Bhima ratha - Abode of Vishnu

Surprizing as it may sound, and very rightly deduced by J C Harle, there is a very high likelyhood that this ratha was attributed to none other than vishnu himself. The unfinished carving of the interior and the very width of this cave indicates, that there are strong possibilities of a plan for a reclining vishnu on ananta well within these walls.



And how sure are we? to think that mahabalipuram already flaunts 2 other reclining vishnus not too far away in the mahishasuramardhini cave as well as in the heart of the shore temple, it appears that vishnu had a very strong role to play as a cult deity paralleling shiva, who seems to have gained reasonably strong ground in these regions. whats even more interesting is that apart from this form vishnu has been depicted in his varaha incarnate as well as trivikrama in the varaha cave. These is interestingly the krishna govardhana panel that cannot be ignored, but all in all there is no garuda depicted, instead we have a boar right next to the shore temple. The boar is the varaha incarnate and definitely not the vahana as it would project itself to be in this case.

So coming back to the unfinished rock we see at the left of the Bhima ratha (not visible here) its very clear that there is a strong possibility of a boar being carved out of this rock more than garuda, as we have previously seen next to the shore temple. Inicidentally, the rock is unfinished, but there is no indication that a boar could have been carved there. yet given the trend of the way things seemed to have worked there, its highly possible that a boar would have taken position next to the Bhima ratha indicating this cave being dedicated to Vishnu.

Pulling ourselves a step away, is there a point we are beginning to see here? The rathas seem to be dedicated to the respective deities, Mother goddess, Shiva, vishnu, Indra ... the only ratha that does not follow the rule is the Dharmaraja ratha, which takes on Shiva, and displays an entire calatogue of shiva iconography on its walls.

truely amazing apart from iconography is also the architectural elements of this ratha. this is one of the few monuments that seems to have taken after the chaitya graha at Besra, this again is quoting J C Harle. Interesting opinion as we notice very clearly that a small cell in the besra monument has very beautifully been depicted here on monolithic rock on the roof of Bhima ratha. even more interesting is that most of the old houses (wooden prototypes) depicted on the bharut and sanchi stupa have remote resemblances with this roof!

Interestingly the botton line is that the main arched window atop most of the structures seems to be the main source of light into these houses. Very close to the buddhist chaitya graha - or the later cathedrals for that matter. yet the corners indicate barrel vaulted roof which has a stupa at the far end - altar maybe. The pillars like the rest of the monuments echoes pallava style with squarting yalis at the base.

Interestingly this ratha is also the prototype to later Gopurams that sprang up during the later pallava and chola periods. If you had to add more of this roof to itself and taper them as you go along, you end up with a gopuram. Interestingly, the ganesha ratha is a clear indicator of such innovations in architecture. The finial of this structure seems to find itself not only at the roof (currently destroyed) but around the rathas as well, specifically the draupadi ratha! Am yet to figure out their function. The main decor of the roof has a kapota and a line of shala kutas and karna kutas forming one hara above the pillars. These are interspaced with smaller arched windows or gavakshas also called kudus in Tamil.

Smashan tara, a form of Kali?

The mystery of the draupadi ratha has indeed made me post again. Dwelling into the tantric cult of west bengal, here is something of interest:



At midnight on the dark night of the moon an aghori sits alone in the great cremation ground (smashan) of Tarapith ­ the 'sacred site of Tara' ­ in Bengal, India. He is naked or 'sky-clad', fearless and unashamed, and gazes in wonder at the resplendent form of his beloved goddess, Smashan Tara. His matted hair is piled up into a topknot ­ symbolizing that he upholds his tantric vows, and the rest of his hair hangs down freely ­ representing
that he is completely free from the restraints of conventional reality. His right hand holds a skull, indicating that he has realized the insubstantial nature of all phenomena and the ultimate truth of selflessness. With his left hand he counts the beads of a rosary made from rudraksha seeds as he invokes the goddess with her mantra. He is seated upon a stone plinth and surrounded by pieces of bone from the charnel ground, and has created a protective circle around himself by hammering pegs of bone into the ground and binding them with black thread ­ a ritual practice known as kilana.

