The National Museum in Delhi is a treasure trove, and anyone who loves history need just take a look around to vouch for this sentiment. The Museum houses almost 2,00,000 artifacts of various kinds, that cover a time span of more than five thousand years in the context of Indian heritage, both archaeological and cultural. The…
Tag: sculpture
What do Ganas, Gandharvas, Mithuna Couples, and Dancing girls on temple walls tell us
When we embark on a circumambulation of a temple (pradakshina), our eyes come across many figures besides those of the gods and the goddesses. Among the ones we most frequently meet are the chubby ganas busy blowing into conch shells, or bearing heavy loads of the temple, or sometimes playing the musical instruments. Others that…
The doorway to the Hindu temple sanctum or garbagriha- Understanding the sculptures and motifs
A Hindu temple is a structure where sculptures abound on the outer wall surfaces, in the various halls or mandapas, on pillars, ceilings, and also on the shikharas/vimanas. However, such profusion of carvings end abruptly as one crosses the threshold of the sanctum, and enters it. The sanctum or garbhagriha, also known as prasada, is…
Gwalior Fort in the heartland of India, Madhya Pradesh
The old State of Gwalior in India’s madhyadesa Standing amidst the forest clad ridges, low topped hills and plateaus, valleys, plains, and many rivers (Chambal and its tributaries), the old State of Gwalior in Central India has been a silent witness to many historical proceedings from times immemorial. Geographically the territory could be divided into two…
Visvesvara /Basheswara/ Bishweshwara Mahadev temple in Bajoura (Kullu, Himachal Pradesh)
While staying in Sarsai near Manali with my friend in early April this year, I came across photographs of the beautiful Baseswara temple (assigned to 9th c. CE built) located in the Bajoura town of the Kullu district. Despite grim warnings by my friend about how hot Kullu will be by late morning, and her…
Temple of Dance- the Ramappa temple complex in Palampet, Telengana
“The temple is a place of beauty, it is a place of revelation, it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord.” ― Howard W. Hunter The Palampet temples In a serene valley of the long forgotten village of Palampet, amidst vast crop fields, surrounded by wooded hills and a large lake, stands…
Moni Gāthā 