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Durgā Mahisāsuramadinī: an Historical and Regional Survey

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Durgā Mahisāsuramadinī: an Historical and Regional Survey Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masteer of Arts by Renu Kochar, B.A. M. A. Tbe Ohio State University z 875 Approved by Department of History of Art AC Kn'ClWLEDGME NTS I mideeply gmtcful to my adviser, Professor Susan L. IIuntiagton, for her constant guiclmcc and patience which enabled me to finish this shidy aucccss- fully. The debt of gratitude which I owe her can ncver be adequately expressed in words. f am equally ttxtnkhl to Professor Joh C. I-hntingdon, my swoncl reader, €or his help and advice given in this regard, and throughout my tenure as :i graduate student. Also I woiild like to acknowledge and thank all my friends, particularly Ms. Devj Shahmcy and Ms. Gectha Balasubramaniarn , for thcir constant encouragcnient and never-failing optimisn-v, Thanks are also due to MS. 1Llargi Gudfrey for typing the first draft of this thesis, and to Ms. Barbara Parker who has done such a marvelous job of typing thc final n~aniiscripE. Finally, I 1%70uldlike to dedicate this thesis to my parents, I3nj and tljaU:,, and my brotiier, Amrit, whosr? faith in me ncver faltered. mcl wliosu lo.i~,patience: and understmdiiig will always bc cherislicd by ~nc. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page A CTC!\;'O'CfrLED G>!CENT S ii LIST 0 F IL LUST IUTIONS iV IKT ROD UCar ON 1 Review of Literature 4 CHAPTER I DURG~;;IN INDIAN L~EIZATUIIE 7 L[ EARLY IMAGES OF DURGA niIAHI~~SURAiL1.ARuIN~ UNTIL THE SEVENTH CENTURY 23 111 IMAGES OF D?.JRGx &L4MIS%URAMARDINf AFTER THE SEVENTH CENTURY:-REGIONAE VARXATTONS 42 Southem Ind ia 4% Wrestern India 54 Eastern India 69 Northern and Central India 74 CONC LUSSON 80 SE L,EC TED BTBLTOGRAPHY 8.3 ILLUSTRATIONS 92 iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOI\IS 1. Gold Coin of Kaiiishka BI, Collection of the Late Narsndra Sing11 Singhi, C c?Zcutea, Source: B. N. Muldierjee, Nann on Lion,- Calcutt;~, 1 369, pl. 1. 2. Gold C oiri A’ Huvishka. British Museum, Sotirce: B,N, Mukiiei-jcs, Nana on Lien, Calcutta, 1369, pl. 18 & 20. 3. Sandstone Image of Mahi~Zsur:miardin?from Matliurz , Ku$&I Period. Math~aMuseum. Source: 0. Viennot, “The Godclcss Mahish~suramarLinTin I~ushnaa Art,t’ CIArtibus Asiae, XX,3 -4, 1956, pp, 355-373, fig. I.. 4, Terracotta Placpe of kIaEni~5isuramardinTirdinifrom Nagar, Xtajasthan. Amber Muscum. Source: R. C. Agrawala, “A Tcrracoth Plaque oT Rlahishkxirnar- din7 from Nagar, Rajasthan, --^_Lalit Kal2, 1-2, 1955-56, pp. 72-74, fig. 1. 5. A. Guph Coin: Lion-Slayer Type of Kumaragupta I. British Museum. €3. Guptn Coin: Lion-Slaycr Type of Chandragxqitx? IT. Byitis h Museum. Souxe: J. Alan, Caklogue of Coins of the Guyta Dlinsties-I_ rind__ .of- &6%ka, King of Gnuc&~,London, 1936, pls. ICW & TX. 6. Terracotki Seal from Rajghat. Source: IC. B. Ipr, ‘!An Early Gupta Sesl of the Mahils”asura2lJar~dillT, -At-tibus- Asiae, 31, 19G9, pp. 179-154, fig. iV 9. Mahi$kxmnmwdinli from Besnagar. Gwalior Museum. Source: D. R. Patil, '' 'Telin' or iuIahigamnrdiiu" from Besuagxr, 'I -Proceedings--- of the Indian History Coiigress,- XI, 1948 (1951!, pp. 96-100, fig. 1. 