Dance and temple sculpture
Dr.Padma Subramaniam
Dr Padma Subramanyam demonstrating the karana no 87, Karihastam
The twin arts of dance and sculpture developed hand in hand and side by side under the divine shade of the temples in India. Beauty has always been associated with divinity, giving it a stamp of permanence. No wonder dance and sculpture have been fostered by Hindu temples. These arts have influenced each other's growth enriching their common themes and forms. The dancer was a delectable source of inspiration for the sculptor. The sculpture thus created had also been a silent guide to generations of dancers. This is how the two arts have been helping each other in the process of their mutual refinement.
"Vishnu Dharmottaram," a work in Sanskrit, categorically states that a student of sculpture should invariably have a knowledge of dance. This rule is quite understandable, if one becomes familiar with the nature of Indian sculpture. The fundamental principle in dance and sculpture of India, is the filling up of the space based on symmetry. The law of symmetry and proportion has a vital role in Indian dance. The words "Saushtava" and "Anga suddham" often used in connection with dance is nothing but the execution of the movements of the various angas or limbs of the body in a symmetrically beautiful way. Such movements or postures in dance are also described as being sculpturesque. It is because of the fact that both these arts depend on the law of symmetry guided by lines of body
Sculpture and dance in India are guided by the lines of the body. When the body stays straight with the limbs in the normal position, it is called "sama". When there is a slight bend as in the Devi icons of Chola bronzes, it is called "abanga". When there is one clear deflection or bend, it is called "dvibhanga". When there are two deflections from the main axis of the body, it is called "tribhanga". These 'bhangas' are formed due to the tilting of the head, torso and waist w th the weight of the body shifted on one leg.
The measurement called' tala" used in connection with space is a common feature in dance and sculpture. A 'tala' is more or less one span in measurement. In dance and music,tala also signifies measurement of time. Hence 'tala' is a unit both of time and space in traditional Indian sculpture and dance.
The Hindu mythology speaks of various deities as dancing Gods. Apart from Nataraja, the Lord of dance or king of dancers, there are several other deities referred to as dancers. The list includes Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Karthikeya, Krishna and Ganesa. Among the superhuman beings, the Apsaras, Gandharvas, Kinnaras and even the Bhuta Ganas are spoken of as artistes. The concept of Apsaras gave great grace both Ito Indian stage and sculpture. "Ap + saras means movement in water; hence Apsaras signify the water nymph-like graceful beings known for the fluidity of movements. They are spoken of as semi-divine beings, which are a personification of feminine charm coupled with an aesthetic vivacity. They were the celestial dancers. Such ideas were a great source of inspiration for the sculptors who transformed their imagination into images in stone. The Bhuta Ganas -- the dwarf attendants of Lord Siva -- are also portrayed as dancers forming a beautiful ensemble. They are depicted as playing on musical instruments while dancing in ecstasy. For example, there are numerous such panels in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram, where the Ganas are most attractively sculpted.
Hastas and Mudras The concept of each deity had to be studied well by the sculptors. Every deity had to be represented in a specific posture which included gestures of hand. Hence a knowledge of the Natya Sastra had to be infused into the subject of Silpa Sastra. The hand gestures called "Hastas" in Natya Sastra are called "Mudras" in Silpa Sastra. Each deity is described in detail in what are called "Dhyana Slokas". The western sculptors are spoken of as creators. But the Indian sculptor meditates and visualizes the figure with the help of the Dhyana Sloka. He only removes the unwanted portion of the stone.
The most widely known figure of Indian sculpture is that of Lord Siva represented as a dancer, in the form of Ananda Tandava. Rauravagama, Sakaladhikara, Ajitagama, Karanagama and Kamikagama refer to it as "Bhujangatrasita", which is a clear proof for Natya Sastra being the source for knowledge of dance that the Agamas inherited. The fusion of dance and sculpture has resulted in conveying mystic concepts n this portrayal. The "Thiruvasi" (arch) represents the whole cosmos, which is His theatre where he dances in every atom, galvanizing the entire cosmos into activity. The drum in his raised right hand represents creation. The lower left hand points at the raised left foot, which symbolize the release from all the earthly bondage. It is the refuge of all the tired souls. The right leg crushes the demon Muyalaka. The figure of Ananda tandava has combined in itself religion, mysticism, philosophy and art given as a sugar-coated tablet in the form of a dance sculpture. The various Tandavas are all based on such symbolism as realized in Saiva Agamas. The Saiva Agamas have been the guiding texts for carving the various Tandavas. But these Agamas are themselves based only on Bharata's Natya Sastra.
The fourth chapter of Natya Sastra describes 108 Karanas or basic movements which were danced by Siva and taught to Bharata Muni by Siva's attendant Tandu. The Agamas took a few of the Karanas to portray specific Tandavas of Siva, connected with certain anecdotes. There are some comparisons of Tandava sculptures of their original Karana names.
Agama Natya Sastra Ananda tandava Bhunjagatrasitam Catura tandava Sandhya Tandava Gajasamhara tandava Apakrantam Urdhva tandavam Dandapadam or Lalatatilakam
Dance has influenced sculpture so deeply that even prosaic scenes like pulling out a thorn from the sole of the foot, or daily routines like writing a letter or applying a Tilaka on the forehead are all portrayed in a dance-like attitude in all our sculptures. This kind of beauty is felt throughout the length and breadth of our country. Though dance sculptures and dance-like sculptures are found in every part of India, Tamil Nadu has the privilege of containing the basic Karanas of dance in a systematic way in the form of sculptures.
Temple Town Century 1. Brahadeeswara Thanjavur 11th 2. Sarangapani Kumbakonam 12th 3. Nataraja Chidambaram 13th 4. Arunachalesvara Thiruvannamalai 15th 5. Vrddhagirisvara Vrddhachalam 16th
In the first and second, Lord Siva is seen dancing with four arms and two arms respectively. In the rest they are all Parvati figures with two arms. At Kumbakonam some sculptures are preserving the names and numbers of the Karanas as inscriptions. In the eastern and western gopurams of Chidambaram, the couplets defining the respective Karanas are quoted from Natya Sastra.
After a gap of several centuries, it has been the earnest will of Pujyasri Paramacharya of Kanchi to revive the Margi or the common Rashtriya classical tradition in the sastraic Nrtta. When the Uttara Chidambaram temple of Nataraja was built a few years ago at Satara in Maharashtra, His Holiness decided to have a new set of 108, Karanas sculpted and kept around the sanctum. On his benign order and blessings, I have designed a fresh set of 108 Karana figures. It was his wish that I catch the moments of the movements which the earlier sculptors have not caught. It was also his wish that each Karana must be portrayed with both the figures of Siva and Parvati. I have used the two figures to bring out the animation of the movements. Parvati shows the beginning, Siva's secondary hands show the course of action and his primary hands and posture show the end of the movement. The Slokas are also quoted from Natya Sastra in Nagari script. These are being sculpted by Padmasri Muthiah Sthapati. Though the technique of Karanas had been obsolete for over four centuries, the relevant old sculptures were extremely useful in reviving a lost tradition in dance. These sculptures are a standing evidence of the knowledge of dance art that the sculptors had. They have remained there in everlasting silence; whispering the secrets of the lost traditions into the ears of only those truly interested in the art. They are not mere architectural embellishments, but meant as visual bearers for generations of artistes. The Satara Karanas will join this list of visual libraries to lend strength to evidence of the everlasting tie between Indian Dance and Sculpture. Published in by Hindu, Wednessday, June 24, 1992.