Three Forms of Vishnu Enshrining a Triple Niched Sanctum

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Though all three are Vishnu’s forms, the glory of the one in the centre is beyond par. Seated on the coils of the Great Serpent Shesh in ‘lalitasana’ – the posture revealing great aesthetic beauty this form of Vishnu reveals greater majesty than do other two forms. He is seated in full ease revealing sublime grace. Like a majestic canopy the Great Serpent is unfurling its five-hoods over the Great Lord. In the theological tradition Shesh is seen as manifesting the Earth that Vishnu pervades. Thus symbolically the wood-panel, while representing Vishnu as seated over the body of Shesh, portrays him as the all pervading Supreme. His form on the right is in ‘Tri-bhanga mudra’ – a posture with three curves. With his three curves he pervades, commands and nourishes all three worlds and all cosmic regions. Vishnu’s standing posture is his operative image suggestive of his readiness to rush to protect and redeem his devotee from every calamity.

Lord Krishna, enshrining the niche on the left, is also a ‘Tri-bhanga’ posture. In Krishna’s iconography ‘tri-bhanga’ is the essence of his being for in his incarnation as Krishna Vishnu had emerged on the earth to constantly operate, which the ‘tri-bhanga’ posture symbolises. Right after his birth Krishna was engaged in operating against evil and in eradicating it in its one form or the other. For emphasizing this aspect of the image the artist has rendered the curves of Krishna’s figure as sharper and has also carved a figure of cow, symbolic of the earth, along him suggesting that he is more earth-inclined. He has been represented as playing on his flute. Flute is a worldly attribute but the means of utmost sublimation and redemption from the worldly bonds : the essence of Krishna’s Vaishnava devotion.

All three images, even Krishna’s, are four-armed carrying alike in their upper arms disc and conch, though unlike the two proto-forms of Vishnu that carry in the lower left hand a mace and the right is held in ‘abhaya’, Krishna is holding in them his flute. Typical of South Indian tradition, the figures of Vishnu, as also Krishna’s, are glistening with the gold’s lustre, not blue-hued, the colour that the tradition attributes to Vishnu and his incarnations. They are wearing the characteristic ‘pitambara’ – yellow lower garments, and Vaishnava crowns. Their crowns do not have the usual towering height. The crowns’ moderate height, and all figures’ broad flattened noses, upwards slanting eyes, volume and bulk and marble images-like finish and elegance are typical features of South Indian wood-carvers’ art.

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.