Introduction: The Sculpture Art of the Munnur Temples

The sculptures stand as a testimony to the developments of civilization from its early stages. It can be fashioned from such durable materials as wax, ivory, stone, clay, wood, metal and bone. Sculptures elucidate the progress of art. Sculpture is one of the visual arts. It forms the aesthetic expression in which designs are created in space.

The history of sculpture is as old as the history of mankind. It has appeared in almost every culture of the world.^[1] Indian sculpture is not only valued as an object of worship, but also as a work of art.^[2] Merely building the temple, carving the images, moulding and shaping the idols cannot be done according to our own wishes or desires for which rules are laid down strictly in the Agamas and Silpasastras. Certain silpa texts and Agamas specifically point out the iconographic details and lay down the data for the measurements and moulding of the sculptures.

These sculptures are broadly divided by their nature into three groups. They are known as salam, asalam and salasalam. Salam images are movable and generally made of metal. These metal images are used for ritualistic and processional purposes. Asalam images are immovable images^[3]. They are fixed in the appropriate places of the temple permanently.

Salasalam images are also movable images. Usually they are not used to move from the place where they are installed. These Sculptures are also classified into three kinds that is sattvika, rajasika and tamasika. It is corresponding to the three ultimate qualities of reality sattva (truth), rajas (passion) and tamas (gloom).^[4] A sattvika image is in a sitting the posture. A yogis sitting on a pedestal with hands in a posture of granting boons is called a sattvika. Daksinamurti is an appropriate example for sattvika exhibiting protection. A rajasika images is in a standing posture, or riding on a vahana holding weapons, decorated with varying ornaments, banishing fear and granting protection. The posture of Subrahmanya is a fine example for this rajasika type. A tamasika image is represented by a pose carrying weapons to inhibit evil, sporting an appearance causing fear and displaying great joy Mahishasuramardini is a good example for the tamasika type.^[5]

One more classification of images is divine forms, natural forms, imaginary forms and pratimas.^[6] All these four types of images are found in the temples. Sculptures can be divided into two general types depending on the way they are in use. The images showing all the sides in a solid form are classified as statuary and sculpture projecting from a surface is known as relief.^[7] Relief can be divided according to its dimensions as high reliefs which are higher than the eye level, and low relief which are below the eye level.^[8] The images in devakostha can be considered as high relief and the delicate sculptures in the panels as bas -relief.

Indians were familiar with the sculptural art even from the prehistoric times. The archaeological remains consists of steatite engraved seals and terracotta figurines of men and animals, limestone heads and the famous dancer in bronze, at the sites of the Indus valley civilization. It reveal the sculptural skill of Indus valley period.^[9]

The maturity form of Indus Valley sculptures can be seen in the Mauryan arts.^[10] The lion topped capital of Saranath pillar and bull capital at Rampurva are the most important testimonies of the Mauryas sculpture.^[11] The Sunga dynasty that succeeded the Mauryas followed different traditions in makings sculptures form the Mauryas. The sculptures of this period did not have the fine polish of the Mauryas sculptures. The greatness of sculptures of the Sunga dynasty could be seen from the Buddha Stupas in Barhut, Buddha Gaya and Sanchi.^[12] The sculptural art in the Kushan period is Gandhara.^[13] The contemporaries of the Kushans, the Satavahanas had exhibited their admirable skill in making the sculptures at Amaravati andNagarjunakonda.^[14] Sculptures of the Gupta age, exhibit the philosophy of art and its objectives very clearly. An image of Buddha at Mathura belonging to this period shines with the sculptural effulgence.^[15]

The archaeological excavations at Adichanallur give proof of the familiarity of Tamil country with sculptural art even in ancient times. The metal figures of antelope, cock, sheep and mouth pieces are the examples found at Adichanallur in Tirunelveli district.^[16] It reveals the fact that the Tamil country has made its progress in sculptural art through the ages. There are references to sculptures in Sangam age^[17] and post Sangam age.^[18] Even a single specimen of these periods is not available, may be the facts that they were all made of perishable materials.

