New photos added

[Guest guest]

1) Figurines

a) Annaporna (she who is full of Food): A small bronze image of

Goddess Annaporna. Northeastern deccan, 18th Cenutry. Identified with

a ladle which she carries across her lap.

b) Camunda ( 2 pics ) : Fragment of sandstone. 4 arm Camunda in

her fierce form.

c) Seven Mothers : Stone panel. From Madhya Pradesh. 9th/10th

century.

d) Durga ( X 2 pics ) : both stone panels showing her in battle

and the other killing the buffalo demon.

e) Saraswati : A marbel piece beautifully carved. From Dhaar,

Malwa, central India. 11th century A.D.

f) Mansa : The goddess of Snakes.This is a bronze inlaid with

silver eastern India. 8th or 9th century A.D

 

2) Various Forms of Devi (2)

a) Goddess BahuCharaji : patron goddess of hijras worshipped in

Gujarat

 

3) Kali Devi

clay figure of Kali striding over recumbent Shiva. Late 19th

century. Bengal

 

4) Shiva

a) Siva riding on a parrot. Punjab Hills. Kangra Style painting.

This is Shiva as an ascetic, with matted and coiled up hair decorated

with the crescent moon and with skulls around his hair and neck. He

also carries a skull cup in one hand. The ascetic character of the

god is emphasized by the dog which being the most inauspicious

animal, is usually associated with the wandering mendicant Bhairava.

The twining and flowering trees in the background are trademarks of

Kangra Paintings.

b) Shiva as Bhairava. Punjab Hills, Kangra style painting too.

The placement of the wild figure in a beautiful landscape of

exquisitely flowering trees is typical of the paradox seen in the

mythology and philosophy of Siva. The presence of the skull cap in

his right hand recalls the Shaiva ascetics, the Kapalika, who uses

skullcups for the collection of alms and who deliberately indulge in

contrary behaviour to demonstrate their passage beyond the difference

of opposities.

c) Shiva Temple in Bhuvaneshvar, Orrisa. In this temple, image

of Shiva as Mukteshvara.

d) Shiva in bronze castings : This image shows Shiva as

Vishapaharana. South Indian c940 – 950 A.D. The South Indian

casting

is one of the best and finest in the world.

e) Shiva as Bhairava. Paintings on European Paper watermarked

1820. South Indian. Tanjore or Tiruchirapalli. In this beautifully

composed paintings, Bhairava accompanied by his dog Vahana, is

depicted as a wandering ascetic, with matted dreadlocks and garlands

of skulls.

 

Now who says that we never honour Shiva !!

 

Arent those pics just awesome

 

 

 

Om Parashaktiye Namaha