Elephants in Art, Architecture and History of Orissa
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Orissa Review * June - 2008 Elephants in Art, Architecture and History of Orissa Debabrata Swain Since time immemorial the elephant has been an plates makes us believe that the living species of integral part of Indian culture and heritage. The the mastodon either attracted the admiration of Vedic 'King of Gods' (Indra) assumed a distinctly the people of the valley for its gigantic structure Indian character after localization in the land of and strength or where depictions of elephants the 'Five Rivers'. He ultimately stepped from his appear on amulets they were propitiatory in nature chariot, drawn by the steeds of the Aryan horse (Sen, 1972). An outstanding icon in Indian art tamers and mounted an elephant. Sen (1972) appears in the Harappan culture for the first time states that it is indeed curious that Indra who was on a famous seal from Mahenjodaro. The seal conceived as being borne on a golden chariot shows a central figure seated on a low throne in a drawn by two or many tawny steeds, abandoned yogic position, along with which appear the his old vehicle and preferred an elephant as his elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, buffalo and deer and vahana or carrier. Craven (1976) observes that two exceedingly stylized human figures (Craven, hymns in Rigveda, the first and chief book of the 1976). Vedas compiled sometime between 1500 and ASHOKA AND THE KALINGA WAR 500 BC, were especially directed towards Indra, the God of the heavens and the warrior king, who The history of Indian Art and Architecture rode a white elephant and used the thunder bolt, is obscure between the Indus Valley period and Vajra, as his principal weapon. the 5th century BC i.e., between the period of Aryan conquest (c. 1500 BC) and the advent of INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION the historical Buddha (c. 566-486 BC). The The Indus Valley Civilization (c.2500 to Greek diplomat Meghasthenes (4th Century BC) 1500 BC) of which impressive remains have been has left an account of the architectural design of discovered at Mahenjodaro in Sindh and Harappa the city of Pataliputra, the capital of the Mauryan in Western Punjab (Pakistan) provides the earliest Empire. The architecture of the Ashokan period picture that we have of India's past. Excavations (c. 273-237 BC) gains in magnificence, as for at these places have revolutionised the knowledge the first time stone was used instead of wood of lndia's historical beginnings. A very careful (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 1969). representation of elephant on seals and on copper Little is known of the early part of Ashoka's reign, 36 Orissa Review * June - 2008 Plate-4 Two elephant guards in front of Ganesh gumpha-Udayagiri caves, Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Plate-1Elephant motif half hewn from a huge stone near Dhauli, Bhubaneswar-- the earliest sculpture of Orissa, 3rd century B.C. Plate-6Elephant and giraffe in the royal court² Sun temple, Konarka, Orissa, 13th century AD. Plate-2 Infuriated wild elephants attacking a party of one man and ten women (partly shown in the picture) in a lotus lake in Rani gumpha- Udayagiri caves, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 1st century B.C. Plate-3The Story of Udayana and Vasandatta in the Plate-7 Free standing elephant in the northern Ganesh gumpha²Udayagiri caves, Bhubaneswar, courtyard of the Sun temple, Konarka, Orissa, 13th Orissa, 1st century B.C. Century A.D. 37 Orissa Review * June - 2008 Plate-11 Folded movement of elephant legs² Sun temple,Konarka, Orissa, 13th century AD. Plate-8 Sexual union of elephants² Sun temple, Konarka, Orissa, 13th century AD. Plate-9 Elephants being driven into stockade for elephant catching² Sun temple, Konarka, Orissa, 13th Plate-12 Warriors on an elephant² Daksha Prajapati century AD. temple, Banapur, Orissa, 13th century AD. Plate-10 An elephant in the stockade² Sun temple, Plate-13 An elephant caught in Kheda in Mayurbhanj Konarka, Orissa, 13th century AD. ex-state, Orissa. 38 Orissa Review * June - 2008 except that of the eighth year, which was the a dream who saw him descending from the heaven turning point. In one of his edicts it is said: 'Kalinga in the form of a white elephant. Sen (1972) was conquered by his Sacred and Gracious observes that a similar type of legend is also Majesty when he had been consecrated eight connected with the birth of Mahavira whose years. One hundred and fifty thousand persons mother, Trisala, is reported to have had a dream were thence carried away as captive, one hundred of a four-tusked elephant when she conceived thousand were there slain, and many times that the said saviour. But, as the elephant ultimately number died' (Nehru, 1946). The horrors of the became the symbol of Buddha who is said to have Kalinga war