The sculptural art of the Pallava period was the fore runner for the early Pandya and Chola art.^[19] Their art was marked by the dominance of relief sculptures over statuary sculptures. Stone sculptures made great advances in this period. They are found to have more elegant, vital and naturalistic poses with austere deflorations. The images are in the archaic form without much anatomical shape with elongated face in which a broad nose, full lips and double chin stand out.

Generally the sculptures of the Pallava period have features of long passing through the right arm in most of the pieces. The kundalas in the ears are thick while the keyura on the arms are simple. The udababandha on the upper abdomen is wide and at both edges the knots on the long cloth are well spread. Neither the skandamala on the shoulder nor the lion faced sash across the waist is seen in the sculptures of their period. However, all lion faced waist sash is found in the image of the Vaikunthaperumal temple at Kanchipuram.

The breast band of women are not seen except on the Korravai and her women guard. The nagakannikas seen with a breast band in the cluster of sculptures of Arjuna's Penance, a sculptured panel on one of the granite outcrops at Mahabalipuram is an exception^[20].In the sculptures of Siva, Vishnu and Kotravai which should blaze heroism and anger in certain aspects, one finds only merciful, kind, and gentle forms.

The sculptors have followed this system not only for Godly sculptures but also for human forms. However, in a few temples alone the statues of Dvarapalas exhibit terror.^[21] The Gangadhara panel in the upper cave at Tiruchirappalli, the spirited scene is seen in Mahisasuramardini cave at Mahabalipuram. The Vishnu in Seshasayi opposite to it, the sculptures of Kailasanatha temple, and the panel sculpture depicting the history of the Pallavas are conspicuous.

The images made of metals during the Pallava period are few in number. The excellent bronzes of this period are Kuram Nataraja, Kilapaluvur Vishapaharana and Tiruvalangadu Somaskanda idols.^[22]

The Pandyas who were contemporaries of the Pallavas had exhibited their workmanship in the temples at Tirapparankunram, Tirumayam, and Kalugumalai.^[23] The sculptures in these temples are mostly similar to the Pallava sculptures.^[24] One cannot know whether the Pandyas made metallic icons because not even a single piece relating to the early Pandya period has been traced.^[25]

Stone images and bronze idols are noteworthy for their distinct characteristics during the Chola period. The sculptural art of the Pallavas were fervently developed by the Cholas. The sculptures of their period may be divided into three kinds on the basis of their style as early, middle and later Chola periods. The sculptures of the early Cholas may be divided into two parts. In the first part, the sculptures were made by simply following the Pallava style.

In the second part there was an individualistic style without the Pallava influence.^[26] During the reign of the middle Cholas the number of sculptures outnumbered those of the period of the early Cholas. The Brahadisvarar temple at Thanjavur and the Siva temple at Gangaikondacholapuram have brought fame to the middle Cholas throughout the world.^[27]

In general the sculptures of this period show a square face and a rather thick and narrow physique. They are bedecked with rows of chains and necklaces, flowery keyuras, sacred thread of several strings and with flowery linear dresses. The waist band with lion face has clear features. The halo at the back of the head of a statue is encased within a lotus shaped ring.^[28]

During the later Chola period the sculptures has a marked increase in ornamentation. The makutas have very fine workmanship. The drapery have flowery designs and folds in straight lines, the sacred thread has several strings and the lion faced waist band is large.^[29] Bronzes reached their zenith during this period.^[30] Generally the characteristics of the Chola sculptures are a smooth round face, a sharp nose, and a little narrow body and elaborate treatment of decorative details.^[31]

The most impressive Chola sculptures are seen in the temples of Thanjavur, Gangaikondasolapuram, Darasuram and Tribhuvanam. The later Pandyas attached greater importance to architecture, than to the sculpture.^[32] Their forms did not carry the artistic skill and the beauty of the Pallava or Chola forms.^[33] The sculptures of Tiruvalisvarar temple at Ambasamudram and Tirukottiyur temple speak of the glory of the later Pandya art. The art of sculpture was continued by the Vijayanagar Kings in Tamil country after the decline of the Pandyas. The images were made with great vigour in their period. The general features of the sculptures of their period are found with sharp noses, large eyes, clear brows and excess of garments and ornaments. They are tall and sturdy in body and have a stress, on ornamentation. The images of women are found with ample breasts and muscular bodies. In some of the images of women there are sarees over their breasts. There are number of images of warriors and created in life size with head gear kavachcha.

