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. 

Venugopal ( Lord Krishna in his universal form)

Venugopal  ( Lord Krishna in his universal form)

Vijayanagar Empire,16th Century AD

         Things can be deceptive in life. A village boy, a cowherder, a flutist, is none other than the maintainer of the Universe. Krishna was beguiling. He ranged  from the pranckster to a philosopher. He lures us with the music of his own purity, with his endless mercies. He is the charming gopa  ( cowderder). We are his cows. 

          The Vijayanagar Empire sculptures are known for their ornate detailing. Although carved in granite or in basalt rocks, the sculptures are vibrant and lively. Devotion can turn the hardest rocks into gods.

Lord Shiva Begging before Godess Parvati

Lord Shiva Begging before Godess Parvati

 Lepakshi Temple, Andhra Pradesh, Vijayanagar Empire, 16th Century AD

          This sculpture depicts a very unusual story: Lord Shiva decides to have some fun at the expense of Godess Parvati.  He transforms himself into a dwarf and goes begging before the Godess.  Parvati not only gives him a basket full of rice, but also pours sambar onto the rice. The dwarf tugs at her sari, and pulls it half off, revealing her nakedness. Parvati realises that the dwarf could be no one else than Lord Shiva himself. 

           The story is not glorifying the outraging of modesty of a woman. It is a comment on the capacity of the intellect to strip nature to unravel its  secrets. Lord Shiva symbolises pure intellect, undisturbed, controlled intelligence.  Godess Parvati symbolises Nature with all of its warmth, and emotions. To understand Nature the intellect has to uncover its secrets. The story is a subtle way of telling people to encourage scientific temper.

Lord Brahma Playing the Mridangam

Lord Brahma Playing the Mridangam

 Lepakshi Temple,  Andhra Pradesh, Vijayanagar Empire,16th Century AD

             Initially Lord Brahma had five heads. The fifth head looked towards the sky. But when he chased his own daughter for lust,  Lord Shiva severed his fifth head off. Lord Brahma was left with four heads. The fifth head is the symbol of ego. A creator or an artist does fall in love with his/ her creation. For, creation feeds the ego. Hence, the need to get rid of ego, the fifth head. 

          Lord Brahma is said to have four heads as truth is reality is multi - dimensional. It can be appreciated from different angles. Thus, the need to accept various perspectives
        The Mridangam is the symbol of time--the rhythmic cycle of time, of creativity, of language, of civilisation.  Therefore, Lord Brahma playing the Mridangam. 

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.