Orissa Review * August - 2005

Rock-cut Carvings of The Upper Mahanadi Valley

S.S. Panda

Ekapada , Ghudar Varahi, Ghudar

To the north-west of Ghudar village, situated at a is not clear. Another snake is raising its hood just distance of five kms from Titilagarh town of above the right shoulder of the deity. To the north- Balangir district, there is a rocky projection of west of this rock, there is a rocky mountain called about eight feet in length on which Saptamatrkas "Bhainrogudi" or "Temple of Bhairava". This alongwith Bhairava and Ganesa are carved in a mountain is having the most spectacular carvings long panel. In the place of Virabhadra, which is on the body of the rock, depicting Ekapada generally placed in Bhairava with the extreme left side Urdhvalinga of the Saptamatrka (erected phallus) as panel, at Ghudar, the central deity. It is Bhairava with a carving of the deity Urdhvalinga is of the height of about carved in the two feet and a half in Saptamatrka panel. the most hoary state. This figure is seen to He wears Makara be holding a Trisula Kundala in his ears (trident) in his right and Karanda upper hand and a Mukuta on his head Danda (staff) in his & Laksmi Narayan, Narsinghnath while one long lower hand. Near his garland of skulls left foot, (vehicle) Bull is seen to (Naramundamala) is hanging from the neck upto be standing. All the Matrkas are seen to be in a the knee-level and another small one on the chest. sort of dancing posture and above all these carved A snake is seen to be entwined near the ankle niches having nine figures, in both sides flying portion of His foot. It is a four-handed figure, the Vidyadhara couple occurs. Just in the back-side upper right hand raised upward holding a knife. of this rock, another four-handed figure of The upper left hand is bent towards his mouth, Bhairava dancing in Chatura mode is carved. He the Lord is seen to be biting his own finger and a has a furious looking appearance with sunken eyes long Khatvanga is placed on the ground being and has Urdhvalinga. He is seen to be holding a put in this folded hand. Here, Ekapada Bhairava knife and a trident in his upper right and left hands has sunken eyes, sunken belly and an uncanny respectively, while a snake in his lower right hand look. He is seen holding a (skull cup)

61 Orissa Review * August - 2005 just below his chest, near the sunken belly. There that was issuing from his mouth a Sakti called are two series of carved panels to the right side Yogesvari. Indra and other Devas also sent their of the deity. The scene of Andhakasura-vadha is Saktis to serve the same purpose. They are depicted in this panel. In the (Varaha Brahmani, Mahesvari, Kaumari and Vaisnavi. and Kurma) it is mentioned that after Prahallada, They are the female counter-parts of the gods, Andhakusara became the king of the Asuras and , Mahesvara, Kumara, Visnu, Varaha, by his auster penances he obtained several boons Indra and Yama and are armed with the same from Brahma and became invincible. Being weapons. They wear the same ornaments and ride harassed by him, the Devatas prayed Lord Siva the same and carry the same banners in Kailasa to come to their help. When Siva was as the corresponding male gods do. Such is the listening to his complaints, Andhakasura arrived account of the origin of the Saptamatrkas or the there and challenged the Lord and even dared to seven mother-goddesses. try to snatch away The seven Devi Parvati. This act Matrkas licked all of the Asura drops of blood and infuriated Lord Siva checked those from as a result of which falling on the ground as he took the three a result of which the great Nagas; Vasuki, multiplication of Taksaka and secondary Dhananjaya to be his Andhakasura could not belt and bracelets take place. In the and got himself ready struggle that ensued to fight with Andhakasura finally lost Andhakasura. Clad Brahma, Visnu & Ganesa, Narsinghnath his power known as with peculiar Asura Maya and was defeated by Siva. garments, the Lord started his expedition along- Nevertheless by the grace of Lord Siva, the Asura with his Ganas to fight with the Asura. Visnu and met a good end. other gods also went with him to offer help. But in the struggle that ensued Visnu and other Devas The Kurma Purana continues further had to run away. At last Siva aimed his arrow with the story of the Matrkas. Siva commanded and shot at the Asura and wounded him; blood Bhairava and the Matrkas to retire to the began to flow in profusion from the wound and Patalaloka, the abode of the Tamasika and each drop of it, after touching the earth assumed destructive Visnu Narasimha. They accordingly the shape of another Andhakasura. Thus there did so; but very soon Bhairava, being only an arose thousands of Andhakasuras to fight against Amsa or part of Siva, became merged in Siva, Siva. Immediately Siva thrust his Trisula through and the Matrkas were left alone without any the body of the real Andhakasura and began to means of substinence. They began to destroy dance. Visnu destroyed with his Cakrayudha the everything in the universe for the purpose of secondaryAsuras produced from the blood drops feeding themselves. Bhirava then prayed to of Andhakasura. To check the blood from falling Narasimha to abstract from the Matrkas their down on the earth, Siva created out of the flame destructive powers.1

