Putanavadha in Stone and Wooden Art of Kerala, India: an Assessment
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Putanavadha in Stone and Wooden Art of Kerala, India: An Assessment Preeta Nayar1 1. Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram ‐ 695 581, Kerala, India (Email: [email protected]) Received: 17 September 2018; Revised: 06 October 2018; Accepted: 31 October 2018 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 6 (2018): 712‐719 Abstract: Putanavadha is one of the important anecdotes of Krishnaleela. Putana was a demoness sent by Kamsa, the ruler of Vrishni Kingdom, to Gokula to kill infant Krishna. She gave him her poisonous breast but Krishna sucked her life instead of milk. Putanavadha sculptures in stone and wood are observed in India from 6th to 18th centuries CE. In Kerala, they are found from 14th to 18th centuries CE. While the wooden sculptures dominate in number over the stone sculptures in Kerala, the stone sculptures are found more in number in other parts of India. This paper describes in detail the Putanavadha sculptures of Kerala and assesses the characteristic features of Putana, Krishna and the style of their depiction in comparison with those reported from the rest of India. Keywords: Krishnaleela, Putanavadha, Krishna, Kamsa, Stone and Wooden Sculptures, Kerala Temples, India Introduction Kamsa, a tyrant king, ruled the Vrishni Kingdom with Madhura as its capital. On the day when his sister Devaky was married to Vasudeva, Kamsa heard a prophecy from the sky (akashavani) which stated that the eighth child of his sister would be the cause of his death. Terrified upon hearing this prophecy, Kamsa imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaky. Vasudeva promised that when Devaky gave birth to their children, he would hand over them to Kamsa. Kamsa killed their six children and the embryo of the seventh was transferred through Yogamaya from Devaky’s womb to that of Rohini, the first wife of Vasudeva. When the eighth child, Krishna, was born, Vasudeva, as per the advice of the divine powers, carried the baby to Gokula, the cowherd’s encampment, where Yashoda, the wife of Nandagopa, had just given birth to a baby girl and secretly exchanged him with her. When Kamsa came to know that Krishna was living at Gokula as the son of Yashoda, he started sending his demoniac associates like Putana, Bhagasura, Shakatasura, Trinavarta, Arishtasura, Dhenuka and Keshi in disguise to kill infant Krishna. Krishna destroyed all of them through his juvenile exploits and these exploits, among many others, are generally known as Krishnaleela. Putanavadha narrates the story of how infant Krishna killed Putana. Nayar 2018: 712‐719 Putana was a demoness. She, as instructed by Kamsa, went to Gokula with the intention of killing infant Krishna. She transformed herself into a beautiful woman and entered into the house of Yashoda. She stealthily approached Krishna and started fondling and enticing him. She gave him her poisonous breast to suck in the pretext of motherly love. But the infant sucked her life instead of milk. Depiction of Putanavadha is one of the vibrant and mostly represented juvenile exploits of Krishna in sculptural art. Putanavadha Sculptures Putanavadha sculptures are observed in Ellora caves (8th century). Outer wall of Harihara temple I at Osian and Nilakanda Mahadeva temple at Kenkinda in Rajasthan (Agrawala 1954: 346, 348) (8th century), Lakshmana temple in Khajuraho (Banerjee 1994: 118) (10th century), city wall of Wadhwar at Saurashtra and Shamlaji temple in Gujarat (Banerjee 1994: 159, 161) (11th century) and Krishnachandra temple in West Bengal (Banerjee 1994: Fig. 34) (18th century) are other known places where important stone depictions of Putanavadha occur in northern India. Putanavadha sculptures are observed more frequently in southern India than in the north, especially in Karnataka compared to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Cave 2 and 3 at Badami (6th century), Chennakeshava temple at Belur, Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid, Amriteshvara temple in Amirtapur (12th Century), Mallikarjuna temple at Basral, Keshava temple at Somanathpur, Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Nuggehalli, Chennakeshava temple at Aralaguppe (13th century) and Vittala temple at Hampi (15th century) are the main places in Karnataka where these sculptures are found. Putanavadha scenes are present on the panels of Shiva temple at Punjai and Pullamangai (Champakalakshmi 1981: 136) (11th century) in Tamil Nadu, Shrikurmanatha temple at Shrikurmam (11th century), temples at Tirumala (Raman 1993: 93) (16th century) and Tadipatri Sri Chintala Venkata Ramanaswamy temple (16th century) in Andhra Pradesh (Sree Padma 1993: 249). There is a sculpture of Putanavadha in wood showing Putana with healthy body and hair combed backwards and held in position by lalatapatta, housed in Art Museum of Chicago belonging to 17th century and another in wood showing her skeletal body probably giving expression to the last phase of her life, housed in Brooklyn Museum