Behind the aghori's head is a small Shiva temple crowned with an iron trident, whilst in the background are a range of triangular mountains and the ascending columns of smoke from smoldering funeral pyres. Behind his back is a shrine to Bhairava and Bhairavi ­ the wrathful forms of Shiva and his consort Parvati ­ which are represented by a stone boulder with a wrathful face painted upon it, and a trunk of wood painted with the three eyes of the goddess. In front of this shrine are three skulls, which represent Shiva's mastery over the three gunas or qualities of nature ­ dynamic (rajas), pure (sattva), and inert (tamas). At the back of this shrine is a leafless bel or bilva tree ­ a tree that is especially sacred to Shiva and to all manifestations of the goddesses or shaktis. In front of the aghori is a female jackal, who serves as the 'messenger' or emissary of Smashan Tara. The jackal bares her teeth and gazes back lovingly towards her Mistress, after she has crossed the boundary of the aghori's protective circle with her right paw. Behind the jackal is a wrathful lamp fashioned from an upturned human skull. The skull rests upon a square block representing the element of earth, and is fuelled by human fat and a wick twisted from the hair of a corpse. From the flames of this lamp arises the symbol of a tantric staff or khatvanga, which is fashioned from a small skull mounted upon a handle of human vertebrae. At the top of this skull-staff is a flaming iron trident, which symbolizes the goddess's victory over the three realms (beneath, upon, and above the earth), three times (past, present and future), and three poisons (ignorance, desire and aversion). [Note: The wrathful lamp image is on the spine of the book and not pictured here.]

Smashan Tara ­ 'Tara of the Cremation Grounds' - is deep blue in color, with one face, three eyes, and four arms. She arises amidst the blazing heat of a funeral pyre, and stands in 'warrior- stance' upon the fire-consumed skeleton of a male corpse ­ with her right foot pressing upon the breast of the skeleton (the place of desire), and her left foot pressing upon the skeleton's legs (the place of worldly ambition or progress). The roaring flames of the funeral pyre represent the 'fire at the end of time' (kalagni) ­ the ultimate conflagration of the universe, which transmutes all phenomenal appearances into the unified ashes of selflessness. Her body is formed of pure light and the flames can be seen through her lower legs. She is unrestrained, wild, terrifying and fearless, with a beautiful midnight-blue complexion that represents her immutable and indestructible nature. She is the color of space ­ vast and measureless like the night sky ­ and she is beyond all concepts or qualities (nirguna). Her breasts are large or pot-shaped (ghatastani) ­ symbolizing the spiritual nourishment of her devotees, and her stomach is full and rounded (lambodari) ­ symbolizing her hunger for the corpses of selflessness and the blood of ecstatic bliss. She is naked or 'clothed in the sky' (digambara), symbolizing her freedom from the veils of emotional defilements. Around her waist she wears a girdle of eight blood-dripping forearms, which symbolizes her severance of all actions or karmas and the eight worldly dharmas of loss and gain, praise and blame, pleasure and pain, ignominy and fame. Her long black hair is disheveled and hangs freely behind her back, symbolizing that she has untied the knot of appearances and revels in her unconditional freedom.

Courtesy: Robert Beer. 06/09/2002

Of course there is also Anubis, who is the God of death and enbalming for the ancient Egyptians!

Read more on Smashan Tara

Standards of Jatamukuta for Shiva

This is a deviation from my marathon on the Rathas, but i am just floored to see the amazing similarity between the jatamukuta( head gear of shiva with jatas) of Shiva at Mahabalipuram in the previous posting and that of Shiva in the Sadashiva panel at Elephanta.



Shiva in the previous post is of Vrshabhavana and that at Elephanta is of sadashiva, this jatamukuta at Elephanta seems to be a trend followed all across the sculptures there. These caves were carved out during the 6th century by King Krishnaraja of the Kalachuri dynasty. The Pallavas are said to have ruled around the same period till the 8th century. Yet a classic Kalachuri jatamukuta seems to have made its way into pallava sculptures. This is entirely my interpretation without substantial evidence.

Yet it seems too obvious to ignore. Seems like we need to start looking at various kinds of crowns worn by rulers or the like to understand whether this was dynasty specific or whether it was a part of the shilpa shastra. Or maybe kalachuri influences did enter southern territory as there is enough political evidence to suggest they were contemporaneous to Cholas which means they have been around for a while. My guess might not be wrong after all...

