Depiction of Shiva in the form of Lingodhbhav-murti
Depiction of Shiva in the form of Lingodhbhav-murti
Description:
This is a depiction of Shiva in the form of lingodhbhav-murti. Stella Kramrisch described this particular image from Harsha: ‘In the universal night the pillar there was nothing; fiery pillar appeared above the waters. Other than it had no beginning no end. Brahma flew into the empyrean and failed to reach its top; Vishnu dived into the depth of the sea and failed to find its bottom. The two great gods thereupon submit and become the acolytes of the fiery pillar. The Fiery Pillar is in its splendour to its greatness and Shiva; he reveals himself. The stele is traversed in its middle by the Fiery Pillar. On the left Brahmā is seen soaring upwards; he is also seen standing, his self-appointed mission unfulfilled, an attendant divinity of the Fiery Pillar. To the right of the Pillar, Viṣnu, blowing his conch, hurls himself downward with the same result; he becomes an acolyte of the Pillar and his standing image swings in the same rhythm as the image of Brahmā. The top of the slab, the high region traversed by the pillar, is a palpitating mass of movement and its shapes are Hamsa-birds and celestial spirits. The vision of the flaming pillar has been given form in this image competently though not adequately; the form is sleek and slight but succeeds in translating the Fiery Pillar into the trunk of the Tree whose branches are Brahmā, Viṣnu and the celestial host.’ (Hindu Temples, vol 2, Plate LXVII, page 402). This is one of the most iconic and celebrated images of lingodhbhav-murti, reputed for its delicacy of the figures, sense of movement and visual impact. Within the incorporative landscape of Harsha Hill, including shrines dedicated to various deities, this image marks the Shaiva domination and supremacy at the complex.
Image courtesy: Akbari Fort and Museum, Ajmer
Location:
Sikar
Date_accepted:
2024-05-13T12:12:21Z
Modified:
2024-05-14T11:13:58Z
Type:
Image
Creator:
Temples of India Project Team
Contributor:
Anchit Jain
Publisher:
Jio Institute
Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
References:
Rajasthan, Shakambhari Chahamanas , Temples of India, Harshnath Temple, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and Sikar