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In the carved upper panel, right to the Pahad, where a three-headed and four-handed Ekapada Bhairava figure of Ghudar, a four- goddess figure seated in Yogasana facing south- handed standing figure of Siva and near him a east and holding a rosary (Aksamala) is carved figure in fighting pose but running away is depicted on a rock. It is the figure of Brahmani. Some more which is the figure of Andhakasura. Another four- figures are carved to the right of Ekapada handed female figure is depicted fighting in an Bhairava in the said panel, described above. Alidha pose and to her left a devotee is in kneeled Those are so badly eroded that nothing can be down seated position. In the upper left hand she made out of them. However it can be concluded holds a small curved dagger (Kartri) and in the that Ekapada Bhairava in association with the lower lefthand a Kapala (skull-cup). It is the Saptamatrkas, Ganesa, Yogesvari and Devi are figure of goddess Yogesvari or Kali. Near her is epicted in the rockcut carvings. To this scholar it depicted a four-handed figure of Devi seated in seems more probable that in the remote past, Padmasana, whose lower hands are seen to be Ghudar was a great centre of tantricism, where folded in obeisance near her naval-portion. In the Ekapada Bhairava was worshipped by the upper-panel, right to Lord Siva, there are seated Saivacaryas of the sect. Above the female figures all in Padmasana, first one is main Bhairava rock there is another rock where holding a Gada (club) in her lower right hand and two Yantra symbols are carved to the extreme Padma in her upper right hand. It is the figure of north of the hillock. In a plain surface of the rock Vaisnavi. Similarly to her right there is the seated a square design and lastly in the centre a round figure of a four-handed goddess, holding a petalled design are carved. Dambaru in the upper right hand and a Just below this rock, there is another Khatvanga in the lower left hand and keeping rock, on the plain surface of which a square the lower right hand in Varada-. It seems design, inside it a round petalled design and in the to be the figure of Mahesvari. centre two foot-prints are carved. Such foot- To the left of the main rock, there are prints are found at Ghudar, Ranipur Jharial, carved figures of Varahi, dancing Camunda and Lankesvari (Sonepur) temple, Samlei temple at Ganesa. These is the carved figure of a four- Sambalpur, Menda, Durgeikhol and handed goddess seated in Ardhaparyankasana Nrusinghanath. It is apparent that at Ghudar the and holding a fish and noose (Pasa) in her upper esoteric rites were practiced under the guidance right and left hands respectively, while putting the of a Siddhacharya of the tantrik school of lower left palm on the thigh and the lower right Saivism by giving prime importance to Bhairava, hand in Varada-mudra. The face is badly eroded an Ugra aspect of Lord Siva. and now it looks like the face of a cat but it is In between the square Yantra symbol Varahi. This rock faces south-west. In another bearing foot-prints and the panels of Ekapada rock nearby which faces north-west, there is the Bhairava, a figure of four-handed Bhairava is carved figure of a four-handed goddess with carved to be seated in Utkutikasana with sunken eyes and both her lower hands touching Yogapatta around his thighs and the Vahana dog the mouth, eating something. It can be taken as running nearby. that of Camunda. Both these figures have Vahana near their feet. A four-handed figure of Ganesa Scholar like L.K. Panda has rightly seated in Ardhaparyankasana is carved nearby. observed that the representation of a circle There is another hillock facing this Bharava enshrining foot-prints of the Siddhacharya was

