The Indus Valley civilization,
which can be traced back to the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC, was the
birthplace of Indian art and sculpture. The sculptures and art of
those times depict the enormous skill and talent achieved by people in
those days.
Sculptures of the Indus Valley -
the excavated objects revealed carvings of peepal leaves, deities and
animals. They were shapes of stones or seals, which were enshrined
and worshipped. The tremendous sophistication and artistry is seen
in the bust of a priest in limestone and a girl dancing made in
bronze.
Buddhist
Sculptures - Sarnath and Sanchi, Gandhara and
Mathura
It was in the 3rd century BC, when
the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, adopted Buddhism. It was the golden era of
Indian sculpture as 85,000 stupas and dome shaped monuments were
constructed to preach teachings of Buddhism engraved on rocks and
pillars. The inscriptions which served like edicts to spread the
teachings of the faith as widely as possible are found in Gujarat,
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. The famous Ashoka Pillar at
Sarnath in Madhya Pradesh gleams in polished sandstone representing the
hieratic art under the Mauryan Empire. The lion head of the pillar
is now the official emblem of the Indian Republic and the sacred wheel
of law or the dharmachakra is symbolic of the first sermon that Buddha
delivered at Sarnath.
The renowned Buddhist monument of
the Great Stupa at Sanchi is perhaps the most exquisite of its kind
depicting customs of the Mauryan empire. Buddhist tales and lifestyles
are artistically engraved in its gateways. The Great Stupa
standing 54 feet tall, surrounded by stone railings, elaborately carved
gateways, serves as a retreat for the Buddhist monks. The
foundation of the Stupa was laid by Ashoka. The legends of Buddha carved
on these gateways, depict his life story from a prince to the moment of
enlightenment, from his sermons to his worshippers.
Then came the radical change in
art and sculpture, during the 1st century AD, when the sculpture
of Buddha and his representation were transformed from the human figure
to symbols. Mathura and Gandhara schools of sculpture imported
human form to the image of Buddha, emphasising his divine features like
the halo around his head. The dharmachakra also was engraved on
his palms and feet, with a lion throne which represented his royal
ancestry. The cult image of Buddha was thus formed for acts of
worship, though the idea of idol worship was opposed by
Buddha.
The unique sensibility with human
figures can be seen in the meditative, calm and unperturbed status of
Buddha in the 5th century. The soft folds of the dress, the finely
curved hands and the half closed eyes indicate the divinity of the
image.
The images of Buddha are exquisite
and awe-inspiring.
Hindu Art - the 4th, 5th, &
6th centuries AD were the ages when the statues found in temples
indicated the various dimensions of early Hindu art and
sculptures. The period marked by the emergence of innumerable
images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses also saw a tremendous resurgence of
Hinduism. Soon it became an official religion of the Guptas. Images
of Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, the Sun-God and Goddess Durga evolved
during this period. The Udaigiri caves in Madhya Pradesh houses a
colossal image of Vishnu. Here he is represented as the great
saviour who rescued 'mother earth' from the depths of the ocean, in his
incarnation as a varha (boar).
The link between dance, drama,
literature and art became crucial to aesthetic expression in centuries
to come. This new era in art and sculpture witnessed a unique fusion, a
synthesis embodied in the caves at Ajanta and Ellora and the temples of
central and South India.
Ajanta
Ellora
The birth of the Ajanta caves, which is located
north east of Bombay, near Aurangabad, can be traced back to the 4th
century AD. It was during this century that with an aim to create
Buddhist monasteries and Prayer Halls, the work on Ajanta caves began.
For centuries Buddhist monks and artisans came and excavated number of
sculptures on the rock cliff at Ajanta. 29 caves adorned with
magnificent sculptures and awe-inspiring paintings still stands through
these centuries portraying the skill of the monks.
The sculptures are finely wrought
images of animals, guards and deities while the paintings tell ancient
tales of country life and depict hundreds of Buddhist legends. Amid
the beautiful images and paintings are sculptures of Buddha, calm and
serene in contemplation.
The work of the Ellora caves
inspired by Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism were created from the 7th
century AD onwards. The Buddhist and Jain caves are elaborately adorned
yet serene and meditative, while Hindu caves are filled with divine
energy and power.
The most impressive and gigantic
creation on the living rock of Ellora is the Kailasa Temple. It is a
full-sized, freestanding temple flanked by elephants carved from solid
rock. The representation of Shiva's Himalayan abode, made by pillars,
podiums, spires and towers is breathtaking
Khajuraho
The temples of Khajuraho in the
Central State of Madhya Pradesh are its most famous attraction. The
serene town of Khajuraho is world renowned for its erotic
scultptures.
The sculptures include statues of
gods and goddesses, warriors, celestial dancers and animals, besides
those of couples in erotic poses. The Hindu philosophy of Yoga and Bhoga
(physical pleasure), the two paths leading to final liberation, seem to
be the underlying theme of these sculptures. These temples
celebrated a Hindu faith exuberant in its love for the divine. All life
was seen as an expression of divinity, including human love. The union
between man and woman was viewed as the culmination of devotion,
symbolic of the union of the devotee with god and divinity. The other
sculptures in these temples depict the daily lives of the people in the
10th and 11th centuries AD.
The famous temples at Khajuraho
include the Lakshmana Temple and the Kandariya Mahadeva temple. The
latter is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has a shikhara or spire that is 38
metres high. Here we see an attempt to reconstruct the image of
Shiva's home in Mount Kailasha. Giant relief also portray various
manifestations of Shiva, who is both a destroyer and a saviour.
Of the many statues found in this temple, the most fascinating is
that of an ascetic performing the shirshasan
( yogic posture
where the yogi balances himself on his head).
The temples of Khajuraho were
created by the Chandelas. Though forgotten for centuries they were
rediscovered in 1838. The temples amid green lawns and pink
flowers, glow with the warmth of the sandstone and adorned with supple
sculptures supreme in their beauty. Out of the 85 temples only 22
stand by to tell the tales of the past.
The temples of Khajuraho are a
treasure of sculptural beauty, reminding one of the splendour and
opulence of the snow capped Himalayas as well as the earthly
pleasures.
Elephanta
Caves
Situated near Bombay these temples were built in the
6th century by India's expert stone carvers. The most philosophical
aspect of mighty Shiva is seen in the Shiva temple in Elephanta
Cave.
The central attraction here is a
twenty-foot high bust of the deity in three-headed form. The
Maheshamurti is built deep into a recess and looms up from the darkness
to fill the full height of the cave. This image symbolizes the fierce,
feminine and meditative aspects of the great ascetic and the three heads
represent Shiva as Aghori, Ardhanarishvara and Mahayogi. Aghori is
a terrifying form of Shiva where he is intent on
destruction. Ardhanarishvara depicts Shiva as half-man/half-woman
signifying the essential unity of the sexes. The Mahayogi posture
symbolizes the meditative aspect of the God and here Shiva is shown in
his most quiet and serene form. Other sculptures in these caves depict
Shiva's cosmic dance of primordial creation and destruction and his
marriage to Parvati. The Elephant sculptures meaningfully convey the
oneness of the human form and the divine and the images transcend the
scope of human imagination to achieve a grandeur that remains
undiminished by time.