Photo Courtesy: American Institute of Indian Studies

Arjuna Ratha - Dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Arjuna ratha: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this ratha speaks a lot about Shiva iconography and dravida style of architecture. It seems to be governed by the local shaivite faith, interestingly depicting on one of its walls as Vrishabhavana Murti - shiva leaning on Nandi, his bull inteh central niche.



The images on either side seem to be similar to the representations of yakshi couples but cannot be ascertained. I might just be wrong. The main vimana has a stupi below which are three lines of haras making it a three storeyed tower. The hara consists of shala kutas and karna kutas with gavakshas spread across. If you look closer its very visible to see sculptures within the niches.

Here is a larger view of the same, its worth a look

Below the main ratha are a series of rectangular grooves which indicate that there has been some kind of wooden beams that might have stretched out of the main structure. Whether it held a path of circumambulation around it is anybody's guess. The Nandi is carved on a rock behind the main structure, in this case, due ot the availability of rock there. Interestingly, the arjuna ratha and the draupadi share a platform, held up on the backs of elephants and lions, discovered recently in the last 6 months.

Draupadi Ratha

This very clearly represents a hut from a rural area, largely from bengal. Its part of a museum of architecture which also emphasizes in all this the iconography of every diety. The draupadi ratha is dedicated to goddess durga, which is re-emphasized by the lion in front of it, which is the vahana(vehicle) of the goddess.



The dwarapalas are replaced by female attendants or shalabhajikas, who are representations of fertility, the original concept being taken from yakshi cults prevelant in north india. The entrance has an elaborate makara torana which has initially been seen in very early pallava caves later dominating the cholan architecture.

The main shrine on the inside has the goddess in the centre with two attendants on either side among others, one in the act of cutting his head off in repect to the goddess. This is indeed very interesting as the ruling cults of Orissa and Bengal are of mother goddess and largely tantric in nature, which involved human sacrifices as part of their rituals. Maybe the rathas tried to explain a lot more than be mere museums of architecture. The dwarapalikas or the salabhanjikas on the outside have a very seductive welcoming gesture, but what is depicted inside is quite a different story.



This gives the same feeling as the Vittal Deul temple at Chaurasi in Orissa, where the external walls depict acts of seduction while the interior depicts bhairava and kali with scenes of human sacrifices. What really needs to be understood is that the societies were very open towards esoteric cults and such practices were not considered evil, and were very prevelant around the regions of Orissa and bengal.

There was therefore a mingling of cultural practices, and this was not restricted to politics and architecture as has been believed earlier.

Latest on the Rathas at Mahabalipuram

The Rathas:
Interesting evidence shows that the rathas were indeed earlier in chronology as compare to the Kailasanatha temple at Ellora. The fact that prominent elephant and lion base at Ellora has been "discovered" here at Mahbalipuram. This of course is restricted only to what is called the Draupadi ratha and the Arjuna ratha.

Here is some details on the Rathas themselves:



Draupadi ratha: Attributed to the goddess Durga, as its re-inforced by the lion vahana on the outside, this ratha follows pure bengal style of rural architecture. It represents a hut, has the goddess enshrined inside the main and only sanctum. Interestingly, the devotees of this goddess, are shown in the act of almost chopping off thier heads as a mark of adouration.

Arjuna ratha: A miniature version of the dharmaraja ratha, and a true picture of dravida style of architecture, this monument is dedicated to shiva. For one, the nandi is carved right next to it, and secondly the iconography of shiva is extremely rich along its walls.

Bhima ratha: An interesting structure, this clearly is a prototype of later gopurams. Judging by the way its been constructed, it was likely to be dedicated to vishnu, as the rock seems to be prepared for carving a reclining vishnu, as seen in other cave temples at Mahabalipuram as well as shore temple. This would indicate that the unfinished rock next to it was either for a boar, as seen in shore temple next to the vishnu shrine or for garuda, the actual vahana.

Dharmaraja ratha: its all too clear. the iconography speaks for itself, so much so that the nandi was not carved next to this big shrine. the vimana, an elaborate dravida style roof holds a whole catalogue on shiva iconography. This was clearly attributed to Shiva.

Nakula shahadeva ratha: built to the style of a buddhist chaitya, but attributed to Indra, since we have the elephant vahana next to it, this temple seems to be greatly influenced by the only cave temple at besra. the style and motifs clearly indicate strong influences from the north.

More coming later.

