Lord Hanuman

Lord Hanuman

Chola Bronze,11th Century AD

Hanuman was the best devotee of Lord Ram. For he never asked Lord Rama for a favour. He is, thus, the symbol of selfless worshiper, something most of us are not. For each prayer we ask a favour from the Lord. Though we worship Lord Hanuman, yet we do not follow in his footsteps. What a great difference in our preaching and our practice.

Lord Shiva

Lord Shiva

Chola Bronze,11th Century AD

Although the stance of this sculpture is more like that of Lord Krishna, but notice that the turban is made up of coiled snakes. A dead give away, it is Lord Shiva.

The Chola sculptor does not present Lord Shiva as a grown up man, but as a young lad. With his right arm resting on his Bull, the Nandi, he holds his left arm near his thigh, signifying that he is a devotee of Lord Vishnu. This sculpture is of a calm, handsome, young God who looks down at humanity. He is the deliverer. He is the saviour. Yet He is detached. He is the Mahayogi, Mahadev.

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.

Laxman Pulls Out a Thorne from Lord Ram's Feet

Laxman Pulls Out a Thorne from Lord Ram's Feet

Kangra School,18th Century AD.
Today the ideal Man, Ram was born. But even the ideal Man had to suffer difficulties throughout his life. But he bore them heroically. The Crown Prince of Ayodhya has a thorn in his feet. While his dutiful wife fans him, Laxman pulls out his thorn. Hanuman ji is busy drinking water. A deer killed by the two brothers lies by their side. Surprisingly, the deer is their meal. Throughout our lives, we will meet our difficulties. But like Ram we must bear them stoically. Life is, at times, a wilderness.

Goddess Uma

Goddess Uma

Chola Bronze, 11th Century AD

After the death of Sati, Lord Shiva went into deep meditation. The control of his mind, his indifference to the cosmos freighted the Gods. Something had to be done. He had to be married. But with whom?

Goddess Parvati or Uma was born. After a long and arduous fasting, she convinced Him to marry Her. Mind and matter were united. It is She who taught Him the finer things of life, the Laasya dance, the ability to enjoy life. She is the symbol of womanhood: the creator of civilizations. She is the Great Goddess.

Goddess Durga Enters the Battlefield to Fight Mahisasur

Goddess Durga Enters the Battlefield to Fight Mahisasur

Mahabalipuram, Pallava Dynasty,7th Century AD

The force of Shakti can be felt palpably as the figures move from left to right. The Great Goddess has just entered the battlefield. Mahisasur is already on the back foot. But the battle has just begun. He does not lie slaughtered and conquered. He stands heroically and faces his adversary.

The battle between the good and evil is an eternal one. It rages all the time in all of us. We require Shakti to overcome temptations, lust greed and anger. We nees Shakti to overpower our ego. We are all Mahisasurs, our Mind is the seat of Goddess Durga--ready to fight all evil. The Great Mother is within us.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on Nandi, the Bull

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on Nandi, the Bull

Hoysalawara Temple, Karnataka, 12th Century AD

  In Shiva Puran there is a story about Goddess Parvati ask Lord Shiva to take her through a city after their marriage. At every step the people criticised the couple for riding on the Bull or for not riding on the Bull. No matter what ine does, you cannt please all the people all the time is the message of the story and of this sculpture.

Durga Temple

Durga Temple

Aihole, Karnataka, 8th Century AD 


            The first set of temples were either the Stupas or the Cave temples as in Ajanta and Ellora. The Durga Temple at Aihole is the first free standing temple we have. Interestingly, its apse (the passageway for circumbulation) is built like the Vihars in Ajanta. This clearly demonstrates that the floor plan continued to be of a cave temple, but in a free standing building. The Shikhar is a small one and is disproportionate to the length of the building. But the first step to construction of a free standing temple has been taken. The rest is history.

A Wall of the Somanathpuram Temple with Hindu Gods

A Wall of the Somanathpuram Temple with Hindu Gods

 Hoysala Dynasty,12th century AD

      The Hoysala Dynasty established a new trend in Indian architecture: the star shaped temples. The edges of the star gave ample surface to the sculptors to depict the Hindu Pantheon and to portray the Puranic stories. Made out of soap stone, these temples are full of intricate carvings. They are a marvellous fusion of art, architecture, sculpture, myth and engineering.

The Stone Chariot

The Stone Chariot

Hampi, Vijaynagar  Empire, 16th Century AD

        Huge wooden chariots are common in South Indian and Eastern Indian temples.  These chariots are used for taking the deity out for his annual ride through the city. It was a means to bind the worshipers and the worshiped.  Here we see a chariot done in stone. It was most likely carved out a single boulder. Surprisingly the chariot is being pulled by two elephants. But the elephants are dwarfed by the chariot. Although  a miniature model of the original wooden chariot, but by shrinking the elephants the sculptor has made the chariot look huge. A huge endeavour  has to be made to pull the 'rath' of faith on the road to Nirvana or Moksha.

A Prince Celebrating Holi with the Ladies

A Prince Celebrating Holi with the Ladies

18th Century AD

The festivals of India have had a profound influence even on those who came to India to settle. Emperor Akbar and Jahangir celebrated Holi with all its gaiety, joy and fun. Here we see a Prince playing Holi with his Harem.

Raga Hindola or The Month of Faghun

Raga Hindola or The Month of Faghun

Kangra School, 18th Century AD

Depicting the joy and gaiety of Holi festival, this miniature painting depicts either Raga Hindola--as the swing is a prominent image, or if part of a Barahmasa series, then it depicts the month of Faghun.

The painting has all the colours and music, the young women and young men of Holi. Happy Holi

Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh

Hoysala Dynasty, 12th century AD, Karnataka

Ardhnareshwar

Ardhnareshwar

Chola Bronze, Chola Dynasty, 10th Century AD

The duality of Nature has captivated the human mind. Yet there is Oneness. To express this Oneness, the Chinese have their 'Ying and Yang', we have our 'Ardhnareshwar '. Here the dynamic (Lord Shiva) is combined with the passive (Goddess Parvati). This figure also represents the intellectual and the emotional. It symbolises the complete universe with all its variety of life. This sculpture depicts a deep philosophical idea.