Dancer

Dancer

Hoysalawara Temple,Hoysala Dynasty, 12th Century AD

           The sculptures of dancers have preserved the legacy of classical Indian dances well. Classical dances have an ancient history and a modern rediscovery. Bharat Muni had written his Bharatnatya Shastra--a treatise on Drama--in 2nd century BC. But during the medieval period dance died out as a living art. It is only in the beginning of the 20th century that it was rediscovered by famous dancers like Uday Shankar and Rukmani Devi.

These dancers went back to the sculptures of temples at Tanjore and Chidambram to see the postures, the gestures of the dancers.

Today India has six classical dances: Kathak from Jaipur and Lucknow, Kathakali from Kerala, Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, Manipuri from Manipur, Odissi from Odissa, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh. The extent of dances from the four corners of the nation proves their lasting traditions and popularity.

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.

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.