Gudimallam linga - Satavahana style

This is truely one of the most spectacular sculptures found here, a little north of Chennai. It is known to date back to the 1st century BC, it is also proclaimed to be sculpted in the Satavahana style. Surprizingly there is no other sculpture of the same kind any where near this geographically to associate it with any pattern in art styles.



The gudimallam linga, depicts the true nature of a Shiva linga, with the human form carved well within the limits of the linga. Here we see a sculpture of Shiva standing with a club on one side, the only sculpture where shiva is carved completely within the linga. We later see versions of the same in the Lingodbhavamurthi which shows only part of shiva, found at Kanchipuram and later temples in the southern regions.

We get to know more about the Pallavas from the 6th century onwards because of the constant clashes with the Chalukyas, but as far as early sculptures are concerned, the Gudimallam Linga, stands a class apart.

There are other interesting caves around the Pallava region. The caves at Dalavanur, are probably one of the earliest caves made by the Pallavas. This cave at Dalavanur, depicts the characterestics of the pallava caves with very confused dwarapalas, whose bodies are flexed rather awkwardly. Interestingly, the pillars are very bare and at the most have medallions which is a Chalukyan take off. This si actually in the Shatrumalla cave near Chennai. These caves were built during the period of Mahendravarman and have very square pillars on two ends with an octagon in the center. No yali figures accompany this cave which are so charcterestic to Pallavas. We see that the yali figures come in later constructions.

Shiva Nataraja - Chatura pose

Shiva's dance involves all of 108 poses, some of which have been sculpted in bronze as well as stone on temple walls. Here at the Brihadeshwara temple, under the rule of Rajaraja chola and the patronage of queen Sembiyan Mahadevi, one of the leading queens of the Chola dynasty are depicted the various forms of shiva.

To the Chola rulers, apart from Tanjore, Chidamabaram was another place that boasted the strong presence of Shiva. Apart from the beautiful bronze Nataraja at the Chidambaram temple a lot of similar forms have been installed along the temple niches for the diety.



Here at Brihadeshwara, along its south wall we see Shiva in the chatura pose. The chatura pose is that where the right leg is firmly placed on the apasmarapurusha (ignorance) and the left leg is raised half way into the air shortly before being stretched out as the nataraja tandava pose. Shiva wears a jatamukuta and holds the crecent moon and ganges in his hair! In this sculpture he is seen holding a trident as one of his many attributes.

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Photos courtesy: Michael D. Gunther / ww.art-and-archaeology.com

The Pallava foundation of temples

Before we jump to the temples of the Cholas we need to understand what brought about their forms and the prototypes for the same. Their predecessors the Pallavas had by now mastered the art of carving temples into live rock. The rathas and the shore temple are the standing examples of Pallava architecture in Mahabalipuram and the Kailashnatha temple is at Kanchipuram. They house dieties from both Shaivite and vaishnavite iconography.



Lets take a glimpse at the architectural forms at Kailashnatha temple, Kanchipuram. Look closely at the Gopuram. Its the structural version of the sculptural representation of the shrine models as seen in Mahabalipuram. The pillars are mounted on yali figures. The yalis also adorn the sub shrines around the main sanctum which is rich in indian iconography. Each sub shrine marks a part of the outer wall, a sort of fortification a little different from what we get to see at shore temple Mahabs.

The main gopuram though small is very similar to that found on the Bhima ratha. Its a clear understanding here that the subshrines have shallow porches and are a miniature version of that found at the Varaha cave at Mahabalipuram.

The pallavas definitely had their had at structural temple architecture. This was probably one of the larger temples they built. Its very interesting to notice that the Kailashnatha temple though rich in iconography, the sculptures are not life size as that in Mahabalipuram or Ellora. In later temples they will taken on much smaller forms as in the pillars of later Chola temples.

Temple architecture under the Cholas.

The Cholas were Shaivite follower though they were tolerant towards other sects. Their Kuladeivam was Lord Shiva in whose honour they are known to have built the Golden Hall at Chidambaram. Its interesting to note that temple architecture under the Cholas took a new shape. Under the patronage of Queen Sembiyan Mahadevi, the temples were now planned and housed dieties on the niches along its outer wall.

