of India has plump squat figures as in Khajaraho and Konark,  the Chola figures are lean and thin, supple and graceful.  The female ideal is no longer buxom and broad. She is figure conscious and elegant. The male figure is not muscular figure of Gandhar School; he too is well proportinate, tallish and slim. 

           Lord Shiva stands in the posture of holding a Vina,  an instrument said to be invented by him when he saw Goddess Parvati sleeping.  He holds the deer in one hand, as he is the God of wilderness, or of animals as He is Pashupatinath.  In the other hand, He holds an axe, to destroy our obstacles, illusions, pain and agony. To free us from our worldly bonds. 

           Goddess Parvati holds a lotus (missing in the figure), to symbolise the bounty of Nature which she represents,  to symbolise harmony, beauty and peace. 

         This world needs both of them to achieve peace, prosperity and liberation.

 Lord Krishna Dancing on Kalia

Lord Krishna Dancing on Kalia

Chola Bronze, 11th Century AD

          Generally Lord Krishna is shown as a young child dancing on the Serpant Kalia. But here He is shown as a teenage boy. The serpant has been given a human form. Thus, this is a unique Chola Bronze. 

          The story of Kalia, of a deadly snake having polluted the Yammuna River,  is pertinent today. For the story teaches us to preserve our rivers, lakes and oceans. It is a lesson on conserving our environment.  

 Dancing Ganesh

Dancing Ganesh 

 Khajaraho School.  11th Century AD.

          An eight armed statue of Lord Ganesh is a rare one.  Here we have an eight armed dancing Ganesh. When the Westerners came to India they were shocked by these "octopus "like images. To them, these were "heathen "  idols. They missed the entire basis of Indian art: art is at the service of religion. What it depicts is not the material reality of the world around us, but the metaphysical concepts of our religion. Gods  are symbolic of their qualities.  Hence, their depiction is a portrayal of a concept and not of empirical reality. To fully understand this art one would have to know religion, mythology,  philosophy, and even dance--as the postures and gestures are based on Indian classical dances. Such art takes you into a different realm

 A Nayika ( A Heroine)

A Nayika ( A Heroine)

From Lepakshi Temple in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayanagar Empire, 16th Century AD.

          The Vijayanagar Empire was world known for its fabulous riches. With its capital at Hampi, on the Tungabhadra River, it ruled over the most fertile parts of the Deccan. 

         The opulence  of its people is well reflected in this Nayika. Young, tallish, stylish, bejewelled, poised, she stands with an air of confidence and exuberance . She is not a docile woman, but one who commands respect and obedience. She is the true woman. 

 Bodhisattva Padampani

Bodhisattva Padampani

Pala Dynasty,10th Century AD

Bodhisattva Padampani is known as the Bodhisattva of compassion. Hence his downward gaze at the devotees. Bodhisattvas are unique to Buddhism. Like Lord Buddha they can reach Nirvana (the final release from the cycle of life and death), but they choose not to do so. They wish to come back to this 'mrityulok' (world of death) in order to relieve the miseries of the people. They are the noble souls we see around us. We can find them in our parents and servants, in our teachers and friends. We ourselves should strive to be like the Bodhisattva Padampani, the compassionate.

 Goddess Chamunda

Goddess Chamunda

Hoysalawara Temple, Karnataka,12th Century AD

Considered the most ferocious form of Goddess Durga, Goddess Chamunda is depicted as a woman in fury. Having decapitated the demon, she dances with time. She is surrounded by skeletons representing death and total destruction. As the protectress of the cosmos, the Great Mother destroys what is evil, what is chaos. She restores order into disorder.

Although the Hoysala sculptor worked with medium size stones, he lent monumentality to the sculptures by contrasting small figures with large ones. This sculpture is awe inspiring.

