Part 5 - Iconographic details of Gauri

[Full title: Major Female Divinities (1) Gauri (Fig. 6.1)]

Manifesting a sensuous standard in their stand, the galleries of the site of museum at Madan-Kamdev are being pact with a good number of female deities of divergent iconographical standard. However, only four of these images have now been identified by the museum authority (as goddess Uma, Vaikuntha Vaisnavi, Laksmi and Sarasvati) while other are still waiting to have a fair deal of response from scholarly world. In the Hindu philosophy, the female principle or the female half of the male gods have always been regarded as the 114. Striking contrast between the two half is a 11 th century feature Majumdar, R.C.: Op-cit, 1943, p.543. 115. Sloping shoulder - 11 th century feature.

113 Kundalani Sakti or the spirit behind the mysterious powers of the male gods. Accordingly, three Saktis or the female spirit of the famous Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar known as Sarasvati, Laksmi and Gauri or Parvati have naturally enjoyed greater popularity through the ages. This development is however nothing but a stage wise elaboration of the motherly cut from the time immemorial, later gained greater reputation in the Hindu pantheon primarily in the name of Siva Sakti. Centering around this goddesses, a new sect had also come to the front with a sectarian status known as Saktas who vigorously conferred SivaSakti the supreme status with two of her perennial powers ghoras and saummyas. Under such an overwhelming influence of SivaSakti, the two other Saktis of Hindu trinity retreat to an alien stand of lesser importance and as a result of that modern day's scholars now even dear to call them as the minor goddesses. A) Gauri (Fig. 6.1) : We have started our discussion with a sculpture identified as goddess Uma in the site museum. This sculpture, carved out in a rectangular architrave which is now in a state of mutiliation where it lost not only all plastic charm of the deity but also the other sign of this sculptural composition. Iconographical traits of goddess Uma are categorically be discussed under a general designation of goddess Gauri. The most common form of the supreme goddess is being prescribed in Uttara-Kamikagama as the consort of Siva, with four hands, three eyes and with the emblems like ankusha, pasa, abhya and varada

114 118 mudra. 116 Rao, further stated that the Devi while being represented as the consort of Siva, generally assigned with two hands, in one hand she holds a lotus while the other hand hang down freely by the side of the bodies. 117 Sometimes, the Devi in another form have also equipped with two hands but this time her hands are being composed either of Sula or Pasa, or of mirror and blue lily. About the general form of goddess Gauri, Parvati or Uma, the Kasyapa Silpa and Manasara states that she has two hands when accompanying the god Siva and four when represented independently. In the former case she is fully decorated in standing or sitting on a lotus pedestal, holding a blue lily in the right hand while the left hanging down loose. 119 Apart from that different treatises like the Agani Purana, the Vishudharmottara Purana, the Devatamurti Prakarana, the Rupamandana etc. have also made some beautiful description about this Gauri group of sculptures. Leaving aside the other iconographical traits, this group of sculptures are generally assigned with four hands, characterized by godha on the pedestal and flanked by Ganesha and Kartikeya. 120 About the emblem of goddess Uma, the Rupamandana prescribed that her hands should be locked with the items like rosary, lotus, mirror and kamandalu. 121 With this brief iconographical description about the possible form of goddess Uma as described by the different 116. Rao, T.A.G. : Op-cit, Vol. II, Part-II,1914, p. 338. 117. Ibid, pp.338-339. 118. Ibid, p.339. 119. Sastri, H.K.; South Indian Images of Gods and Goddess, 1974, p. 190 120. Barpujari, H.K.(ed.): Op-cit, 1990, p. 376. 121. Ibid, p. 377. :

115 authorities, we now have tried to analysed the various iconograpihcal-sculptural possibilities the image, identified as goddess Uma in the site museum at Madan-Kamdev. a) Present condition: eroded, almost on the verge of mutiliation b) Length: c) Posture: d) Hands: e) Emblems: i) 33 cm Width - 24 cm seated on Sukhasana, on a full blown louts major portion of which is now completely eraze out. two Left hand- she holds a lotus bud with a long stalk. This hand rest on the thigh of the left leg. ii) Right hand-placed on the knee as if in absolute comfort f) Attendant figure: there is a sign of an attendant figure on the upper right hand side of the image which is beyond to its identification. Thus, confirming the iconographical identification made by the museum authority we however like to call her with a minor variation that in broader sense of term this sculpture should better be referred as an icon of goddess Gauri. Maintaining the same sensuous standard, a characteristic feature of all the available sculptures at MadanKamdeva with scanty amount of ornament and diaphanous garment, the physiognomical analysis of this highly eroded sculpture look to be an extremely difficult task. Image in Sukhasana is a rear existence to entire excavated material now conserved to the site museum. The erosions have made it quite difficult to ascertain the exact nature of the facial part, but still the betal leaf patterned face of the image seems to have exposed a

116 meditative appearance with a divine smile. However, one type of sophistication specially be observed in the execution of lips where the sculptor tried to execute their preference to a thick pair of lips instead of a crescent shape lips as observe in case of the Laksmi image. The sense of sophistication as well as its meditative approach have further been manipulated with the lotus bud in the hand of the image, as the lotus in the hand of an image have always been referred to a sense of asceticism. 122 The linear projection of hand and slightly side ways deeper cut in the execution of narrow middle have instituted a more lighter volume to the entire composition. 123 At the same time, the attenuating limbs have further expressed an inherent sublime beauty to the sculpture. 124 Like the other sculpture, the sense of life or breath also vibrates in the heavily rounded breast and animated abdomen. Thus, the sculpture can virtually be referred as a by product of 11 th/12 th century A.D. (with no such major variation) as confirmed by the museum authority.