Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam

As one of the most illustrious Vaishnava Temples of South India, Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam is rich in legend and history. Celebrated in the devotional hymns of the Alwars and famous for its role in the early history of Srivaishnavism, the Srirangam temple has been the object of both devotion and conflict. Its location, on an Island in the Kaveri river, has rendered it vulnerable to natural disasters, as well as to the rampages of invading armies - Hindu, Muslim and European - which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampments. 

This temple went through a crisis when the Tamizh country's transition from the classical era of the Pallava, Pandya and Chola kingdoms to the era of Islamic confrontation, a transition which was marked initially by the Muslim incursions of the early fourteenth century  and followed thereafter by the consolidation of the great Hindu empire of Vijayanagar. 

For further details of this great temple click here : Ranganathaswamy Temple

I recently had a chance to visit this wonderful temple. As a photographer first thing that impressed me in this temple is that photography is allowed! Bye a ticket of Rs 30 for camera and then you are good to go! Most of the places photography is allowed except the final pragaram!

This temple is one of the cleanest temples I have seen in Tamizh Nadu. Very well maintained with signage everywhere giving details of directions for various sannadhis. 

Also very impressive to note is that this temple is very senior citizen friendly. Electric cars are there to take old people to the main sanctum sanctorum right from the entrance.  

If you are a temple art enthusiast this is a temple you should visit. There are hundreds of sculptures in this temple with intricate details.

Finally one should not miss going to the 'view point' in this temple. From the view point we can see all Gopurams or towers in one line. The same place where they sell tickets for camera they sell the ticket to go to the view point also.

The LOST wax process.

From the ninth to the thirteenth century, the Chola dynasty was the dominant cultural, artistic, religious, and political force in South India! Under their rule every form of art flourished! Notable among them are sculptures using granite stones and metal sculptures using bronze.  

Metal sculptures have been cast for centuries under the patronage of different dynasties in India, but nowhere does it seem to have registered such an acme of development as it did under the Cholas.

Between the 8th and 10th century, Hindu devotees began to involve their Gods into all their rituals and ceremonies outside the temple. So they needed portable deities to participate in these rituals and functions outside the temple. Thus began the creation of spectacular temple bronzes which were either a replica or an imitation of the original deity of the temple's sanctum sanctorum!

Although the making of bronze sculpture was started during the period of Pallavas, it reached its pinnacle under the Chola dynasty. Some of the outstanding bronze sculptures we have today are from Chozha period.  

These bronze sculptures were made by a process called "The LOST wax process" 

Beeswax and kungilium (a resin obtained from a tree called Shala tree (Shorea robusta) are mixed with a little oil and the mixture is kneaded well. With this mixture the necessary wax model is made. All the minute details are fashioned into it. This is the original wax model from which the bronze 

sculpture will be made.

The wax model is made as per the Silpa Sastras. Extreme care is given to the dimensions, the proportions, the pose, the ornaments, the mudras and the bhavas are all are as per the Silpa Sastras. It is said that the sculptor keeps reciting the Dhyana Slokam pertaining to the particular deity he is making as mentioned in the Silpa Sastras, so that the figure of the God he is making fills his mind completely. This helps the sculptor to fashion the sculpture exactly as per the Silpa Sastra.  The entire exercise of making the model with laser focused  attention and contemplation upon a particular deity, makes it a real Yoga.

Clay from a termite-hill is made into a paste and the entire wax model is coated with it over and over again until the mould is of a necessary thickness. Then the whole thing is dried. After that the clay-mould with the wax-model inside is baked over an oven with cow-dung cakes. As heat is generated the wax-model melts and flows out. Now the clay-mould is empty and is ready for casting.

The metal alloy of bronze is melted and then poured into the mould. 

This particular bronze alloy is known as "Pancha Lokam", which primarily contains copper and Tin. In addition often other metals are also added, gold and silver occasionally. It is a myth that Pancha Lokam always contains Gold and silver. Various archeometallurgical studies have proved that Gold and silver are found very rarely in Pancha Lokam.   

When the metal has filled all crevices inside the model and has settled, it is left for hardening and cooling. Once it is settled and cooled the mould is broken off. The basic bronze figure is thus obtained. It is then cleaned, finer details are added, blemishes are removed, smoothened, and polished well. So, there exists only one specimen of that particular work done by that sculptor, and it cannot be moulded or copied. In this process the wax model is lost and hence the name! Since it is the only specimen available at all times, it is unique and expensive.

All the pictures in this post were made by the lost wax process and were photographed in Chennai Government Museum. 

Kunjar - A Unique form of Art

This blog post is about a unique form of art called as 'Kunjar art form'. I am unable to get a clear period during which this art form started to take shape. It is suggested by some that it had its origin in Medieval India. Some literature also claims that it is influenced by Persian artists. 

