Indian Sculptural Masterpieces: Iconography Idolized

Indian Sculptural Masterpieces: Iconography Idolized

Hewed in indomitable media, Hindu sculptures are august. From petroglyphs to the 5000-year-old dancing girl to timeless temple art, the sculptural masterpieces of the ancient Indian subcontinent are without fail, imposing.

We look at a decuple list to flip through Hindu sculptural magna opera from benchmark ones such as the Nataraja, to specific forms such as the Heramba, to forms unique to a place like Lepakshi Shivalinga.

Nataraj

The ‘King of Dance’ Nataraj is Shiva in his Tandav or ‘cosmic dance’ state — one of the two most frequent depictions of the godhead (the other being the Shiv Ling). Such sculptures are being retrieved from each corner of the Indomalayan realm. Natarajas are shaped from metal, clay, stone, or wood.

Uthirakosamangai Nataraja carved from emerald stands 5.5 feet tall and is the biggest of the sort. The Nataraja dances within a wreath of flames with one foot upon the dwarf of ignorance. The matted mane is adorned with a conic crown, the Ganges, a crescent, unfurling locks, and a flower or skull, at times. Nataraja has three eyes, the third being between the eyebrows. A serpent, two water beasts, and energy are seen beaming from the trunk of the deity.

Nataraja sculptures may have four to ten arms. One right palm holds the ‘Abhaya’ gesture of creation while a left palm holds the ‘Gaja’ gesture of preservation. The left foot is lifted in the gesture of salvation. The other hands may hold any of a ḍamaru and a naked flame. Sculptures with more hands wear various ‘Mudras’ or gestures, a trident, and other weapons.

Nataraja possesses a mien too stoic for the energetic dance and a master of time, creation, sustenance, and obliteration.

Shivalinga

The Linga is among the ancientest Hindu sculptures. They are inspired by structures that mushroomed themselves up from the Earth (Swayam Bhu Lingas) due to tectonic activity and were worshiped by primitive folks. Lingas are usually carved from stones — granite, marble, or precious. It may feature icons like shiva, serpents, goddesses, a leaf bud, et cetera. The Sahasra-linga at Parashurameshwar temple in Odisha, for instance, has 1001 smaller ‘lingas’ carved upon it.

Even so, how a Linga — just an ellipsoidal cylinder — becomes a sculptural masterpiece form, one may ask; but a scientist would not!

To a physicist, the universe is an ellipsoid — an elongated sphere. An engineer is more specific about the stability of the Jacobi ellipsoid. A mathematician sees how well nature obeys Kepler’s elliptical paths — comet or planet. A Shivalinga is thought to contain a microcosm of the universe and emanate vibrations that are congruent with creation.

A Linga sculpture consists of an oval structure representing the masculine Parashiva embraced by a lipped disk called the ‘yoni’, symbolizing the feminine Parashakti.

The sculptors extend the phallic structure at least twice as much as the part we see. The upper one-third of the deity is called ‘’Puja- ‘ or ‘Shiva-Bhagam’, the one-third engulfed by the ‘Peeth’ or base is named ‘Vishnu-Bhagam’, and the last one-third within the earth is christened ‘Brahma-Bhagam’. The parts of the structure symbolize creation, protection, and destruction.

Buddhist ‘Stupa’ structures are said to have found stimulus in the Linga model of construction as have many others.

Gokarna Ganesha

The Gokarna Ganesha in Karnataka, India depicts “Siddha” Ganapati, one of the thousands of versions of the deity Ganesha. It is a rare Ganesha sculpture, in that the godship is seldom represented with only two arms — Dwibhuj Ganapati. The black stone idol is five feet tall with features reminiscent of Ganesh taking on the avatar of a peaky Brahmin boy or Batuk to trick Ravana into giving up the divine Atmalinga he secured from Shiva out of greed.

Banavasi Kadambas may have founded the Gokarna Ganesha temple by the 4–6th century CE. But the stone structure is said to have preceded the lifetime of Lord Krishna, estimating its age over 5000 years.

