Lord Surya ( The Sun God )

Lord Surya ( The Sun God )

 Paramar Dynasty,9th Century AD

 

              Lord Surya is unique to Hindu pantheon. Surprisingly although the Vedic people worshipped the elements of Nature, the Rain, the wind, fire and water, they did not worship the Sun. It is in 1st AD that the Sun god is imported into India from Iran during the Kushan period. Unlike the other Hindu Gods,  He wears leather boots, and has a square crown. But like Lord Vishnu,  He holds lotus in his hands. But instead of sitting comfortably, He is shown either squatting (as in this sculpture ) or standing as in the Konark temple. 

            His seven horses symbolise the seven days of the week; the twelve wheels of His chariot symbolise the twelve months of the year. 

            Later on, He loses his identity as an independent God. He is fused with Lord Vishnu and is called Suryanarayan.  According to Brahma Puran, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are His manifestations. Valmiki in his Ramayan has written a beautiful hymn about  Surya, called the Surya Upasana.  

           The Sun god was worshipped in all the great civilisations of the ancient world, as He is the sustainer of life. With solar power as a renewable source of energy, He continues to be essential for us as well. 

Maharaja Narsimha on a Swing in His Harem

Maharaja Narsimha on a Swing in His Harem

Eastern Ganga Dynasty, 13th Century AD,Konark, Odisha

             Maharaja Narsimha was a great builder of temples. The temple at Konark in Odisha was built by him. The existence of sculptures depicting him in his daily activities are unique. For they not only give us an insight into the royal life, but also tell us about the Indian view of life. Here we see him sitting in a swing with his Ranis.  Swings inside the houses are still popular as in Gujarat. Therefore, one can imagine such swings in the royal harem as well. 

            Many have wondered why such "domestic" or even "erotic " scenes are depicted in Indian temples? The reason is simple: to depict one of the four stages ( 'Ashrams' ) of life, Grahasth (householder ) ashram. 

            Such sculptures also had a political message: all is well in the Kingdom as the Royal family is happy. This is similar to the Royal family of England coming out on the balcony  of the Buckingham Palace to wave the the cheering subjects.

Goddess Lakshmi

Goddess Lakshmi

Wooden sculpture from Kerala, 19th century AD

           Today Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped here in Karnataka.  She is the mother goddess who bestows wealth of every sort: of food, of money, of children, of political power, of victory. As the Goddess of wealth, she is the 'Shakti ' (power) behind the maintenance of the universe. Hence, she is the wife of Lord Vishnu, the maintainer of the universe. 

            But like wealth itself, the goddess can be very fickle. Here today, gone tomorrow. In order to have Her, one requires learning ( hence she is shown with Goddess Swaraswati ) and  wisdom ( hence with Lord Ganesh).  

            If there is Lakshmi, then there is Kulakshmi also. She is the goddess of famine, drought and poverty. If we imprison Lakshmi, do not respect her, or ignore the well being of economy, we lead ourself to poverty. Thus, black monet is antithesis of a robust economy.  We should respect and propagate free circulation of money in order to build a strong economy and a strong nation.

Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Kerala Bronze, 14th Century AD, Thiruvananthapuram Museum, Kerala

            A very unusual and certainly the best bronze piece in the museum. It is unusual as the theme of marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is not depicted even in Chola Bronze.  Chola Bronze does depict the family of Lord Shiva, but never his marriage. 

            The elegance of the pose, the gentle touch of  the hand, the beautiful facial expression, the details of the clothes worn by Goddess Parvati make this a masterpiece.  

            The social status of woman is very clear : smaller in size than Lord Shiva,  her status is lesser than his. But she is not the shy bride

            She is confident; she is radiant.   She is about to accept him as her counterpart.  But she is his equal in status. She may have longed for him. But now he is hers.  

Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu

Kerala Bronze,  8th Century AD, Thiruvananthapuram Museum

             This is the oldest bronze sculpture of the museum. Although this figure is from central Kerala, it shows the influence of Pallava art of Tamil Nadu.  The eyes are done in gold and red gemstone.  There is some gold in the Crown also. 

              Lord Vishnu is an important diety in Kerala as is evident from the Padmanabhan temple in Thiruvananthapuram or Trivendrum.  Although the South has a strong following of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu is equally important.  

             Here we see a slender version of the male figure. While in North, Lord Vishnu is depicted as broad shouldered , and with a supple body, in South slender figures are preferred. 