63 Orissa Review * August - 2005 very common to the tantric school.2 Mr. Panda Kama who attempted to distract the Lord while thinks that the circular temples of sixtyfour He was in deep austerities.5 Thus Siva is also were undoubtedly the centre of tantric Saivism known in Indian mythology for his supreme control associated with the cult of Bhairava. The existence over physical desires. of single-cell temples of the Triratha style are Another loose rock-cut figure of a seated found at Ghudar Kumda, Sirekela, Udaypur and image of four-handed Ganesa which is of the height Sihini as well as in places like Ranipur Jharial and of around four feet is at present found in a paddy its nearby tract, Badpada and Gandharla, to the field in between the villages, Ranipur and Jharial southwest of Sindhekela on the bank of river to the east of the rocky elevation called "Raksas Under. These temples seem to be older than the Sila". Here Ganesa is seen to be seated on a Somesvara Siva temple of Ranipur Jharial which pedestal having the mouldings of Kumbha is of Triratha style. These small temples can be designs. His Vahana mouse is carved on the left placed in the 7th-8th century A.D. and can be side of the pedestal. In the upper left hand is a taken as the earliest of the Triratha style of Laddupatra, his proboscis extended to the left temples. The worship of Ekapada Bhairava in side eating Laddu from it. In his upper and lower association with the Matrkas was most probably right hands the Lord is seen holding Ankusa and given much patronage by the Bhanjas of Khinjili- Pasa respectively. mandala, who were great dovotees of Bhairava. To the south-west of the Chausathi The worship of Bhairava and Yogesvari temple of Ranipur Jharial, Saptamatrkas are surrounded by the sixty-four Yoginis at Ranipur carved on a rock, along-with Virabhadra in the Jharial seem to bear much influence of the open- first position and Ganesa in the last (ninth) position. air worship, practiced in the Bhairon Pahad or This panel is preceded by three carved figures of 'Hill of Bhairava' at Ghudar. four-handed Ganesa, four-handed and Ekapada Bhairava is a tantric deity. Uma Mahesvara in Sukhasana. Ganesa is seen Tantric literature connects Him with the Vedic Aja to be in a dancing posture. Tusk is seen in the Ekapada, with fire, with sacrifice, with the central right corner of his mouth and the proboscis is pillar of the world and lastly with the Yoginis. He turned left-ward eating Modaka placed on his is stated as the Supreme Lord with his penis left palm. Mahisamardini Durga is seen standing erectus (Urdhvalinga). Historically, it can be in an Alidha posture, the right leg bent at knee confirmed that the worship of Ekapada Bhairava and the left leg straight but slanting at an angle to was wide-spread in Orissa under the the back. This pose is some-what peculiar Bhaumakaras and the Somavamsis, during the 9th because generally in this pose the left leg is bent 10th Century A.D.3 at knee. Both her upper hands are raised and the "Images with Urdhvalinga have been goddess is seen holding a Khadga and a Parasu found as early as the Kushana period. Such in her upper right and left hands respectively. Her images are generally found in Assam, Bengal and lower left palm is on her left thigh and in her lower Orissa. This feature of Urdhvaretas is defined right hand she is holding a long Trisula (Trident) as the indication of the state of perpetual which is pierced on the chest of the demon celibacy'.4 The story of Kamadahana Mahisasura below. Here the Devi is seen wearing (destruction of Kama) is very popular in Hindu a Karanda Mukuta on her head and Makara mythology and it describes how Siva destroyed Kundala in her ears.

