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 Gauri

Goddess Gauri

Paramar Dynasty, 11th Century CE, Bhopal Museum.

           Goddess Gauri is none other than Goddess Parvati.  She seems to be a popular diety in the 10th to 12th century as numerous sculptures of hers can be found from this period. Here she is surrounded by the Seven Mothers (Saptamatrikas) on the top, by Kartikeya on her right, by Lord Ganesh on her left. She would have carried a Shiva Linga in one of her hands.  She is also surrounded by other maidens who are at her service. Surprisingly her 'vehicle' (vahan) is a mongoose.  

            This sculpture is highly symbolic.  Goddess Gauri is the symbol of benevolence of Nature. Thus Her full bodied figure.  Her inner energy is depicted by the string of pearls which has moved to her left side of the naval. Despite the fact that She stands erect,  the pearl string moves. This portrays the inner strength or the "inner Prana" of the divinity. 

            Like the Seven Mothers, Nature sustains us. In her lap we are protected and we grow as individuals and as a nation. But to grow we need both wisdom and dynamism. Hence, Lord Ganesh (wisdom) and Kartikeya  (dynamism). But like the mongoose, we need a probing mind to understand the beauty and mystery of Nature. Mongoose also symbolises the riches which are buried in Nature. Thus an inquisitive mind discovers the riches of Nature.  Nature stands in all her glory in this stunning sculpture. 

Varaha Avtar (Lord Vishnu in His Third Incarnation as a Boar)

Varaha Avtar (Lord Vishnu in His Third Incarnation as a Boar)

Paramar Dynasty,11th Century CE

            There was a time when Mother Earth was coveted by a demon. He dragged her into the cosmic ocean. She pleaded to Lord Vishnu to save her. Lord Vishnu emerged as a wild Boar. He fought with the Demon,  killed him, and brought Mother Earth out of the ocean on his tusk. Here we see Him with the Mother Earth as He emerges from the ocean. 

            This pose of Lord Vishnu was created by the Gupta artists in the 5th Century CE at Udaigiri Caves in Madhya Pradesh.  Ever since then, this pose has been used repeatedly by the Indian artists. 

            The wild Boar is a unique animal. While it lives on the land, it can dive deep into the water. It is thus adjustable to both land and water. Only those who are flexible in their thoughts can emerge from the ocean. 

            Mother Earth is again under threat. On the one hand She is constantly attacked, on the other hand She is ever exploited. Again she awaits to be rescued from the senseless greed and hatred of mankind. She again awaits for flexible thinking persons to rescue her from her pitiable plight. But we are becoming blind to our myopic vision. The totality of Oneness is lost upon us. And Mother Earth seems to further  sink into a quagmire.