This piece may not be a masterpiece,  but it is important for its historical value. 

Natraj

Natraj

Bronze Figure from South India, 18th Century AD,Thiruvananthapuram Museum, Kerala.

      Although this a bronze figure, it is unclear as to which part of South India it comes from. Whether it is a Chola Bronze or from Kerala itself, this is an issue which is ambiguous.  The fact that is claimed to be from the 18th century certainly excludes it from being a Chola Bronze for the Chola Dynasty was over by this age. 

     Despite its origin being unclear, the sculpture is lively and unique. The turn of the body, the uplifted leg make the figure come alive. It is unique as the ring of fire is not circular,  but more elliptical,  more like an arch. The figure is more delicate.  Notice the way, the fire is held between two fingers as though a flame has been plucked rather than being held in the hand. These differences clearly point to the "formulistic " usage of the posture, rather than innovating a new iconography. By the 18th century we has become imitators and we're no longer inventors. The decline had set in.

Devi

Devi

Bronze Figure, 17th Century AD,  Thiruvananthapuram Museum, Kerala

        The Chola artist were the famous sculptors in casting beautiful bronze figures. But their techniques and influence went beyond the Chola Kingdom.  The other kingdoms of the South also picked up their concerns and iconography and made the their own. 

        This figure of the Devi is a case in point. She stands in the same pose as Goddess Parvati would have stood in Chola Bronze.  But here she holds a pair of cymbals.  Cymbals are symbols of time and rhythm.  With the instrument one marks the time (beats) and yet with sequence of beats, one creates a rhythm.  The Devi is symbolises Nature in all its benevolence.  She is Time and yet She is the rhythm of Nature. She is the Divine Mother. 

Lord Sastha

Lord Sastha

Kerala Bronze,17th Century,  Thiruvananthapuram Museum,  Kerala

          Lord Sastha is quite a unique figure in Hindu pantheon.  Initially, he was considered to be the son of Lord Shiva and Mohini ( the female form of Lord Vishnu ). Thus, he was the South Indian version of Lord Harihar. But subsequently and presently Lord Sastha is considered as the elder son of Lord Shiva, as a form of Skanda, the Hindu god of war. 

        The Keralites are fierce warrior. They not only worship Skanda in his form as Ayyappa, but also have war dances called, Kalaripayattu. It is a dance form where high leaps and jumps are common, where the dancer uses the sword and shields, the spear and the club. 

         But Lord Sastha is not the God of war. In this form he is seen as a teacher. Here he sits with a halo, made out of his hair. He sits in the 'Maharaja Lila ' pose or in the posture of a king.  He smiles benevolently towards the devotee,  ready to impart his knowledge of how to cope with the struggles, skirmishes and battles of life. He is the true teacher.  

Lord Brahma

Lord Brahma

Chera Dynasty, 15th Century AD,  Thiruvananthapuram Museum,  Kerala

            Lord Brahma is the most neglected of the Gods of the Hindu Trinity. While Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are worshipped all over India, there are hardly any temples dedicated to Lord Brahma.                 According to Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma was born out of Lord Vishnu ' s navel, while the latter slept on his snake, Sheshnag.  Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe. It is said, having created, He fell in love with his creation. He chased his "daughter", wanting to have it. Seeing his arrogance, seeing his mala fide intention, Lord Shiva cut off the fifth head of Lord Brahma which used to look upwards towards the sky.

           This story, like any other myth,  is merely symbolic.  Arrogance and mala fide intention have no place in an orderly universe. Rule of Law must prevail. Even the Gods are not above "Dharma " (righteous acts). Lord Brahma has four heads in order to symbolise that a given fact  can have various interpretations. Different points of views can co-exist. This is the foundation of our pluralism and of our catholic world view.

Goddess Durga

Goddess Durga

Wooden Sculpture, 15th Century, Kerala

           Another beautiful and unusual sculpture in the Thiruvananthapuram Museum.  Wood is not as popular medium for sculpture in India as is stone. But there is a continuous tradition of wood carvings in India. Bengal,  Gujarat,  Karnataka and Kerala are centers for exquisite wood work and wood sculpture.  This statue of Goddess Durga shows the dexterity of the sculptor in depicting not only the fine jewellery, but also in portraying the fierce expression of the face. 