The structure is five feet tall. It has a dent in the head in line with the tale of Ravana having hit Ganesha out of spite. The pot-bellied Ganesha idol holds a bowl of sweet dumplings (modaks) in his left and a radish in his right hand. The sculpture is featured with a holy thread across the torso indicative of being a Brahmin and a loincloth that appears semi-circular owing to the paunch.

Tirumala Venkateswara

The Venkateswara, “destroyer of sins” at Tirumala has three peculiarities.

( 1 ) The eyes of the idol are partially covered with a piece of camphor made in a U-shape strictly abiding by the temple’s rules.

( 2 ) Since the sculpture is not compliant with the conventions laid for deity idols, it is believed that it is self-manifested and not man-made (Swayambhu).

( 3 ) The key sculpture (Dhruva Beram) has four auxiliaries (Kautuka Beram, Snapana Beram, Utsava Beram, and Bali Beram) and two consort sculptures associated with it.

The key sculpture is ten feet tall. It sports a conic crown, earrings, curly hair, and several necklaces. The shoulder is scarred from carrying a bow and arrows. The chest is over 36 inches wide and bare, with a sacred thread running diagonally. The idols of consorts Bhudevi and Padmavati are placed on the chest.

Three of the four arms hold the ‘Sudarshana’ discus, ‘Panchajanya’ conch, and boon-giving ‘Varada’ gesture. The fourth arm rests on the thigh. The loincloth is fastened with a waistband. Only some of the said ornaments are integral to the sculpture. The knees are bent as though the deity is beginning to walk.

Cholapuram Ardhanarishvara

The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Ardhanarishvara bedecks and boasts Chola mastery over stone carving. The ‘Ardhanarishvara’ is the deity that comprehends Shiva or the masculine in the right half of the deity and Parvati or the feminine in the left. So the features of the idol are those of a male god on the right and a female goddess on the left.

In usual ‘Ardhanarishvara’ depictions, the number of arms on either side is equal and hold their respective weapons and symbols. A bull belonging to Shiva stands near the right foot and a lion belonging to Parvati is at the left foot.

The Ardhanarishvara at Cholapuram is one of the very rare depictions biased toward a gender. This depiction gives the masculine two arms and the feminine one. Only one of the male hands wields a weapon, an ax, while the female hand holds a flower. Only Shiva’s mount Nandi, the bull is present.

The deity bears one shared crown. The torso is bare except for a string tied aslant. The free right hand rests upon the bull’s head. The right side of the lower body is covered around the pelvis, and the left lower body is completely clothed. The idol is ornamented asymmetrically too.

Hoysaleswara Dancing Saraswati

The Hoysaleswara temple houses the infrequent eight-armed dancing form of Saraswati on the northwest outer wall. The goddess of knowledge is habitually seated holding musical instruments, scriptures, and rosary, and not often wields arms.

This soapstone sculpture is seen in a classical dance posture typical of 12th-century Hindu sculptures. The servants flanking her were mutilated by foreign invaders. It is carved well from all three dimensions although the background features decorative foliage. The supporting column is incised with legends.

Five of her eight hands hold a stick-zither veena, a writing pen, a scripture of sewn palm leaves, and two tools of other arts. One left palm touches the backdrop foliage. One right arm is in a protective gesture and another holds a rosary string. An avian structure is seen at her feet and must be the peacock or swan Saraswati is at times depicted flying upon.

Lepakshi Veerabhadra Shiv Ling

The Naga Linga at Lepakshi is dedicated to the Veerabhadra aspect of Shiva. Yet another illustration of the pomp of Vijayanagar style of rock-paring par equal, the Naga Linga is conquest crystallized.

The Linga rests within three coils of the rock Naga or serpent at the east face of the Lepakshi Veerabhadra temple. The coils span about 6 feet in width while the hood with seven heads spans close to 8 feet to canopy its lord. The actual linga is about a foot in diameter and a couple of feet in height.

