Image title: The Moon God Chandra and the Eight Planets

The Moon God Chandra and the Eight Planets [Nepal, Patan Royal Palace, A.D. 1426; Stone]—

The sculpture depicts Chandra [Candra], personification of the moon, riding through the skies in his chariot drawn by seven geese. Beside Chandra’s head are his wives, Shoba and Kanti, holding yak-tail fly whisks. Below them are goddesses who chase away the daylight with drawn bows. A charioteer holds the reins of the geese. Surya is often depicted in a similar way but his chariot is drawn by seven winged horses. Horses are also prescribed for Chandra’s chariot and the geese may replace them as a result of Central Asian influence.

Eight medallions are spaced around this ensemble which represent personified planets, each seated on a reclining animal. Together with Chandra the group depicts the Nine Planets known as the Nava Graha, or “Nine Seizers,” because they are believed to “seize” or control human lives. Surya, the sun god, is their chief. He is seated on a recumbent horse in the uppermost medallion. A gilt image of Shanichar [Sanichar/Shanaishchara/Shanaishcara], the personified planet Saturn, stands on the roof of the museum, once part of the royal palace. It is said to have been installed by a king to ward off evil.

Above the medallion depicting Surya is a Shivalinga, emblem of Shiva, and at the bottom of the sculpture is a ram reclining in a rocky cave. Despite severe damage, this image is of extraordinary interest since it is one of the few Nepalese stone sculptures on the theme though paintings are common. A gilt copper representation of Chandra is among the images which compose the Purandi hoard.

According to the inscription below, the image was commissioned by the wife of one of the powerful Patan nobles and consecrated in A.D. 1426. It was formerly attached to a small temple in the garden area behind the Paran palace.

Gallery information:

The Patan Museum is located on the Durbar square of Patan (Lalitpur/Lalitapura, Kathmandu, Nepal) which is associated Keshav Narayan Chowk (Keshavnarayan)—a form of Lord Vishnu. Being listed as a World Heritage Site, the whole of Durbar square is filled with exquisite temples, sculptures and other ancient structures, of which the ancient history history can be traced to the Malla Kings of Lalitpur. It is an important site for both Buddhism and Hinduism.