Lakshmi-Narayana and Vishnu’s Other Forms

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A symbolic vision of Lakshmi-Narayana temple, Vishnu and Lakshmi are the principal deities enshrining the axis of this wood-panel – correspondingly the sanctum of the temple. With his right leg straightened downwards and left laid over the coils of the great serpent Shesh in semi-yogasana posture Lord Vishnu is seated in ‘lalitasana’. A well composed figure of Lakshmi with a lotus in her right hand is seated on Vishnu’s left thigh, while Vishnu is holding her close to his bosom with his lower left hand. In his upper left and right hands Lord Vishnu is carrying a goad and a disc and the lower right hand is in the gesture of imparting ‘abhaya’. Besides coiling for making a rounded podium for its Lord to seat the great serpent Shesh has expanded its five-forked hood to create for him a well secured backdrop, a halo behind and a canopy over his head. The figure of Lakshmi, as compared to Vishnu’s, is somewhat smaller in size, as if used only symbolically, not so much to represent her, for emphasizing Lord Vishnu’s form as Narayana.

The wood-panel represents on its right and left ends two identical images of Lord Vishnu standing in ‘tri-bhanga’ posture. While Lord Vishnu’s central figure is without a halo, these figures on the extreme ends, or rather two other flanking the central figure, one as Krishna, his incarnation, and other, his proto form with Lakshmi in an amorous disposition, have elaborate gorgeous halos. Both figures carry in their upper hands disc and goad, though their lower hands have a diversified pattern, The figure on the extreme right carries mace in the right hand while the figure on the extreme left carries it in the left, that is, the mace, the instrument of protection assuring ‘abhaya’, defines the extreme lines or the borders on two sides symbolising Vishnu’s role as the protector in entirety. The figure on the extreme right displays the gesture of ‘abhaya’ by its left hand while that on the left, by its right.

The central deity – Lakshmi-Narayana, is flanked by two other forms of Vishnu, Krishna, one of his incarnations on the right, and his proto form with Lakshmi in amorous posture, something unusual for Vishnu’s iconography, on his left. Vishnu’s figure on the left is in ‘tri-bhanga’ posture, though not revealing his readiness to charge at a tormenter. It expresses on the contrary an amorous disposition. Only the upper and lower right hands of the figure of Lord Vishnu are visible, those on the left being hidden behind Lakshmi’s figure. In the upper right hand, he is carrying the disc, while with the lower, he is making love to Lakshmi. Lord Krishna, on the right is in his usual ‘tri-bhanga’ posture, the essence of his being, for he had incarnated to constantly operate, which the ‘tri-bhanga’ posture symbolises. Protection of the earth from the atrocities of Kansa was the primary objective of his incarnation. His figure has hence behind it also the figure of cow, symbolic of the earth. Besides, he has been represented as playing on his flute, a worldly attribute but the subtlest instrument of redemption from the worldly bonds. The panel has representations of a wide range of devotees, chowri-bearers and attendants.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

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Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.