Lord Shiva Dancing within the Skin of an Elephant
Ellora Caves, Rashtrakuta Dynasty, 8th Century CE
Gajasura, a demon in the form of an elephant (Gaj), attacked Lord Shiva. The Lord killed him, skinned him, stretched his skin to the end of the cosmos and danced within the skin. Here we see the colossal form of Lord Shiva as he dances in his fury: his ten arms flaying in the cosmos, his one foot trampling ignorance, his hair dishevelled and the skin stretched to the frame of the panel. It is an image of fury, anger, and total destruction. Yet Goddess Parvati just turns around to see what all the fuss is about. Like her, the Seven Mothers quietly sit as though nothing has happened.
The cosmos may be in turmoil, but there is a sense of calmness. Even when we suffer tragedy in our lives and the world seems to be crashing down, Nature continues to be tranquil. The sculpture is, thus, an existentialist statement.
When the Europeans saw these sculptures they mistook them to be demonic in nature. For it was difficult to imagine divinity as having "octopus like" arms. But their art being realistic, they could neither see the concept, nor the philosophy behind the Indian art. Our art has always been "conceptual" whereas the western art was till the 20th century realistic. Our aesthetics are different. Hence it is difficult for people to understand the mysteries of Indian Art. To fully understand Indian Art one has to comprehend indian dance, music, myths, and philosophy. It is a complex world.
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