Given the rising power of the minor dieties, the temple had to now save its own vitality and hence give room to minor shrines like the mother goddess within the temple premises. This was definitely not an earlier practise. Its also under the Cholas that the temples now have a gargoyle spout on the North wall. The back wall or the west wall always houses a Lingodbhava murti.

Mother Goddess and Ganesha adorn the other niches of the Shiva temple. The shala kutas and Karna kutas(architectural features) continue to decorate the vimana of these temples. Its also during the Chola times that the Vimana shoots up into the sky which can be seen in Brihadeshwara temple, Tanjore, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Tribhuvanam. Its at Darasuram that the vimana remains at 5 storeys. My next posts will have more on these temples.

Politics under the Cholas.

The Cholas ruled in South India from the 9th century to the 13th century. Along with the Pandyas they defeated the Pallavas, who finally disappeared after 300 years. This period also saw the crystalization of the tamil culture. The chola culture ruled the regular life styles of the people thus making it the Classical era.



This is a mural depiction of Rajaraja Chola with Guru Karuvurar at the Brihadeshwara temple at Tanjore.

The chola empire extended further to the south east Asian countries like Java etc. Politically the Cholas have ruled in Tamil Nadu since the first century AD but came into the lime light of historical importance when the first ruler Parantaka 1 defeated the Pandhyas and established his rule over the south. He was later defeated by the Rashtrakutas. The Cholas rule did have its ups and downs but rose again when they reclaimed their territories from the Rashtrakutas, who by then had faced enough harassment from the Chalukyas. This time the Chola empire came to be more stable under the rule of Rajaraja 1 (985- 1014) is son Rajendra Chola.

Commerce flourished under the Cholas and they were very well aware of their competition in the Arab traders who were supported by the rulers of Kerala. Hence the Cholas went and conquered the Malabar coast and monopolized on this. Further they had ties with China and other south east Asian countries. Indeed a politically very well knit state!

Shiva dances at Ellora

they called this the dancing skanda. i still think this is shiva himself ( the jattas probably give him away). but having come upon skanda, here is an interesting story.

The Kumbh Legend In Skanda Purana



The ancient Hindu scripture, the Skanda Purana, recounts the legendary origin of the Kumbh Mela. The Devas or Gods and the Asuras or Demons sought the nectar of immortality, hidden in the depths of the ocean. Using Mount Meru as a churning stone with the python, Vasuki Naga, coiled around it like a rope, balanced on Vishnu who had assumed the form of a tortoise, the epic exercise began. On the one side, the Devas took hold of the python's tail , on the other, the Asuras held his head. Together they turned the gigantic contraption and churned the ocean into a ferment. The beleaguered ocean then threw up enough deadly poison to swamp and destroy all the three worlds.

Before it could do so, however, Lord Shiva descended from the heavens, and swallowed it up. Parvati held his throat in order to stop the poison from descending, this turned his throat blue, hence he is called Nilakantha. After the ocean had purged itself, the universe was granted a treasure trove of boons. Among these was a flying horse, a wish-granting cow, a priceless jewel, a magic moon, a skycar, a musical instrument, the apsara Rambha, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, and Vishwakarma the mystic architect. Ultimately, Danwantri the divine healer, appeared bearing the Amrit or nectar of immortality. The jar that held it, was the Kumbh.

As the Asuras made a grab for the Amrit , Rambha began dancing to distract them. Jayanta, son of Indra , transformed himself into a large bird and flew off with the Kumbha . Jayanta's flight to paradise took him twelve days. On his journey, he flew over the Earth, stopping at four places. First, Prayag or Allahabad, then Haridwar, Trimbakeshwar (near Nasik) and finally, Ujjain. At each place, a few drops of nectar fell into the river. These, therefore, are the holy places of the Kumbh Mela, and the significance of the ritual bath.

Gangadhara Shiva - Ganges in Shiva's Jatamukuta

Bhagirata was the renowned king and forefather of Rama of Raghu Vamsa. His forefathers known as Sagaras were burnt down due to a curse. In order to uplift his ancestors from the curse and finally get them to heaven, he wanted to bring the river Ganges to earth. The concept is that when the waters of the Ganges touch the ash of Sagaras, they would be uplifted from their sin.

Bhagirata performed very severe austerities to get Indra's acceptance. He gave permission to bring the Ganges to the earth. However, the decision of coming down to earth would be Ganga's. So Bhagirata again started his penance and prayed to the Goddess to descend. She agreed to come down, but he was warned that earth would not withstand the force with which she would descend.