changed the course of human history descended to the earth in the form of an elephant- and the message of Buddhism reverberated in the a saddanta according to tradition, it ceased to be ears of the emperor who gave up his ambition of a sign of conception for the common woman Digvijaya in favour of Dharma Vijaya and although it still remained the symbol of fecundation became Dharmashoka from Chandashoka. for the divine female. The elephant figures at Dhauli EARLIEST SCULPTURAL ART OF and Ashokajhara were intended to remind the ORISSA people of the birth story of Gautama Buddha. In fact, the great stupa built at Dhauli by Buddhist There is a sculpture of an elephant half hewn monks from Japan in the early nineteen seventies from a huge stone near which Ashoka wrote his depicts on its wall the dream of Mayadevi and Fourteenth Rock Edict at Dhauli near the birth of Gautama Buddha. Bhubaneswar (the present Capital city of Orissa), the site of the great Kalinga War (Plate-I). This is Thus, the elephant has been represented the earliest specimen of sculptural art in Orissa as raining clouds, the Vahana of Indra, fertility of (4th century B.C). One edict there (3rd century crops, the conception of womanhood, the sign of BC) documents not only Ashoka's conversion, fecundation of mother goddess and her Vahana, but also his missionary zeal for the nonviolence of the guardian of quarters, the symbol of the Sun Buddhism. The bell capital discovered at and also of the Buddha and Mahavira. Ashokajhara (Bhubaneswar) has a winged KHANDAGIRI AND UDAYAGIRI CAVES elephant along with other decorative figures on It is in the caves of Khandagiri and the frieze. Panigrahi (1986) argues the bell capital Udayagiri (near Bhubaneswar), that the rock-cut to be of Ashoka's period (c. 273- 237 BC). mode found its supreme expression. As known ELEPHANT SYMBOL from the Hatigumpha (a cave named after the There are several myths relating to elephant; Hati elephant and Gumpha = cave) elephants in Indian literature. The most popular inscription (Udayagiri), most of these caves belong belief indicating the sign of conception in to the 1st century BC and were excavated during womanhood by the visit of a snake in her dream the reign of Emperor Kharavela, the greatest ruler (traceable not only in India but also in different of ancient Kalinga. All the caves, locally called parts of the world with slight variations) was Gumphas, were intended as dwelling apartments directly transferred to the elephant (Zimmer, for Jaina monks. In keeping with the rigorous 1962). Thus, in the Buddhist legend the future asceticism of the Jaina faith, these dwelling cells Buddha is said to have left Tusita heaven and was are quite simple. In some caves the ceiling is so conceived by his mother Maya or Mahamaya in low that one can hardly stand erect and the 39 Orissa Review * June - 2008 entrances are so small that one has to crawl to seen prostrate on the ground apparently to collect enter the cave. The rear end of the floor inside coins. The next sequence shows the persons the cell is slightly raised to serve the purpose of a alighting from a kneeling elephant. Thereafter, they pillow. are proceeding to the right. Finally, the chief man Out of about eighteen excavations in the with folded hands seems to be consoling the Udayagiri and fifteen excavations in the woman who is shown in a half-reclining posture. Khandagiri, important elephant friezes are seen The entrance of the Ganesh Gumpha is flanked in Rani Gumpha, Manchapuri Gumpha and by two elephants placed in a later period (Behera, supra) (Plate-4). Ganesh Gumpha in the Udayagiri series and Ananta Gumpha in the Khandagiri series. The The Ananta Gumpha, the most beautiful facade of the Rani Gumpha, the most beautiful of cave of Khandagiri, depicts auspicious motifs such the caves, depicts infuriated wild elephants as a four-tusked elephant (Chaturdanta Gaja) and attacking a party of one man and ten women in a Shri anointed by elephants (Sabhisekha Shri), all lotus lake. The relief delineates with remarkable related to the dreams of Trisala before giving birth success (Plate-2) the feelings and action of the to Mahavira, the famous Jain-Tirthankara panic-stricken group. (Behera, supra). An interesting panel in the Manchapuri cave All these motifs of elephants carved on the depicts a royal procession towards an object of tympana of the caves indicate the possible use of worship. The king, as evident from his turreted elephants by the royalties in wars, processions crown, is on an elephant. He is proceeding with etc., and the religious significance attached to the folded hands along with three other persons. Two elephant and the elephant symbol. The flying Gandharvas above provide heavenly music preponderance of elephant motifs indicates the and a flying Vidyadhara is seen carrying a tray of availability of quite a large number of elephants in flowers in his left hand.