This art form is identified by the name Kunjar - a Sanskrit word for The Elephant. This is because the

Elephant had a prominent place in every ancient Indian art form. 

This is a very unusual form of art and hence very rare to see! I have seen sculptures made of Kunjar art form in only two temples in South India and a painting in a fort in Orchha Madhya Pradesh! The reason is, to make a sculpture in Kunjar art form the sculptor should be extraordinarily skilled. It highlights the artist's skill of composition and assemblage, importantly within the parameters of a frame work. Animal frames were commonly used, elephant and horse being the most commonly used forms.

Kunjar or the elephant is the main composition of the art form. Elephant's shape is used as the shell within which figures of women are artistically intertwined and seated in a creative manner. The artist uses his creativity and employs various acrobatic postures of women to adjust them within the shell or the frame!  The composition typically followed a set pattern of nine women dressed ostentatiously and it is called Nava Nari Kunjar! When the number of women used is five it is called Pancha Nari Kunjar!

In place of women sculptors have also used birds and you can see one such sculpture from Vaishnava Nambi temple of Thirukurungudi Tamizh Nadu, India.

Panel sculptures of Thirukurungudi Temple tower.

Thirukurunkudi is a tiny village around 45.7 KMs from Tirunelveli, (See the Google Map below) Tamil Nadu. The main attraction of this village is Vaishnava Nambi Temple. In case you want to know more about the temple you can Google and you will get tons of information on this temple. This blog post is confined only to the Panel sculptures of this temple. 

This temple houses hundreds of outstanding sculptures from the  life sized to the ones to just a  few inches in size.  The temple offers a cocktail of Low relief, high relief and sunken relief! It is quite an exhibition of Dravidian style of architecture.

If you are interested in sculptures you can easily spend at least three hours in this temple! The temple tower (Gopuram) itself needs an hour as you need to observe very carefully every nook and corner of the lavishly decorated tower.

One thing which is quite unique to this tower is the Panel sculptures or Relief Panels! I have never seen so many Relief Panels anywhere in India (barring Khajuraho of course!) like it is in this temple. Luckily since these Relief Panels are sculpted on the tower, all the panels are  intact and they are not vandalised as they are difficult to reach! They are so intricately carved you can actually see the emotions in the face and the beauty of the jewellery the Gods are wearing!

Various scenes from Mahabharata and scenes from Vaishnava stories can be seen here. Interestingly there are panels of Shiva too despite this temple being a Vishnu temple! (Although in recent times because of the fight between Vaishnavites and Shaivaites they have uprooted a Shiva Lingam from this temple and installed it in a corner of this village! It seems a case is pending before the Supreme court regarding bringing back the lingam to this temple!)

The size of the panels would vary between two feet to three feet! You essentially need a zoom lens to shoot these panels. Although they are quite visible to the naked eye photographing them is not possible without a zoom lens. 

Photography inside the temple is not allowed but picturing the sculptures on the tower is not prohibited!

I will have another post on this temple shortly on other forms of its sculptures!

Miniature sculptures of Orissa

Between the seventh and the sixteenth century the temple building activities in Orissa went on uninterrupted. As various religious sects ruled Orissa during this time they impacted the architectural style and sculptural details. In fact the architecture of Orissa found its supreme expression in the great Sun Temple of Konark built during the thirteenth century. It can be said that Sun Temple was the culmination of a distinct style of architecture called the Kalinga style!  

Kalinga style of architecture had become common throughout Orissa by tenth century itself. This is evident in Mukteswar Temple built during the tenth century. Mukteswar temple is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful temples of India. This temple is elegantly decorated from top to bottom with exquisitely carved sculptures. It is considered as 'Gem of Odisha Architecture'. 

Similarly the Maghesvar temple built during the twelfth century is also studded with delicately carved sculptures. Every inch of this temple is decorated with elegantly carved sculptures. 

I have noticed in most of the temples in Orissa they have used miniature sculptures to decorate the temple walls! Their actual size varies from three to four inches only. These sculptures are carved so meticulously that even a subtle smile in the face of the women is clearly noticeable. Hundreds of these miniature sculptures decorate each temple. In fact you can see thousands of such sculptures in Sun Temple alone if you can patiently look for it! 

Miniature sculpture photographed at Maghesvar Temple (Actual size is three inches)

Some of these miniature sculptures which are seen on a lower level are already vandalized by the visitors and they are disintegrating! Many were mutilated during the invasion of Orissa. It is very sad to see the condition of these invaluable and irreplaceable  wealth! Orissa has too many things like this which are to be protected for the future generations! 

In this post I am publishing photographs of miniature sculptures which I shot in Mukteswar and Maghesvar temples of Bhubaneswar. Take a look!      