belonging to 18th century. Though both these wooden sculptures are from India, their original locations could not be ascertained. Putanavadha Sculptures in Kerala The earliest sculpture depicting Putanavadha in Kerala is, perhaps, the one in Tiruvalla Shrivallabha temple located in Pathanamthitta district (Fig.1). It is found on one of the pillars of Nalambalam. This 13th century sculpture in stone shows Putana with her matted hairs standing on their ends and death writ on her face. She sits with her both hands planted behind as if she is in the act of freeing herself from Krishna who sucks her life along with the breast milk. Krishna is shown standing with one leg on Putana, 713 ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 6: 2018 pulling one of her breasts with his left hand and sucking the other. A 14th century wooden image present in one of the wooden panels around the Shrikovil wall of Shasthamkulangara Narasimha temple in Alappuzha district shows Putana in demonic form with matted long hairs and projected canine teeth (Fig. 2). Krishna is depicted standing on his knees and sucking her breast while Putana is trying to get up and escape from the grip of Krishna. She is shown wearing thick hara, kundala and lalatapatta. Figure 1: Putanavadha in Stone, Tiruvalla Figure 2: Putanavadha in Wood, Shrivallabha Temple Shasthamkulangara Narasimha Temple There is a peculiar sculpture of Putanavadha in stone in Sucheendrum Sthanunathaswami temple in Kanyakumari district (Erstwhile Travancore) depicting Putana seated in partial profile with legs crossed and Krishna sitting on her knee sucking her breast (Fig. 3). She is shown very thin with shrunken stomach and prominently registered veins on her skin and spine. The sculpture represents Putana as if her body was getting drained off her life and blood. It is present on one of the pillars of the cloistered hall of the temple belonging to 16th century CE. A 17th century wooden sculpture on the Kuttambalam ceiling belt of Tiruvarppu Krishna temple in Kottayam district shows Putana with demonic features sitting on a boulder with the right hand kept on the flexed right knee and the left kept stretched out (Fig. 4). Krishna stands in front of Putana keeping his right hand on her right breast and sucking her left breast. The face of Krishna is pictured in profile. Another wooden sculpture of the same period seen on a Shrikovil wall panel in Vazhappally Shiva temple in Kottayam district shows Putana sitting with folded legs kept backwards and keeping right hand on her right foot and left hand on her head (Fig. 5). She is shown as if she is shouting in pain. Putana is represented as a beautiful woman wearing 714 Nayar 2018: 712‐719 Figure 3: Putanavadha in Stone, Figure 4: Putanavadha in Wood, Sucheendrum Sthanunathaswami Temple Tiruvarppu KrishnaTemple Figure 5: Putanavadha in Wood, Figure 6: Putanavadha in Wood, Vazhappally Shiva Temple Kaviyur Shiva Temple ornaments like lalatapatta and hair tied and kept to one side. Krishna sits and sucks her left breast holding it with his both hands. Krishna is presented as a small and plump boy wearing kundala, hara, keyura, kankana, belled girdle and padvalay. A 17th century sculpture of Putanavadha present in a wooden panel on the Shrikovil wall of 715 ISSN 2347 – 5463 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 6: 2018 Kaviyur Shiva temple in Pathanamthitta district depicts the story in two parts (Fig. 6). The left side of the panel shows Krishna in the cradle and Putana as a beautiful woman sitting below the cradle. The right side shows Krishna sucking Putanaʹs breast. She is depicted in the same posture as described in the previous sculpture. A 17/18th century wooden sculpture in the Balikkal mandapam bracket of Vettikulangara Bhagavati temple in Alappuzha district shows Putana sitting with both hands thrown high up in pain (Fig. 7). The kneeling Krishna sucks her breast holding it with his right hand. Figure 7: Putanavadha in Wood, Figure 8: Putanavadha in Wood, Vettikulangara Bhagavati Temple Tricchambaram Shrikrishna Temple Tricchambaram Shrikrishna temple in Kannur district has a peculiar representation of Putanavadha as bracket figure in wood (Fig. 8) on the Shrikovil wall. Putana stands with head hung to the right and hands held down in helplessness. Krishna is shown as a small figure hanging on her body and sucking her breast. Unlike in other sculptures, this depicts Putana wearing a full and decorated lower garment. This sculpture belongs to 17/18th century CE. An 18th century Putanavadha sculpture in wood in the Kuttambalam ceiling belt of Harippad Subrahmanya temple in Alappuzha district depicts Putana falling backwards in agony while Krishna vigorously sucking her breast (Fig. 9). She is presented with long disheveled and matted hairs. Veins are seen prominently registered on the skin of her breast. Krishna, as in other sculptures, is shown naked, but wearing ornaments including big belled girdle. Discussion The anecdote of Putanavadha is narrated in texts like Bhagavata Purana (10.6), Vishnu Purana (5.5) and Harivamsha Purana (6.22).