Pillar in the form of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu

 Pillar in the form of Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD,Ajmer Museum.

         The four important gods of Hinduism are Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The fourth is Surya, the Sun god. These four gods provided the design for this huge pillar of a temple. The hugeness of the pillar reveals the weight it must have borne and possibly indicates the height of the temple itself.
       Although pillars are not as important as the facade of the building, but they play a pivotal role in the structure of the building.  While the Greeks invented four types of  pillars, the Indians invented at least forty types of pillars. This not only proves the imagination of the architects, but also establishes the dexterity of the artisans.

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD, Ajmer Museum

One of the finest sculptures of the Ajmer Museum. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi quietly sit over Garuda. The serenity of their face, the tranquility of their pose imbibes a sense of divinity to the sculpture. The elaborate jewelry, the young bodies of the God and Goddess makes them eternally young and immortals. One can only bow in reverence to such idols

Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati

Pratihara Dynasty, 10th Century AD, Ajmer Museum

The Hindu Trinity is depicted here. While Lord Brahma sits in meditation, Lord Vishnu flies of on his vehicle, the Garuda. Meanwhile, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati sit quietly. Interestingly, while Lord Shiva is shown with his consort, the other two Gods are without their consorts. Is it that the God of destruction requires more energy than the God of creation, and the God of maintenance do? A point to ponder.

Varaha Avtar

Varaha Avtar

12th Century AD.
Ajmer Museum


Lord Vishnu in Boar incarnation.