CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Subject: Siva Tripurantaka, standing, front. Tripurantaka means Destroyer of Three Cities. In this posture Shiva stands on a lotus pedestal. The Tripurantaka form of Shiva embodies the concept of the warrior par excellence. Rajaraja Chola (985-1016 CE) personally related to the victorious form of the Tripuravijaya who provided the emperor with a divine archetype whose blessings would ensure him victory. Kulottunga III, in an allusion to Shiva Tripurantaka assumed the title Tribhuvanaviradeva to mark his conquests. During the annual festival, called the brahmotsava, Tripurantaka images are placed on a decorated temple car and pulled along around the four main streets encircling the village. This procession serves to reassure worshippers of the God’s protection. The hole on the inverted lotus was probably intended for insertion of pole used to carry the image during temple festivities. 

Subject: Shiva Tripurantaka, back: Tripurantaka means Destroyer of Three Cities. In this posture Shiva stands on a lotus pedestal. The Tripurantaka form of Shiva embodies the concept of the warrior par excellence. Rajaraja Chola (985-1016 CE) personally related to the victorious form of the Tripuravijaya who provided the emperor with a divine archetype whose blessings would ensure him victory. Kulottunga III, in an allusion to Shiva Tripurantaka assumed the title Tribhuvanaviradeva to mark his conquests. During the annual festival, called the brahmotsava, Tripurantaka images are placed on a decorated temple car and pulled along around the four main streets encircling the village. This procession serves to reassure worshippers of the God?s protection. The hole on the inverted lotus was probably intended for insertion of pole used to carry the image during temple festivities.

Subject: Siva Tripurantaka, standing, detail. Tripurantaka means Destroyer of Three Cities. In this posture Shiva stands on a lotus pedestal. The Tripurantaka form of Shiva embodies the concept of the warrior par excellence. Rajaraja Chola (985-1016 CE) personally related to the victorious form of the Tripuravijaya who provided the emperor with a divine archetype whose blessings would ensure him victory. Kulottunga III, in an allusion to Shiva Tripurantaka assumed the title Tribhuvanaviradeva to mark his conquests. During the annual festival, called the brahmotsava, Tripurantaka images are placed on a decorated temple car and pulled along around the four main streets encircling the village. This procession serves to reassure worshippers of the God’s protection. The hole on the inverted lotus was probably intended for insertion of pole used to carry the image during temple festivities. 

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva. Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. The god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi are often pictured as giving away Parvati to Shiva. This image shows Lakshmi, Parvati and Shiva from left to right.

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Shiva detail. Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. The god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi are often pictured as giving away Parvati to Shiva. This image shows a detail of Shiva.

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Parvati detail: This is a detail of Uma Parvati from the image of Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One that depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple.

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Parvati detail: This is a detail of Uma Parvati from the image of Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One that depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. 

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Lakshmi detail: This is a detail of Lakshmi from the image of Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One that depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. 

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Lakshmi detail: This is a detail of Lakshmi from the image of Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One that depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. 

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Vishnu detail. Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. The god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi are often pictured as giving away Parvati to Shiva. This image shows detail of Vishnu.

Subject: Kalyanasundara Shiva, Vishnu detail. Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. The god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi are often pictured as giving away Parvati to Shiva. This image shows detail of Vishnu.

Subject: Kalyanasundara, Visnu detail. Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. The god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi are often pictured as giving away Parvati to Shiva. This image shows detail of Vishnu.

Subject: Pancha Ratna temple decorated with scenes from the Life of Krishna; Shiva and Parvati

Subject: Pancha Ratna temple decorated with scenes from the Life of Krishna; Shiva and Parvati

Subject: Kalyanasundara, back. Kalyanasundara or The Wedding of the Charming One depicts the marriage of Shiva and Uma Parvati. The theme of divine wedding has a very special significance in Tamil Nadu. As Minakshi (Fish-Eyed), Uma is the patron goddess of Madurai, the capital city of the Pandyas and married to Shiva. Shiva also has a different name in Madurai-Sundara, or the Handsome One. This is re-enacted there and at other temples each year as part of the annual Panguni Uttiram temple festival, performed with processional icons of the couple. The god Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi are often pictured as giving away Parvati to Shiva. This is the back view of the image. 

