Indra seated on his elephant Airavata in the frieze
Indra seated on his elephant Airavata in the frieze
Description:
In the frieze (of the ceiling of the Harshnath Temple sanctum) of the drumming and dancing gods, is Indra seated on his elephant Airavata, accompanied by a warrior holding a sword and shield and an apsara. Stella Kramrisch, in her work Hindu Temples (vol-2, plate LXVIII, pg 402-403), describes the spirit of the image as follows: ‘the movement sways and surges to either side of a standing god who holds a long lance and seems to have ushered in before Indra the warrior so that he becomes one of the dancers. Indra, enthroned in a posture of ease, the right hand raised in Abhaya-mudra, grants fearlessness; his left-hand holds the Vajra. Small shapes surround him, Matali, his mahout, and companion spirits, Marut-like. The elephant's trunk and the warrior's legs are interlaced; the warrior's is the largest movement; across the depth of the relief, he steps forward into the line of the celestials. Their dance vibrates, to the stamping of the feet, a suave tremor free from tension.' This image resonates with verse 7 of the Harsha stone inscription of Vigraharaja II which mentions that the Lord Harsha (Shiva) is worshipped on the hill by a joyous divine host, Indra.
Location:
Sikar
Date_accepted:
2024-05-13T12:13:48Z
Modified:
2024-05-14T11:08:11Z
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