The images of the King and the Queen are made in life size. War games and events like kolattam are carved in statue form. In all the four corners of the mandapas hanging chains are made in stones. This is a special feature of their period. It was only during their period that vertically standing images were created in Tamil country. The statues found in the Kalyana mandapa of Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram are the best example. At the Jalakantesvarar temple in Vellore, the beautiful Vijayanagar sculptures are found on the pillars in the Kalyana mandapa, Vrishabhantika from Dharmapuram, Kalasamharamurti from Tirukadaiyur and Heramba Ganapati from Nagapattinam are the famous bronzes of this period.

The Adavalleswarar temple and Arulala Perumal temple at Munnur have a number of sculptures both in stone and bronze icons dating back to 12^thcentury A.D., to 14^thcentury A.D. They expose the aesthetic sense and dexterity of the artisans. The Adavalleswarar temple is famous its priceless iconographic representations, particularly the icons of Nataraja, and Chandikesvarar, are striking examples for their elegance and refinement.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, Early Chola Temples, New Delhi, 1971, p. 272.

[2]:

Valentin Taransky, "Sculpture," Academic American Encyclopaedia, XVII (c. 1983), 159.

[3]:

Vai. Ganapathi Sthapathi, Sirpa Sennul, (Tamil), Chennai, 1978, p.8.

[4]:

Mulk Raj Anand, 'The Hindu View of Art, New Delhi, 1987, p. 102.

[5]:

Vai. Ganapathi Sthapathi, Op.Cit., pp. 8-9.

[6]:

S. Rasavelu, "Sirpakkalai, "Vazhviyar Kalanjiyam, Vol. IX 1988. p.82.

[7]:

Rogers, R. Leonard, "Sculpture," The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. XXVIII, 1986, p.42.

[8]:

Perviz N. Peerozsaw Dubash, Hindoo Art in its Social Setting, New Delhi, 1979, p. 15.

[9]:

Mehta, J. Rustam, Masterpieces of Indian Sculpture, Bombay 1968, p. 1.

[10]:

S. Rasavelu, Op.Cit.,87.

[11]:

Rustam J. Mehta, Op.Cit., p. 2.

[12]:

S. Rasavelu, Op.Cit., pp. 88-89.

[13]:

Ibid., p. 89.

[14]:

Ibid. p. 99.

[15]:

Ibid., p.115.

[16]:

S. Rasavelu, and Thirumurthi, K., Tamilnattu Tholliyal Agazhayvukal, (Tamil), Chennai, 1985, p. 74.

[17]:

S. Duraisami Pillai, (ed.), Ainkurunuru, Vol. 124, Annamalai Nagar, 1978, p. 324.

[18]:

Venkatasami Nattar, N.M. and Avvai, S. Duraisami Pillai, (eds.), Manimekalai, Chennai, 1946, Canto 21, II. 115-116, p. 277; P. Pandian, trans., Manimekalai, Madras, 1989, p. 186.

[19]:

E. Ekambaranathan, Tamilaga Chirpa Oviya Kalaigal, (Tamil) Chennai, 1984, p. 31.

[20]:

Ibid.,p.27.

[21]:

Ibid., p. 29.

[22]:

Ibid., pp. 14-17 and 22-24.

[23]:

S. Rasavelu, Op.Cit., 93.

[24]:

E. Ekambaranathan, Op.Cit., p. 93

[25]:

Ibid., pp. 87-88

[26]:

Ibid., p. 41.

[27]:

Ibid., p. 52.

[28]:

Ibid., p. 58.

[29]:

Ibid., p. 61..

[30]:

Mehta, J.Rustam, Op.Cit., p. 23.

[31]:

V.N. Srinivasa Desikan, S.V. Subramaniyan and A.N. Perumal, "Masterpieces of Tamil Icons,(eds.,)," Heritage of the Tamils Art and Architecture, Madras, 1985, p. 317.

[32]:

Ekambaranathan, E., Op.Cit., p. 95.

[33]:

Ibid., p. 90.