         This sculpture is unique in two ways: firstly, it does not depict the Goddess riding the lion. But shows her standing on him. Secondly, the ornate jewellery,  the mask like face, the flamboyant headress seems to show the influence of both Kathakali, a classical dance from Kerala and of the folk dances of Kerala. Here one can see the impact of folk culture on the classical tradition. The artist has to speak the language of the common man in order to drive the story home. The sculpture, thus, testifies to the fusion of the classical tradition of Brahminism or Sanskritization of the south, and the strong undercurrent of the local community. It is a proof of our ability to assimilate different cultures and communities, traditions and philosophies. 

Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh

Chola Bronze, 11th Century AD, Thiruvananthapuram Museum

 

          Recently visited the Government Museum at Thiruvananthapuram. Although the Museum has an excellent collection of Chola Bronze,  but the collection is hopelessly displayed. There are even mistakes about the identity and importance of the images of the Gods of Hindu pantheon.  This figure of Lord Ganesh is described as holding a "horn" in his front right hand. Wish they knew it is a broken "tusk" which He holds and not a "horn". 

          The image is a beautiful one with Lord Ganesh standing on a lotus pedestal. Since the sculpture was meant to be carried,  it has two prongs on the side. Images of the Gods are still carried in many parts of the country so as to permit the devotees to have a glimpse (a darshan) of the Gods. It is also a social means of conveying that all is well in the city. Such social festivals not only permit us to be together, but also allow us to celebrate the joys of life, itself.

Varunani (Goddess of the Ocean)

Varunani (Goddess of the Ocean)

Eastern Ganga, 13th Century AD,  Konark,  Odisha

          In the Vedas Varun is one of the great four gods. According to many, He is the creator. According to some, He is the God of ocean. He is generally shown riding a mixed animal who has the legs of a lion, has a tusk of an elephant,  the tail of a fish. This creature merely suggests that life is a mystery,  it is full of contradictions, but it is acceptable.  

         Varunani is the Shakti (energy) of God Varun. She holds a noose in one hand so as to symbolise her ability to catch and hold things. She too sits on a hybrid animal called "Makar." This animal is also the symbol for Capricorn sign of the zodiac.

        The Konark sculptor has produced some of the most ornate and lively sculptures of India.  The eternal soft smile on the face imparts a sense of compassion and serenity to the divine figures. The art of Konark was to influence the art of Java and Sumatra where the Oriya fleets went for trade.

Vajratara

 Vajratara

 Pratihara Dynasty, 12th Century AD

        Goddess Tara is the goddess of compassion in Buddhist pantheon.  Vajratara is a manifestation of hers who protects the people from natural calamities like floods and earthquakes. She also protects us from inner illnesses. 

       This beautiful image speaks about the popularity of Buddhism even in the 12th century. It is also a testimony of diversity of religion as Buddhism was peacefully coexisting with Hinduism and Jainism. 

       Diversity and plurality arre part of our cultural genenorm.

Lord Shiva as Natraj (Lord of Dance)

Lord Shiva as Natraj (Lord of Dance)

Chola Dynasty,10th Century AD

          Dance in India has a divine and an  ancient origin. According to Bharat  Muni's Natya Shastra dance was first performed by Lord Shiva. It was a dynamic dance full of powerful movements. It was called Tandav. It was first performed in an assembly of Gods.  Goddess Parvati then did the feminine form of dance, full of graceful and slow dance called Lasya.  

Lord Shiva has performed  the Tandav on other occasions also, when he killed the Elephant demon--Gajasura; when the sages were upset when Lord Shiva walked naked near their helmet and the sages wives fell in love with Him. And of course the Tandav dance of total destruction in a ring of fire. 

        This sculpture also depicts the dance of destruction as here Lord Shiva is dancing on the dwarf of ignorance. Here He does hold the fire in one hand and 'damaru ' ( drum) in another hand. His front hands are in the 'mudra' (gesture) called 'gajahasth ' (hand like the trunk of an elephant), and in 'Abhaya Mudra ' ( fear not gesture). 

        This sculpture seems to depict the moment when Lord Shiva is just about to lift his left leg and strike the "classic" pose of Natraj. 

        This sculpture has the same message of Natraj: creation and destruction are on same level. Come under my protection and fear not either creation or destruction.  Change is part of Nature. Impermanence is life. But beyond the world of illusions there is eternity,  beauty and truth. God and soul dance together as a divine couple.  We are immortals and divine.