Image title: Figure 75. A girl in front Svastika

A beautiful sculpture with the girl in front Svastika unlike the last one which was in back Svastika. The right foot is crossed in front of the left forming front Svastika. The right Pada is in Agratala. Weight is balanced on the left leg. The left Pada is in Sama. Left Kati is raised–Udvahita. Left side Parsva is in Samunnata. Urah is in Sama. Siras is in Ancita–bent to left side. Left hand is on Kati and right hand is raised holding the creeper or garland.

The above sculptures were on the wall at the eastern entrance to the temple. Many of the sculptures are washed out or eroded with time due to lack of maintenance. There were many other sculptures on the wall but the hands and feet were practically unidentifiable. But whatever could be studied proved that the dance movements from the Natya Sastra were followed since ancient times and they found great significance in being embedded in the walls of the temples. As we know this

temple was built more than 1000 years back during the time of the great Chola king

Parantaka.

Gallery information:

Kumbakonam is considered as one of the holiest places in Tamil Nadu and is known for its temples and Mathas (monasteries which were centres of Brahmanical learning). These photographs depict the connection between the sculptures in the temples and Natya Shastra and related texts dealing with iconography.