The whole structure stands 15 feet tall including the stone base, which is stunning by itself considering that it is carved from single granite rock. It is the largest Naglinga in India, made of a single stone.

Legend is that the linga was carved by two sculptor siblings while their mother prepared lunch for them. The mother’s astonishment at the feat is said to have caused a crack in the structure.

Special mention is earned by the Hanging Pillar — a granite column that measures 70 feet in height and defies gravity. You could slip a piece of cloth under the pillar that is not in contact with the floor.

Heramba Ganesha

Ganesha’s mischiefs know no end, nor do the deity’s avatars. As a 19th-century Heramba, the immortal mutates five heads and ten arms. The son of Shiva assumed this form in reverence to the father’s mastery over the five elements.

The ambiguity of color ascribed to the deity offered stone, clay, metal, gems, and wood alike to be shaped into it. All over the Indian subcontinent, we find variations of Heramba. In depictions without a backdrop of Prabhavali, four heads face the cardinal directions and one the sky. Otherwise, the heads are arranged as feasible.

Heramba is mounted upon a lion or Dinka-beast and sometimes places his consort on the left lap. The arms hold either the noose, the elephant goad, the rosary, a fruit, his broken tusk, the club or mallet, the ax, sweet dumplings, the protective gesture, or the boon gesture. Sometimes, one of the objects is dropped to let the Heramba Ganesha sculpture hold his consort with one left arm.

The Heramba at The Prince of Wales Museum is a unique masterpiece in that the Prabhavali incorporates dragons, the mount associated is a mouse, and the Ganesha holds a ‘damaru’ apart from the intricacy involved in the one-foot-tall brass sculpture.

Basalt Surya

This minimalistic masterpiece of a Basalt sculpture of the Sun god Surya in his chariot roots back in 10th century Bihar. Surya dons a crown-like headgear beneath from which leaks out curly wisps. Ornaments include hoop earrings, a necklace, holy thread across the torso, and a waistband.

The monolith consists of the Sun god, two consorts, two lookouts, the charioteer, and seven horses. The consorts Usha and Pratyusha or Sanjana and Chhaya flank him in battle pose wielding bows and arrows. The flanking staff holds mudras and weapons too. The charioteer whips the seven horses facing right. The sculpture seems to have included wheels carved on too.

Surya has a sword hanging from his waist. Two flower plants also lee the god, which may be taken for sunflowers. Surya statues of the era typically had four hands holding two sunflowers, a staff, and a scripture. This Surya sculpture is mutilated at the elbows making it hard to know what he held.

The sculpture also intriguingly evades the Greek, Kushan, Scythian, and Iranian influences on Hindu sculpture from the era before Christ, the 1st century, 4th, and 6th centuries while being from the 10th.

Regal Brahma

The very rare kingly Brahma in store at the Cleveland Museum is rock-made. The South Indian temple sculpture gives Brahma imperial majesty as opposed to the customary sage-like apparel of the deity. The headpiece holding the pile of dreadlocks alone is decked with intricate designs and aniconic elements melded too well for modern man to read. The regal Brahma has not let go of his priestliness or prayer beads. The base of the sculpture is a seat fashioned in lotus flowers.

Two hands of the Brahma signify creation and protection. The rosary beadroll stands for meditativeness. The sculpture also sports a lotus bud instead of the usual bloom to symbolize the dawn of creation. The four heads face the cardinal points.

Armlets, a necklace, yajnopavita thread, and a waistband jewels the Brahma. The intricacy of the designs extends to the back too for the face there. A serpent-like structure arises from the base of the spine. The unusual Brahma is considered a balance between material and spiritual aspects.

Coda

Ancient Hindu sculptors tower above their creations. Modern versions may fortify the symbolism by unifying other aspects of the conventional forms. A thoughtful marriage of the new and old is bound to give rise to a renascent scion of art.