10. Sandstoiic Relief fsam Bhita. Source: 3. H. Marshall, "Excavation at Bliita ~ It -Archaeolog.i.ca.1.- Survey -. -of- hi&, humal Rcports, 191 1-1912. 11. Sandstone Relief from Bhita, Smtrct-: J. €1. Marshall, op cit. 12. Tarracotta Figuring from Ahichchhatra. Source : V. 5, kgran~&, "Terracotta Figurines I.rom Ahichchhatra, rr Ancient India, 4, fig. 120. 13. Mahi@suramardi6 from the Rock-cut Shrine I at Badami. Source: Seshadri, pl. 6B. 14. Source: E. S. Guptc, Art and Architecture 01Ailiole, Bombay, 1967, -- ---_I pl. 123, 15. Mahig5:surarnardinT from the Rock-cut Shrine at Ailide. Source: R.S. Gupk, -op-cit..- pl. 135. IG. Inscribed Bronze Image of Mathi~~siiramardinYfrom Rralmor, Charnba. Source: Scshadri, pl. 9. 17, 18. Pduscum. Source: M.R. Sharm=t, op cit., p. 127. _I_-- 19. Source: M. In, Sharma, --op- cit;. , p. 128. 20. V 21. M~~hi~~su~~i~~a~~~jii~,Alanipur Museum. Source: M. In. Sharma, op cit. p. 136. 22. Ma hiig5suraiiiardirii. Alanipur Muscum. Source: M.R. Sharrna, op cit. p. 135. 2 3. Ma hi $2 sura113 a rdin'. Alam pu 1- Museum . Source: Seshadri, pl. 30B. 24. Mahiv5suraniardini. Alampur Museum, Source: Seshadri, pl. 25. 25. Mahi~Esuixmardiu'Yon the Faqade of Tyimurti Rock-cut Shrine at Mai-,lallapuram. Source: Seshadri, pl. 19. 26. MahiG%mmxmlinT Panel from Rock-cub Shrine at Mamalhpui-aL. Source: l'vIarg? 23, 1970, p. 58. 2'7, %ialzi~%cramardin'iRelief from Ma1ii~~isurarn:[email protected], Mama] - lapiwarn Source: H. Zimmcr, I-c^-.The Art of Indian Asia, New York, 1955, p1. 284. 28. Mah+%x1raim;LrdiTiT Panel in front of Atiranaclmndas Cave Tewplc st Saluvaahppam . Source: -Mai., 23, 19'70: p. 69, 29. MahisZsaramardinY Relief from Lower Cave at Ti ruchirapalli, Source: Marg, 23, 19'70. p. 70. 30. M~~i~~s~~~~~i~2~~d~~~from Mamallapuram, Boston Muscuin of Fine Arts. Sourcc. H. Ziini~iei-~The Art OF- Iridinii- Asia,- New York, 1955, pl. 288. 33. Du@ from Pas'upatiknyi! at Tazjore. Sourcc: _BostonI- Museum of Fiiic Arts, Bulletin,-- XXV, 23, fig. 1. vi f 34. Durgz from Sivit Temple at Pu?1j3i’, TaEjore. Source : J. C. Harle, “Durg5, Goddess c Vict ry, I‘ Artibus Asiae, =I, 3-4, 1963-64, pp. 237-246, fig. 2. 35, Dug5 from Ty5garEja Temple at Tiruvarur, TaEjorc. Somce: J. C. Hark, _II-op cit. Eig. 3. 36 a Ma hi? 5 s 11 rarn 3. rc7 inT f r on) Ganga iko ndc.. o! a pu ra m . Source : Ses hadri, pl. 3 1A. 37. 34 ahi$isu ram a rclii5 from D1i’Era“suram. Source: H. Krishna Sastri, --_- South Indian Irn;ges---- of Gods and Goddesses,- &Iadras, 1916, €ig. 130. 38. Rltihi~~ssuramardini’from the Western Gopuram of tkc Cid%nbi-am Tern pl e. Source: J. C. Harle, Templc GatewaysI in Saul;h India, Eoiidon, 1963. 39“ MaM~”asuran~arcliriYfrom the Norkhem Gopuram of the Cic?$mbram Temp1e. Qourc.2: S.C. Hark, --oy cit. pl. 149. 40. 41. 42 MahilS.~sura~2JarCfin~Panel or1 the Right Wall of Cave 14 (Rk~a~a-ki- Id3ai), Ellora. 3ourcc: R. S, Girptc, Ajaiita, Ellora and Aurangabad C:tves, Bombay, 1962, fig. LLG. 43. 