The concept of Tree Goddess was used to decorate temples in some parts of India. The power of the tree goddess was frequently invoked due to her association with fertility and it was shown in sculptures by the tree bursting into bloom when the goddess’s heel touches its trunk.
Images of these semi-divine beings were positioned in temples at points of transition from the mundane to the sacred space; as auspicious guardians they blessed the worshipper’s journey to the central shrine of the temple. This work, characteristic of sculpture dating from the period of the Hoysala dynasty (late twelfth to early fourteenth century), features intricate foliage, jewellery and costuming balanced by smooth volumes and polished surfaces.
These sculptures are called Salabhanjika or Madanika. They are sculptures of women displaying stylized feminine features, standing near a tree grasping a branch.
This standard decorative element of Indian temple architecture is seen in various poses of dancing or a woman grooming herself or playing a musical instrument. Mostly they are in tribhanga posture - the beauty of the sculpture is unparalleled as the nymph is found in a rare position bending her body in triple flexion, even while keeping an intense and beautiful expression on her face! The salabhanjika's female features, like breasts and hips, are often exaggerated. Frequently these sculpted figures display complex hairdos and an abundance of jewelry. Placed at an angle, salabhanjika figures were also used in temple architecture as a bracket figures.
Some of the most renowned salabhanjika sculptures are to be found in the 12th-century Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura, in south-central Karnataka. These figures were also extensively used to decorate the temples of Odisha. These figures of Madanikas are used as bracket figures in Ramappa Temple near Warangal!