Bhagirata worshipped Lord shiva for help. He performed severe austerities to pleasing Lord Shiva. Shiva was pleased with his devotion and agreed to hold the Ganges when she descends to earth. Ganges blinded by her own pride and ignorance thought that the Lord wouldn't be able to withstand the force! She descended with an intention to flow down with heavy force on the Lord.

Lord Shiva, the creator of the entire universe arrested her flow in His Jatamukuta! She tried her best to release herself only to get locked further.Bhagirata, prayed to the Lord to show mercy on the Goddess and release her. Ganges flowed gently down from his matted locks to purify the earth and the Sagaras off their sins. Ganges then flowed gracefully and blessed Patala with her waters. Thus the ancestors of Bhagirata were resurrected by the holy water of the Ganges.

Shiva sculptures depict Ganges in Shiva's Jatamukuta. This is most often seen in the Nataraja sculptures with Ganges on one side and the crescent moon on the other!

Kalyanasundara Murti - wedding of Shiva and Parvati

Mother goddess Shakthi was reborn as parvati, the daughter of the king of Himalayas. As a young child, she was not interested in playing with the other children. She was more inclined towards meditating on Lord Shiva in the mountains and she desired to marry him. For that she wanted to perform austerity in the snow covered Himalayas. Her parents hesitated, but finally had to subdue to the determination of Parvati.

Lord shiva who was happy with her worship, came as an old devotee to her place. Parvati offered her respect to the old bhakta of her beloved lord. Now, he tried to convince her that she shouldn't waste her youth doing tapas, but should enjoy life getting married ! He further suggested that she could get married to him, instead of desiring for Lord Shiva Who dances in the cemeteries and wears skulls and bones! parvati, without knowing who he is, got very angry on hearing his words told him that she showed him respect only because he seemed like a devotee and she would not want to hear any little blasphemy of God further.



The Lord, pleased with her determination and devotion, reveals who he is. He gave her the boon she yearned for and accepted to marrying her. The Himalayan king's family was delighted to have their beloved daughter wedded. The region was decorated and shining with prosperity. The young beautiful Parvati was decorated with beautiful ornaments for the wedding.

Now came the groom, lord Shiva to the wedding place on an old bull, with skull and bone ornaments, with the skin of the tiger as the clothing, accompanied by the roar of the bhuta ganas !! Having seen this form of Lord Shiva, the wedding was called off. In order to please the royal family and having realized the hypocrisy in society Lord Shiva decided to change his form, into a groom in glittering beautiful wedding robes and golden ornaments! The queen could not belive that what came in such a hidious form now looked so devine and beautiful ! The enchanting Lord in the wedding robe got married to the daughter of the mountains and this form of god is called kalyana sundhara.


Click here for the complete story

The Nataraja in dance

The Nataraja is definitely one of the most popular sculptures, brought to the lime light under the Cholas. The form had been sculpted before, but in bronze its a class apart.

This form of Tandava is one of three steps in dance, this being the final pose. The beauty is seen in a series of Natarajas sculpted under the Chola rule. Over three centuries we see this form take shape most beautifully in bronze. Shiva stands on the Apasmara purusha on his right leg, while his left leg almost rises into the air but has still not left the ground - this is the lalita pose.



When he raises his leg mid way into the air but yet not out stretched its in the Chatura pose, and when he finally stretches his left leg out and points to it in the gaja hasta pose with his left hand, the right hand continuing to remain in abhaya pose - signifying "do not fear" and seek refuge in lord Shiva, it is the final Nataraja.

Interestingly there are around 108 poses depicted in shiva's dance. For now, click here to view another sculpted pose of Lord Shiva.

Click here to know more on the dance of Shiva

Shiva Bhikshatana - the enchanting mendicant.

This story of Shiva portrays him as a mendicant who went through the villages and seduced wives of brahmins. It was this yogic personality that gave Lord Shiva his irresistible looks.

As described in the Suprabhedagama, Shiva is said to have passed the slopes of Mount Meru without any garments. The wives of the Rishis fell in love with him and lost their chastity. The rishis wild with rage, performed incantations to kill Shiva, the seducer of their wives. From their ceremonial grounds there came snakes, a Krishna-Mriga, an Apasmarapurusha, a Parasu, a bull, a tiger, a lion and several other things.