44, 45. vi i 46. ~l~~liig~suranic\rdinifrom thc Ecft Courlyarcl of the Kail'ida Temple, Ell0I-a. Source: Eastand West;, N.S. 16, 1966, pp. 109-Ill* fig. 1. 47. 48, Mahi~5suramardiGfrom Vimpalqa Temple, J?z&yiakaS. National Museum, F :w Dellii. Source: East and West, N,S. $6, 1966, pp. 109-111% fig. 3. 49. .9 50. Inscribed 1m:rgc of Saccika. Jodhpur. Source: 3. C. Agra\valat, ''A Unique Sculpture of the Jaina Eoddcss Saccika, Artibus- Ashe, XVH, 3-4, 1954, p. 233. 51. 52, Ter r z! cotta from Kal ibang an, Rag astkan . Source: Seshadri, pl. 12A. 53. 54. Ambika Temple, Jagat: Principal Back Nichc, Faicing West. If Sourcc: R. @. Agrnwala, Khajui-nho of Rajasthan; the tcmplc of Ambiltn at Jngnt, If Arts Asiaticjucts, 1964, lO/l, pp. 41-65, fig. 13. 55. 56. 57. Mahiykiramardini of the lGla Perid , Eastern India. Source: EastII_- and West, N.S. 19, 1-2, 1!)G9. 58. KgtyQanY of Madhavapasa. Source: N.K. Bhattasali. Iconography of the Buddhist and Ur;rhmanictil -Sculptures in the Dacca Museum, varanasi, Eelhi, 19'72, pl. LW. 59. Ma~iig~ssuram~.rdiniat S5Wa. Source: X.K. Bliattasali, c_-op cit., pl. LXVI. 60. Rlahig5surxmardinT from Bandergrani, East India. Source: Pakistan Archaeology, No. 6, 2969. cI_ 61. ~/Lahip~isnramairlin'ilfrom Bnckerganj District. Dacca nhmum. Source: S. L. Huntin@on, The origin and dovelopmcnt of sculpture in Bengal and Biliar ca. 8th-12th centuries , Ph. D. Dissertation, UCIA, 1972, fig. 303.. 62. Mahl$kuraniardinY from Manbhum District. Indian Museum. Calcutta. Source: S. L. Huntington, op cit. , fig. 321. 63. Exterior of the B356beria Temple, Bengal.. Source: Journal of the Asiatic Society,II IS, 1, 1967. 64. Exterior of the Navaratna Temple at k'Zmar?i$ra, Bengal. Source: Joui-~~alof the Asiatic Society,I TX, 1, 1967. 65. Mshi$hxmxwdinT from the LihgarZja 'P'emple, Bk~waae6vara. Source: Seshadri, pl. 3iA. 66. 67. 68. is 7 1. Rlahi~~sul.az31arclin’ifrom Ahichchhatra. Sourcc: Ancient India,I_ 4, 1947-43. 72. Mahi~?isurrm ardinT from Ahiciichhatra , Source : -Ancient- India, 4, I947 -45. 73. Maliip5suramardinT from Baijnath, Himachal Pradcsh. Source: -East- and- West, N. S. 15, 3-4, 1.965. 7 4. Ma his 5 surii rn ardin: from Lak~m a~aTern pl c , Kha j urzt ho . Source: Seshadri, pl. I&$. , The worship of ;z goddess is not a new phenomenon in India. Arches- logical finds from pre-historic sites of the ludus Valley civilization have revealed the prevdence of fertility cults. The basic iden of the cult of the Mother-goddess was t?ie belief in a female energy as the source of all creation. In the period QE the Vedic literatwe the worship of the goddess docs not appear to haw been popular with the uppc'r classes, h tlic early years OF the Christian era the goddess becomes an important Factw in Indian religious life, but even I at this point -.Sakti" was subordinated to 6iva. -S/alrt,i"worship becomes integrally I related to Sa&ism and d.uring the Gupta period female counterparts of the goddess beeonie as important as the gods. This st;eady increase in the impor- tance OS the goddess results in a proliferation of images OE the various goddesses.
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