The art and architecture of India - Buddhist, Hindu, Jain (Art Ebook)

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HINDU RENAISSANCE
The subsidiary tableaux at Elephanta are
arranged like so many Stations of the Cross,
each dedicated to a significant aspect of Siva
Mahadeva. They are, like the great Trinity, a
perpetuation of the Ellura style. The treatment
of the subjects, ranging from the Trimurti and
such dynamic conceptions as the Nataraja (Siva
as Lord of the Dance) to a panel like the Betrothal
of Siva and Parvati [246], reveal the extraordinary
ability and scope of the Dravidian
sculptor in presenting themes both terrible and
lyrical. The representation of Siva's Wedding
is a timeless scene of bliss, its setting a deep
grotto, the cavern of the heart, 'wherein the fire
of life, the energy of the creator, is quick with
the ardour of its eternal source and at the same
instant throbbing with the pulse of time'. 29
This is a scene of complete tranquillity and
peace. The columnar figures of Siva and his
246. Elephanta, Siva temple,
Betrothal of Siva and Parvati
spouse are set off against a recess of darkness, in
which hover the forms of countless airborne
devas come to praise the climax of the god's
union with his Himalayan bride, a wedding that
typifies the world and all its myriads proceeding
from the reunion of the One who was never
divided. The mood of untrammelled, ideal love
is enhanced by every aspect of pose and gesture -
the tenderness with which Siva turns to his
consort, and the gentle swaying of Parvati's
youthful body. Like the reliefs at Ellura, the
colossal panels at Elephanta suggest spectacular
presentations on a stage, their dramatic effectiveness
enhanced by the bold conception in terms
of light and shade. Probably such a resemblance
to the unreal world of the theatre is not entirely
accidental; for in Indian art, as in Indian
philosophy, all life, even the life of the gods, is a
Hid, an illusion or play set against the background
of eternity.
It may be noted in conclusion that current
investigations by Dr Walter Spink of the style
of the sculpture of Elephanta, supported by
comparisons with carvings of the fifth and sixth
century at Ajanta, suggest that the truly classic
aspect of this noble monument may be explained
by regarding it as a work of the late Gupta or
immediately post-Gupta Period.
10. SOUTHERN INDIA
The great period of Dravidian structural architecture
in southern India culminated under the
Chola Dynasty, which became paramount in
power over all India as far north as the Ganges
and extended its sway at one time as far as
Ceylon and Burma. The history of the Chola
monarchy reached its climax under Rajaraja the
Great (985 - 1018). This ruler, like all the Chola
kings, was a devotee of Siva. He recorded his
conquests in an inscription girdling the base of
the great temple that he raised to Siva at Tanjore,
the Rajrajesvara temple, erected c. a.d. 1000
[247]-