Miniature sculptures of Maghesvar Temple

Miniature sculptures of Maghesvar Temple

Another Miniature sculpture of Maghesvar Temple (Actual size is less than three inches)

Miniature sculpture of Muktesvara Temple

Miniature sculpture of Muktesvara Temple

Miniature sculpture of Muktesvara Temple (Actual size is 3 inches)

Allegorical sculptures of Victoria Memorial - Calcutta

Unarguably the massive Victoria Memorial complex of Calcutta is one of the finest structures ever built in the country by the British during their rule in India!  No empire in history ever built so variously as the British empire in India. The colonial buildings of Calcutta attest to the richness of an imperial presence that lasted - from the first trading settlement to the end of the Raj - some three hundred years.

Allegorical sculptures representing Motherhood

Allegorical sculpture is a sculpture that symbolize and particularly personify abstract ideas. It is very common in the western world after 15th century. But this has been practiced several centuries back in the Indian temple architecture.

One of the most commonly known example of Allegorical sculpture is the "Statue of Justice" - traditionally seen in Courts,where in a female figure is holding a scale in one hand (as a symbol of her weighing issues and arguments) and a Sword of Justice in the other. To represent her impartiality she is blind folded.

Allegorical sculpture representing learning

Another one representing prudence

 Statues symbolizing A. Civil Government and the Legal System. AND B Military Power on Land.

  Statues symbolizing C. Agriculture AND D. Naval power.  

As we enter the memorial from the southern side we can see an Equestrian (a statue of a rider mounted on a horse) portrait of the king Edward VII. The right leg of the horse in this statue is in a lifted position. This is supposed to symbolize that the king died in war or due to war injuries subsequent to the war. But King Edward VII did not die of either of these two reasons. Americans and British are known not to follow this general rule while making an equestrian statues. 

Bronze statue of Angel of Victory atop the main dome

I am posting some Allegorical sculptures which I photographed in Victoria Memorial during my recent visit to Calcutta in September this year.

Statue of Curzon

Mural under the statue of Curzon representing him receiving homage of the tribal chieftens on the North East frontier 

Actual placement of the statues of motherhood and others

Chausathi Yogini Temple

Worshiping Female Power (Yogini Cult) was rampant in India between  9th and 12th century.  There are only very few  Yogini Temples remaining in India today of which Two are in the state of Orissa. One is, Vaital Temple which is well within the capital city of Bhubaneswar and the other is in the outskirts of the city in a village called Hirapur. This small village is 15 KMs from Bhubaneswar and the Chausathi Yogini Temple is on the banks of the river Daya.

Locally this temple is known as Mahamaya Mandir. This stunning temple was discovered by Kedarnath Mahapatra of the Orissa state museum in 1953. 

Chausathi Yogini Temple of Hirapur is a temple of a different kind. It is a tantric temple built with hypaethral involve worshiping environment consisting of all the 5 elements of nature - fire, water, earth, sky and air. According to the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) care taker of this temple, Goddess Durga took 64 forms of demy goddesses to defeat the demon. After Durga fought with the demon and killed him, the 64 goddesses or Joginis asked Durga to commemorate them in the form of a temple structure. Hence this temple was built by the Queen Hiradevi of Bramha dynasty during the 9th century.

The temple is in a circular shape, the circumference of which is around 27 meters and 2.5 meters tall. The inside of the circular wall has cavities, each housing the statue of a Goddess or Yogini.  These Yogini idols represent a female figurine standing on an animal, a demon or a human head depicting the victory of Shakti (Feminine power). The idols express everything from rage, sadness, pleasure, joy, desire and happiness! While the entire temple is built with locally available coarse sand stone the Yogini idols are carved out of chlorite stone brought from elsewhere.

A. Charchika standing on a demon B. Chinnamastaka standing on a severed human head C. Vikarali standing on a dog

D. Kali standing on recumbent male figure E. Vinayaki standing on donkey F. Aditi standing on Parrot

G. Maheshwari standing on a bull H. Ambika standing on a mangoose I. Kamayani standing on a cock

The mount on which these Yogini idols stand and the hair style of each Yogini are unique to each idol. All the 64 statues are very delicately carved to bring out the feminine beauty. Each is a classic by itself. The idol of ten armed presiding deity is Mahamaya (I was not allowed to photograph this) and it is the biggest of all.   

In the centre of the circular structure is a Chandi Mantap (lately restored one). 

The care taker of this temple from ASI Mr. Surendranath Routaray (Mobile number: 99381-55057) is a very nice gentleman and lives close by to this temple. He gave me the guided tour of this temple (very patiently allowing me to take notes as he explained). 

When I first heard about this tantric temple I was a little sceptical (actually scared!) of visiting it. But when I visited the temple I was awestruck with its beauty! If you happen to be in Bhubaneswar this temple is something you should not miss!