Subject: Somaskanda (Skanda missing): This sculpture represents Shiva seated with his consort Uma (Parvati) and their child Skanda (now missing) in the center. Image of the holy family Shiva with Parvati and the child Skanda symbolizes universal parentage. The couple are extolled as the father and mother of the world jagatah pitrau by Kalidasa who has left an immortal epic on birth of Kumara, Kumarasambhava. The Saiva Siddhanta system as developed in the Tamil land lays great emphasis on the concept of Ammai and Appan (i.e., Mother and Father) for Shiva and Parvati. Large number of So maskanda images exist, in apart because a range of Agamic texts specify that if a temple does not possess the exact image required for a specific ritual procession, So maskanda bronze can be used as a substitute. 

Subject: Skanda: Skanda, the Hindu god of war who was the firstborn son of Shiva. Skanda has obscure origins and probably represents a conflation of a number of Shiva myths. In this figure he holds a lotus bud in each hand. The image shows front and back of the sculpture.

Subject: Manikkavachakar: An interesting facet of Hinduism on the Tamil-speaking region of south India is the emphasis given to the worship of sixty-three Shaiva saints called nayanmars. The Shaiva saints who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries, were part of a community of holy persons who travelled together across the Tamil countryside, stopping to sing the glories of the deity enshrines at each temple. Through the hymns of the saints, the figure of the distant godhead was humanized. Manikkavachakar, minister to Varguna Pandya of Madurai, lived during the second half of the ninth century. En route to the west coast to purchase horses for the Pandyan cavalry, Manikkavachakar encountered Shiva in the guise of a teacher, and used the money instead to build a temple to Shiva. Recalled by the King, Manikkavachakar returned to Madurai and was imprisoned twice, each time Shiva intervened and had him released. Finally, the saint was permitted to leave and join his teacher and his many followers. Manikkavachakar wrote a large corpus of poems that comprise the eighth book of the Tamil sacred canon; some take up the mode of popular songs and adapt them to the glory of Shiva, while others reveal a philosophical bent. Manikkavachakas is portrayed as a teacher thus he holds a palm leaf manuscript in his left hand, his right hand held up in a teaching pose.

Subject: Siva's Kiratamurti. 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: Shiva's Kiratamurti. 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: Stucco decoration above devata or dvarapala niche; Built by Indravarman I and dedicated to Shiva as Indreshvara (Lord Indra). Original tower replaced in 12th century.

Subject: Stucco decoration on upper portion of wall, below cornice; Built by Indravarman I and dedicated to Shiva as Indreshvara (Lord Indra). Original tower replaced in 12th century.

Subject: Nataraja: The Shiva Nataraja combines Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe in a single image and conveys the notion of never-ending cycle of time. Although it appeared in sculpture as early as the fifth century, its present, most famous form evolved under the rule of the Cholas. Shiva is shown dancing within a flaming halo (prabha mandala) which represents Time and which is shown as a circle to symbolize its cyclic nature. Shiva holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarf like figure being trampled by his right foot represents Apasmara Purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). The dance that Shiva is performing is the Tandava, the energy of which reflects in the extravagant spreading of the god's hair. The figure of Ganga who was brought gently from the heavens down to earth is in one of the strands of his hair. This is the back view of the sculpted image.

Subject: Nataraja: The Shiva Nataraja combines Shiva's roles as creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe in a single image and conveys the notion of never-ending cycle of time. Although it appeared in sculpture as early as the fifth century, its present, most famous form evolved under the rule of the Cholas. Shiva is shown dancing within a flaming halo (prabha mandala) which represents Time and which is shown as a circle to symbolize its cyclic nature. Shiva holds in his upper right hand the damaru (hand drum that made the first sounds of creation). His upper left hand holds agni (the fire that will destroy the universe). With his lower right hand, he makes abhayamudra (the gesture that allays fear). The dwarf like figure being trampled by his right foot represents Apasmara Purusha (illusion, which leads mankind astray). The dance that Shiva is performing is the Tandava, the energy of which reflects in the extravagant spreading of the god's hair. The figure of Ganga who was brought gently from the heavens down to earth is in one of the strands of his hair.