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This panel of Saptamatrka is followed and snake below waist. Here the Naga Adisesa by the carved figure of a male seated in Yogasana is seen to be having a five-hooded snake canopy with both his hands folded in obeisance. As he is on his head and is having both his hands folded in seen wearing a Karanda Mukuta on his head, it obeisance to the Lord in Anjali pose. He is seems to be the figure of a royal personage (king) worshipfully looking at the great deliverer of the who patronized the art of this rock-cut carving earth with uplifted head. This serpent, Adisesa is on the surface of the rock, in a total space of accompanied by his wife, a Nagini, up-waist in twenty feet in length and four feet in height. human form under a five-hooded snake-canopy and below waist in snake form seen to be entwined There is another panel of Saptamatrkas with the snake form of her male counter part. Her carved on a huge boulder amidst paddy field to right hand is firmly placed on the ground with the the north-east of the Chausathi Yogini temple. On support of which this Nagini is sitting. Her left the other side of the rock, there is a huge carved arm is raised up. It is an unique figure of Bhu- figure of Camunda. Near this rock there is another Varaha,6 carved on the body of a rocky elevation. rock in which a figure of Brahmi is carved. Such No such figure is found else-where in the entire carving of Brahmi in a separate rock on rock are upper Mahanadi valley of Orissa. found in a place called Ghudar near Titilagarh also. There is a village named Menda in the On another rock of four feet height, just Sonepur district, situated on the left bank of the adjacent to this rock, the front portion is carved river Suktel at a distance of thirty-five kms from like a roaring lion, on the head portion of which a Balangir town. Menda has been called pair of pigeons are carved inside a circle. Such ""Meranda" in the Vakratentuli copper-plate grant7 peculiar lion-faced sculpture is found at Mohangiri of the Somavamsi king Mahabhavagupta in Kalahandi district also, amidst temple ruins. Janmejaya I (Reigning Period : 850-885 A.D.). The most important figure of Ranipur In the out-skirt of the village, near the Jharial is that of Varaha incarnation of Lord Visnu embankment of a paddy field, the profiled figure carved on a huge rocky elevation of ten feet in of a two-handed goddess standing in Alidha pose height and twenty-five feet in length, situated on with both her arms raised up is carved on the the southeastern embankment of the Samiabandh body of a rocky elevation. She has a big chignon tank. A profile figure of four-handed Varaha of behind her head. One wild beast, most probably the height of around four feet and breadth of two her Vahana is seen to be running below her figure. feet and a half is carved on this huge boulder. The If one can closely observe, he can discover an Lord is seen wearing Aksamala or beads of inscription having eight characters in the box- Rudraksa as Hara, Keyura, Kankana and headed Brahmi scripts just below this Devi figure. Katibandha. In his lower left and right hands, he But as this inscription is completely eroded now, is seen holding Sankha and Gada respectively, it can not be deciphered. However, on the basis while in his upper right hand there is Cakra. The of this inscription, the date of this rock-cut carving upper left hand of this figure is powerful and can be fixed to the sixth-seventh century A.D. vigorous. Varaha is seen touching the left portion The temple of Narsinghnath is situated on of his chest with folded palm and holding on his the northern flank of the Gandhamardan hill at elbow the seated figure of Bhudevi like a child. the source of a small streamlet called the His left leg is slightly raised and placed on the Papaharini Nala, which is a feeder of the river chest of Adisesa, whose figure is human above Ang, a major tributary of the great river

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Mahanadi. The account of this site was given for Kunda, a three-headed Brahma sitting in the first time by Joseph D.Baglar8 in an article Padmasana on his vahana Hamsa is hewn on published by him in 1882. He visited this place as the rock. He is four-handed, holding a early as 1874-76. Later on, D.R. Bhandarkar9 and a book in his left lower and visited this temple in around 1904-05. The water upper hands respectively, while the lower right of the streamlet is regarded as sacred and at five hand is in Varada mudra. There are two standing places it accumulates itself into five pools called attendants in his both sides. Next to Brahma, there Kundas. Higher up on the hill near the first Kunda, is a standing figure of Visnu. He is seen holding a figures are hewn on the huge boulder. These rock- Sankha and Cakra in his upper left and right cut figures include three male figures seated in hands respectively. In the lower right hand, the Yogasana, each holding a staff (danda) in both Lord is seen holding a Gada, while keeping the hands and putting their chin on the top portion of lower left hand in Varada. Two standing the staff. They have Jatabhara on their heads. attendants are near his legs in both sides. Near Near these seated figures, there is a round eight- the right leg, there is a devotee seated in kneeled petalled lotus rosette motif. In the extreme left down posture with both his hands folded in there is a male figure in profile holding a long staff obeisance. Here also near the head of Lord Visnu, (danda) and standing in Dvibhanga with the left a four-handed seated figure of Ganesa has been leg slightly bent, crossing the right leg. Just in front carved out. This Kunda is known as the Panca of this figure, a small attendant figure seen with Pandav Ghat. A Yonipatta having an eight- both of his hands folded in obeisance is carved. angled design and a pair of foot-prints carved on All the four figures seem to be those of it, is found near this ghat. Saivacaryas, associated with the Pasupata sect Near the temple, to it south, there is a of Saivism and the disciples of Lakulisa, the great Ghat called the Ganapati Ghat, because Ganesa teacher. To the extreme right, there is a four- figure is carved on a huge boulder on the left bank handed figure of Ganesa, seen to be seated in of the stream. Figures of four-handed Visnu in Maharajalila. He is holding a Modakapatra in Samabhanga standing posture and that of his upper left hand and eating Laddu from it by Laksmi Narayana are also carved on boulders extending his proboscis to the left side. There is a near this Ghat. Kuthara in his lower left hand, the blade of which is on the pedestal. His lower right hand is in Near the northern door of the Varada and object in the upper right hand is not Jagamohana of the temple is carved a big male distinct. The mouse is near his left thigh. figure standing by crossing his right leg with the left leg placed firmly on the ground and holding a All these figures are carved under big staff (danda). The danda is placed firmly on Chhatra designs and above these figures, a half the ground to the left side and the chin of the figure moon design is carved. Above this rock, there is touching the upper portion of his right palm, which another rock, on the body of which, a big rock- is placed on the top portion of the staff. It is a cut bull (Nandi) with one bell hanging from its huge figure hewn on the boulder. To the left side neck and Lord Siva sitting on its back is carved. of this figure bull and below it a cow milking its A male is standing nearby with both his hands calf is carved. In the lower portion, two standing folded in obeisance. figures of four-handed Visnu are carved on the In another boulder of the height of around boulder. Although the huge male figure with the twenty-five feet, which is also near the first big staff in his hands has been generally taken as

