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Forgotten pantheon
A. SRIVATHSAN
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Art historian Naman P. Ahuja shared his knowledge with the audience at a lecture held recently.
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Photo: S.S. Kumar.
Early India expert: Naman Ahuja.
What was the nature of early-historic religion? What lies beyond the archaeological objects of stone, iconography of sanskritic tradition and Buddhist images? To Naman P Ahuja, art historian and a professor of ancient Indian art and architecture, the
answer is a world of forgotten pantheon and their cult objects.
Ahuja has been researching the less noticed terracotta objects of the post-Mauryan period from 200 B.C to 200 A.D for many years. He was recently in Chennai sharing his world of early-historical art/religious objects in a form of illustrated lecture organised by Prakriti Foundation.
From an extensive study of objects found across Bengal, Mathura, Kaushambi, Sugh and Northwest Frontier, Ahuja concludes that a pan-Indic cult existed and terracotta was their preferred medium to express and make cult objects. Yakshas, Gandharvas, Ganas, Mithunas and host of other divine characters inhabit this world. There are also images of elephant-faced divinities. Ahuja refuses to identify them as early depictions of Ganesha, but thinks that these figures are masked performers because of their slim bodies and multiple presence within a single panel.
Another recurrent terracotta icon in this region and period seem to be that of the goddess with an elaborate hairdo adorned by weapons numbering between five and twelve. They are extensively bedecked with jewels and some are located in a shrine like arrangement with a parasol under a simple post and lintel structure. There are a host of objects that depicts festivities, processions and eroticism. Ahuja thinks some of these objects were part of rituals, some were talisman and a few others were apotropes.
Magical powers
Some of terracotta objects were worn on the body in order to partake of the magical powers they were bestowed with. To Ahuja, this contests the belief that darshan is the only way of Hindu worship. The extensively carved ivory bangles and equally expressive terracotta bangles were fascinating evidences. The bangles have pot-belied Yakshas carved on the inner face that touch the body while the outer face remains less detailed. Children mostly wore these bangles as protective measure. Similarly there were also set of talismanic bangles worn by pregnant women.
The presence of large number of such terracotta objects indicates mass production and high level of circulation. Moulds that were discovered along with objects confirm this, Ahuja says.
To him, the images indicate the presence of an established system and visual language during this period, which was built upon by the artists who followed. Ahuja cites the inscription on Sanchi Stupa that acknowledges the ivory carvers contribution as a testimony to this. He concludes that the images and objects reflect a worldview and a religion that included music, dance and festivities and presses home the need to study the forgotten pantheon and their objects lot more closely.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
