5.8. Vaisnavite Images in Odisha art

The Visnu images discovered in Orissa can be divided into three groups viz standing, seated and reclining types of which the standing images are the most numerous in Odisha. The Visnu images usually hold sankha, cakra, gada and padma. Such images are worshipped in temples at Gandharadi in Phulbani district, Ganesvarapur near Chhatia in undivided Cuttack district, Kantilo in Nayagarh district. Besides, one of the corner shrines of the pacayatana temple at Kualo in Dhenkanala district is dedicated to Visnu. From this it appears that Vaisnavism did not have that much importance as Saivism had. Therefore, the images of Visnu and his incarnations have not received prominence on the temples. These images rarely occur on the Saiva temples of the early period. It is only on the Simhanatha Siva temple that we notice substantial number of Vaisnavite sculptures. The northern wall of the mukhasala is embellished with the images of various forms of Visnu. It is difficult to explain this unusual feature of temple sculptures. The Prachi valley has yielded numerous Madhava figures of outstanding importance. 57

The extant asana murtis and sayana murtis of Visnu are comparatively rare. There is a small seated image of Visnu in the Museum at Kenduli, while a large size headless figure in the Orissa State Museum shows Visnu in the laditasana flanked by Bhudevi and Sridevi. The sayana murtis of the Visnu are known from Jajpur, Palia, Kaupura, Bhimakanda and Saranga. 94 Beautiful images of Laksmi-Narayana hail from Lingaraja compound, Pratanagari and Caurasi. The magnificent image from Caurasi shows the two deities with their usual Vaisnava emblems. Laksmi-Narasimha images occur at Kenduli, Cuttack town, Lingaraj temple complex (Bhubaneswar), Puri and other places. In the earlier temples, all the forms of Visnu are shown in saumya or calm form. Even the Narasimha image is not shown in the ugra or terrific form." The Varaha and Narasimha forms of Visnu occur more frequently than the other forms. There is an image of Varaha carved on the inner wall of the vimana of the Vaitala temple. He holds an axe in one hand and a pot in another. Long back R.D.Banerjee came across images of Visnu at Gandharadi, but now the where abouts of these images are not known.95 Reliefs illustrating the ten incarnations of Lord Visnu are found on the wall of several temples of Orissa. In the ruined Manibhadresvara temple (11th century AD) at Bhubaneswar the figures of avataras such as Matsya, Kurma, Narasimha, Rama, and Kalki are still extant. The avataras of Lord Visnu including Buddha and Kalki can be identified in the famous Jagannatha temple (12th century AD) and Madhavananda temple (13th century AD). The sculptures illustrating Trivikrama, Varaha and Narasimha incarnations are usually placed as parsvadevatas in Visnu temples and outstanding examples of such images occur at the Jagannatha temple of Puri. The images of Lord Krsna are very rare in their occurrence in the earlier temple sculptures of Orissa. Panels depicting the scene of Krsna killing KaTiya naga are found in the Simhanatha and the Manikesvara temples. Identical reliefs showing Krsna standing before his mother Yasoda who is engaged in churning the curd are found in one of the corner shrines of the Brahmesvara temple and the Lingaraja temple. K.C.Panigrahi gives much importance to these reliefs in order to establish the contemporaneity of both the temples." In the later period, the life history of Lord Krsna has popularly been depicted in the different temples of 58

Orissa. After the removal of plaster, various scenes of the life story of Krsna can be identified in the sculptures of Jagannatha temple of Puri. In the Orissan temple art the following themes seem to have been popular; 1. the story of Krsna's Janmastami (Candesvara); 2. Putanabadha (Simhanatha), Kesi and Vrusasura badha (Vaidyanatha, Simhanatha, Jagannatha temple), 4. Sakata bhanga (Jagannatha temple), 5.Infant Krsna with Yasoda (Lingaraja and Catesvara),6. Subjugation of Kaliya naga (Suklesvar, Odisha State Museum and Jagannatha temple), 7.Yamalarjuna bhanga (Ganesvarapur and Mukhalingam),8. Vastraharana (Visnupura panel in the Orissa State Museum), 9. Uplifting of the Govardhan mountain (Viranchi Narayana temple at Palia, Jagannatha temple and Konarka temple) and rasalila scene (detached sculptures at Visnupur, Jaya-Vijaya doorway of the Jagannatha temple). The cult of Krsnda was quite popular in all parts of Odisha. Stray images of Gopinatha of the Ganga period are known from different places. The wellknown outstanding specimens are from Balianta and Hirapur Gopinatha is worshipped at Danda-Mukundapur, Remuna, Sakhi Gopala and other places. Among the images, a beautiful figure of Krsna-Visnu, in the Orissa State Museum, is of particular interest. The group representation of Balarama, Ekanamsa and Krsna-Vasudeva are known from Tirintura and Lingaraja temple complex and such figures have great significance in the context of Jagannatha 'Trinity'.