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Sahadeva, the fifth Pandava brother, it is none- raised right hand. Her lower right hand is in else than Gopala Krsna. To the extreme right, next Katyavalambita posture. The right leg of Devi to the bull and the cow with the calf, a colossal is slightly bent. Usnisa with curly hairs formed figure of dancing Ganesa has been carved on this like knots is on her head. She has long ears. A huge boulder. waist-girdle (Katisutra) is around her waist. She is wearing three Haras. To her proper left, the Such figures of gods and goddesses carved on huge boulders are found at Ranipur profiled figure of a kneeled down devotee with hands folded in obeisance is carved on the rock. Jharial, Bodhikomna-Dunguripali, Sonepur (Lankesvari), Ghudar, Suani and Menda, all To her right side, there is a standing devotee figure of the height of eight inches. The iconography of places situated in western Orissa. this goddess dates it to around 8th century A.D. On one monolithic rock of a rocky Goddess Suani is named so, and mentioned as mountain called Tandel Dangar, situated to the Sahuani, the daughter of a trader named Hari west of Dunguripali village near Budhikomna in Sahu, who got married to Yudhisthir, the eldest Nuapada district, the figure of a female deity is of the Pandavas in the Dvapara Age. This story carved, standing in the Alidha position, copulating seems to have been fabricated by the celebrated with a male which is lying flat below with poet Adikavi Sarala Das, who composed Oriya Urdhvalinga. It is called goddess Jharni by the in the 14th century. All these rock- local tribal populace. But it seems to be the rock- cut figures are believed to be influenced by the cut figure of goddess Daksina Kalika, who is Rastrakuta rock-cut art of Vidarbha. generally depicted as having intercourse with Lord Siva, her consort. The iconography of this References : goddess corresponds to description found in the 1. T.A. Gopinatha Rao, Elements of Hindu Karpuradi-stotra, giving the Mantroddhara of Iconography, Vol.I, pp.379-382; Vol.II, pp.191-192. the deity. In her aspect of Daksina Kalika, she 2. Lakshman Kumar Panda, Saivism in Orissa, Sundeep Prakashan, Delhi, 1985, p.106. represents the beneficent Grantor of Nirvana: 3. Eschmann Ancharlotte, H.Kulke and G.C. Tripathy, "I worship Kali the Destructress of Kala and 'The Cult of and the Regional Tradition Shining One, who is the Bija Krim, who is Kama, of Orissa, Manohar, New Delhi, 1978, pp.120-121. who is beyond Kala and who is Daksina Kalika." 4. Govindarajan, Hema; The Nataraja Image from Another important archaeological site of Asanpat, (Article), in Dimensions of Indian Art - Pupul Jayakar Seventy (Vol.I), Ed. Lokesh Chandra Redhakhol subdivision is the Suani Pahad, a hill & Yotindra Nath, Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi, 1986, situated at a distance of 22 kms from Redhakhol p.145. town of Sambalpur district and rising to a height 5. Rao, T.A. Gopinatha, Elements of Hindu of 487 meters in the north of the nearest village Iconography, Vol.I, Part-I, pp.147-149. Bansajal. The seat of goddess Suani is above 30 6. Rao, T.A. Gopinatha, op.cit., pp.132-134. meters from the ground level and can be reached 7. Epigraphia Indica, Vol.XI, pp.93-95 ff. by ascending the Suani Pahad. A rock-cut image 8. Report of the Archaeological Survey of India, of the height of around thirty inches and breadth Vol.XIII, as quoted in the Sambalpur District of eighteen inches has been carved on a monolithic Gazetteer (1932) by F.C. King, pp.248-250 ff. rock of the size of fortytwo inches in height and 9. Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of thirtyeight inches in breadth of approximately. The India, 1904-05, pp.121 ff. top portion of this rock is semi-curved. Goddess Suani is four-handed, holding Padma in her up- Writer lives at VR-23, Unit-6, Bhubaneswar.

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