CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Subject: Ardhanarishvara: The composite figure of Shiva where he is depicted as half male and half female to indicate the shiva-shakti relationship of the unified whole. The right half represents Shiva while the left half represents Parvati. Shiva has the matted locks piled high on his head and leans on his mount, the bull. Parvati's side has a jeweled crown, earring, full breast, broad hips, long skirt, and only one arm.

Subject: Vishnu: An early bronze sculpture of a seated figure of the Hindu Vishnu. The rear hands that bear the shankha (conch) and chakra (discus) are broken.

Subject: Surya: Surya, the Sun God is represented holding a lotus (padma) in each hand. The god stands frontally in an unflexed position (samabhnaga posture) and has an orblike halo setting off his crowned head. He wears elaborate ornaments including a jeweled crown (ratna mukuta), necklace (hara) and a sacred thread (yajnopavita). Images of Surya had a role to play in temples dedicated to other deities. In the imagery of northern India, Surya regularly wears boots; however in Tamil Nadu, Surya is invariably barefoot as are all other deities.

Subject: Brahma: Brahma is in charge of carrying out the work of creation. In this sculpture he has the attributes associated with his priestly appearance, the prayer beads and the kamandalu or ritual water jar and his matted dreadlocks are piled on his head. Four arms connote superhuman power, and four heads convey the idea that his creative activities spread in all four directions. Brahma featured regularly in one of the three central niches on the exterior sanctum walls of the earliest Chola temples.

Subject: Parvati: Parvati is the consort of Shiva, here standing in the thrice-bent or tribhanga pose that was preferred by the Chola artists. Her right hand is in kataka mudra; the left arm in lola hasta. The hair is dressed into a high bun. The patterned lower garment is worn with a girdle. Other details include a sacred cord, keyura armlets, makara kundala ear pendants, garlands on both shoulders, and padasaras (ornaments) on the feet. The figure stands on a circular lotus pedestal with holes for fixing the image to a processional carrier.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala: Bhiksatana manifestation of Shiva is often accompanied by women. As narrated in the Kurma Purdna, Shiva entered the Deodar (Daruvana) forest as a handsome, young man. The seven women believed to be wives of the Sapta Rishis readily give out alms to Shiva and excited by his presence, allow their garments to fall. The women begin to sing, dance, desire, and embrace Shiva.

Subject: Manmatha and Rati: The personification of the god of love, Kama is Manmatha. He is portrayed with his consort Rati.

Subject: Shiva's Kirata form: Kiratamurti is Shiva's form as a hunter. The mythological account of this form is narrated in the Vanaparva of the Mahabharata. While Arjuna was observing severe austerities in the Himalayas, he was about to get attacked by the demon Mukasura who took the form of a boar. Arjuna aimed his arrow at the boar but was stopped by Shiva who was in the form of Kirata (hunter). When Arjuna finally identified Shiva's identity, he was blessed with the powerful weapon of Pasupatastra.

Subject: Chitrasena and Narada: This imagery alludes to the episode of Gandharva Chitrasena who was passing through the sky, spitting into the hands of the hermit, Kalava worshipping below. Narada devised a plan with Chitrasena to avoid Krishna's punishment of death for Chitrasena.

Subject: Gajantaka: In his Gajantaka form, Shiva is the slayer of the elephant demon. According to the story in the Kurmapurana, when the Brahmins near Banaras were engaged in worshiping the Shiva-linga, a demon, assuming the form of an elephant, began to disrupt the ceremonies. Shiva emerged from the linga, destroyed the elephant, and with the flayed skin made himself a garment. The elephant's skin forms an aureole for the god. Three of his eight arms are engaged in upholding the outstretched skin of the elephant. Of the remaining five, one displays the gesture of astonishment (vismayamudri), while the others hold the trident, the citron, the noose, and the drum. The figure also shows Shiva's consort Parvati and their son, Karttikeya who is attempting to scale her leg.

Subject: Gajantaka: In his Gajantaka form, Shiva is the slayer of the elephant demon. According to the story in the Kurmapurana, when the Brahmins near Banaras were engaged in worshiping the Shiva-linga, a demon, assuming the form of an elephant, began to disrupt the ceremonies. Shiva emerged from the linga, destroyed the elephant, and with the flayed skin made himself a garment. The elephant's skin forms an aureole for the god. Three of his eight arms are engaged in upholding the outstretched skin of the elephant. Of the remaining five, one displays the gesture of astonishment (vismayamudri), while the others hold the trident, the citron, the noose, and the drum. The figure also shows Shiva's consort Parvati and their son, Karttikeya who is attempting to scale her leg.

Subject: Dakshinamurti: Shiva as a teacher of yoga, music and other sciences he is known by the name of Dakshinamurti. The Apasmarapurusa (dwarf) under his foot is the personification of the ignorance of the living beings, which he keeps under subjugation beneath his foot.

Subject: Jyestha, seated: A granite panel, with an asymmetrical pointed arch at the top and a rectangular base. The largest of the three figures, in the center, is that of the female deity, Jyestha. She is seated wearing a skirt and the upper part of her body is bare. The figure on her right, now damaged, should be of a bull's head. The figure on her left is female, possibly Agnimatha.

Subject: Parvati: Parvati is the consort of Shiva. Here her right hand is in kataka mudra; the left arm in lola hasta. The hair is dressed into a high bun. The patterned lower garment is worn with a girdle. Other details include a sacred cord, keyura armlets, makara kundala ear pendants, garlands on both shoulders, and padasaras on the feet. The figure stands on a circular lotus pedestal with holes for fixing the image to a processional carrier.

Subject: Parvati: Parvati is the consort of Shiva. Here her right hand is in kataka mudra; the left arm in lola hasta. The hair is dressed into a high bun. The patterned lower garment is worn with a girdle. Other details include a sacred cord, keyura armlets, makara kundala ear pendants, garlands on both shoulders, and padasaras on the feet. The figure stands on a circular lotus pedestal with holes for fixing the image to a processional carrier.

Subject: Parvati: Parvati is the consort of Shiva. Here her right hand is in kataka mudra; the left arm in lola hasta. The hair is dressed into a high bun. The patterned lower garment is worn with a girdle. Other details include a sacred cord, keyura armlets, makara kundala ear pendants, garlands on both shoulders, and padasaras on the feet. The figure stands on a circular lotus pedestal with holes for fixing the image to a processional carrier.

Subject: Vishnu, Sridevi and Bhudevi: An image of Vishnu with consorts Bhudevi and Sridevi on either side of Vishnu. Bhudevi is Mother Earth and Sridevi is the goddess of wealth and knowledge. This is the backside of the image.