The latter took for his sport the black deer, the snake and the parasu, the apasmarapurusha was trampled under his feet, the lion and tiger were killed as worn as garments, while the skull and the moon were placed on his jatamukuta.

There are of course various versions to what he carries as attributes. The snakes are either on his waist or in his jatas. The primary point here is that the Bhikshatana murti leads to him possessing most of the attributes depicted in the Nataraja.

Nataraja and its various forms

What is evident from looking closely at the themes that best describe shiva at Elephanta is that they all belong to his "soumya rupa" or his lasya form. Apart from these sculptures (click here for the list of sculptures) Shiva is known to be depicted in two forms - the soumya rupa and the ghora rupa. Most of his stories depict him in one of these two forms.

Now take for example the Nataraja itself, he is said to have performed the dance in both forms. The tandava itself has various parts to it. In all these sculptures Nataraja is said to stand onthe apasmara purusha, hold the damaru, covered in tiger and lion skins and have a snake around his waist.

How did he come around possessing these icons! This leads us back to the story of Bhikshatana Murti. A mythological story that clearly shows how he came to possess these attributes.

The Trimurti at Elephanta.

The Elephanta Nataraja re-emphasizes the beauty of sculpture. Here mostly destroyed Nataraja carries the following attributes. In a Nataraja sculpture, Shiva is depicted with the following attributes



His upper right hand carries the Damaru, the upper left a bowl of fire, which is destruction, the dissolution of form.. The lower right hand is raised in blessing, betokening preservation. The right leg, representing obscuring grace, stands upon Apasmarapurusha, a soul temporarily earth-bound by its own sloth, confusion and forgetfulness. The uplifted left leg is revealing grace, which releases the mature soul from bondage. The lower left hand gestures toward that holy foot in assurance that Shiva's grace is the refuge for everyone, the way to liberation. He wears the skins of lions and tigers on his loins and the moon and skull adorn his jatamukuta.

The circle of fire represents the cosmos and especially consciousness. The all-devouring form looming above is Mahakala, "Great Time." The cobra around Nataraja's waist is kundalini shakti, the soul-impelling cosmic power resident within all.

This is the enlarged view of Nataraja at Elephanta.
See this post on Nataraja

The Nataraja - extension of the Trinity

The misconception of this sculpture being a part of the trinity is age old. The assumption is that the preserver as seen in Elephanta is Vishnu when actually, as mentioned earlier its Vamadeva, while the destroyer is Bhairava. Very clearly these are aspects of Lord Shiva himself.



The sculpture has been given another form in the later Chola sculptures. Here of course the three forces of Shiva have been depicted symbolically, there is no human form representing all three forms of Shiva, but instead the feminine form of Vamadeva the creator is replaced by the Damaru - the symbol from which creation issues forth. The other hand carries fire, the symbol of distruction or Bhairava.

Shiva himself in the center is the preserver and this dance of Anandha Tandava depicts reassurance and perservation of all those who seek refuge in him. This is Shiva Nataraja from the Chola period dated bck to the 11 -12th cen AD, Madras Museum.

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Courtesy: photo copyright © Madras Museum

The merging of Vrishabhavana and Ardhanarishwara

This is indeed an extremely interesting sculpture. What typically is known as the Ardhanarishwara has been treated differently here at Elephanta. With the introduction of Nandi and the pose of Shiva, this sculpture brings together two aspects of Lord Shiva.



Vrishbhavana is the name given to Lord Shiva with his bull Nandi, a casual pose with his right arm resting on the bull.
Ardhanarishwara is the merger of Shiva and Parvati described in an earlier posting. This sculpture truely unique and maybe the only one of its kind is found here at Elephanta.
The over all theme gives an idea of attendants at the bottom of the panel, flying celestial figures to depict the heavens and the abode of the Lord at the Kailasa peak. The central definitely being the imposing sculpture of Lord Shiva in a combination of Vrishabhavana and Ardhanarishwara. The bull is realistically sculptured and almost larger than life as if to almost walk out of the panel. Parvati is depicted in the tribhanga pose (the S shaped twist to the body in three parts). This pose is followed in most of the sculptures of the goddesses in the south during the later Chola period.

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Photo courtesy: www.colby.edu/art/AsianArt