 Lord Vishnu Sleeping on Sheshnaag

Lord Vishnu  Sleeping  on Sheshnaag

10th Century AD, Kota Museum

           This is another beautiful  sculpture  in the museum. There are various stories being narrated in this piece : firstly, Lord Vishnu sleeping on the coils of Sheshnag. The birth of Lord Brahma  from the naval  of Lord Vishnu. Goddess Lakshmi  massaging Lord Vishnu's foot. Two demons about to ensue a fight with Lord Vishnu.  They are  in the background. They are the two 'asuras' who emerged from the dirt accumulated  behind Lord Vishnu's ears. Both are about to attack Lord Vishnu. The ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu along with the nine planets  are on the top frieze. This is a piece  with multiple  narratives.
             Life is not linear. Different  events happen simultaneously.  Life itself has multiple  narrations. The sculptor  has depicted  the various  layers of the cosmos.

 Agni Devta

 Agni Devta ( God of Fire )

 10th Century AD,Kota Museum

         Notice the flames coming  out of His head and the Ram at his feet. These are the two attributes of god of fire. Initially Agni was a very important  Vedic god. But subsequently  he was identified  with Surya, the Sun god and merged with Lord Vishnu. Like Lord Brahma and Brahaspati, Agni also sports a beard. But due to the bad condition  of this sculpture, it is not very visible.
        Agni is not only a natural element, but it is also a symbolic force which is suppose to burn our bad habits, bad thoughts  and ego. Thus, He is  a liberator.

 Four Apsaras

Four Apsaras 

12th  Century  AD, Kota  Museum.

 Lord Brahma

Lord  Brahma

10th  Century AD, Kota Museum.

       

          On both sides of Lord Brahma  are Lord Vishnu  and Lord  Shiva. Hence, again the Hindu Trinity is together. At His feet are two ladies, perhaps they are His two wives: Goddess  Saraswati  and Goddess  Gayatri. The serenity  of his face seems to show him in deep meditation --as though he is in deep thoughts before he initiates creation. He is the primordial  God, the creator.

 Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu

10th -11th Century AD, Kota Museum.

          While the main figure  is of Lord  Vishnu, the two minor figures on the left and right of Lord Vishnu are Lord Brahma  and Lord  Shiva.  Thus the Hindu trinity is sculpted  here. The two minor figures  at the bottom are personification  of Lord Vishnu's attributes --the counch and the disc. The other figures at the bottom  are the worshipers  or the patron of the temple. 
           In order to make the central figure look as though it is life-size figure, the Indian sculptor  surrounded the central figure with small figures. Thereby playing on proportions. He creates an illusion. What we see is maya!

 Lord Mahavir

Lord  Mahavir

10th- 11th   Century  AD. Kota Museum.

 A Devta

A Devta (A Divine Deity )


 11th  Century  AD,  Kota Museum

 Lord Kartikay--The God of War

Lord  Kartikay--The God of War

 10th -11th Century AD, Kota Museum

 A Composite Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma Image

 Varaha Avtar

 Raga Basant

 Natesh (Lord Shiva as a Dancer)

Natesh (Lord Shiva as a Dancer)

 Pratihara Dynasty, 8th Century AD

              The post- Gupta Period saw the resurgence of Hinduism.  Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva emerged as two leading Gods of Hindu Trinity.  Initially called Rudra in the Vedas and Puranas, Lord Shiva was seen as God of destruction.  As Natraj (the God of Dance) he is shown doing the 'Tandav' dance (dance full of energy and dynamism), the dance of destruction itself. 

               But here He is shown in a more peaceful posture as a dancer.  He carries His trident and an axe. The trident symbolises the three states of the mind, the conscious, the sub - conscious, and the unconscious, all held by a single shaft--one mind. The axe stands for our ability to cut through the illusionary world we live in--whether it be a world we create for ourself or the impermanent world we see around us. In His lower hand, He carries a bowl--the bowl has fire, the symbol of our last destination,  cremation or liberation of the soul. The fourth hand is in 'Abhaya  Mudra' meaning "fear not." 

            Trying to  control the three states of the mind, trying to  cut through the illusionary world, trying to  liberate the soul, you have nothing to worry, once you have come to the refuge of the divinity. This is the message of the calm dancer, Natesh ( the Dancer).