PART-II, Hinduism,
Gallery No.5.
The visit to the Archaeological Museum at
Sarnath, one of the UNESCO monuments (listed in the 1998 tentative list was a
part of the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 Tour, between 05th February to 08th
February 2025, organized by Mantra Yatra (website).
Thanks to Mr. Balaji Davey and his team of Mantra Yatra for the excellent
arrangement and personal care. We went to the Sarnath Buddhist monument, where Buddha gave his first sermon after enlightenment before departing for Chennai.
The Archaeological Museum at Sarnath is the oldest site
Museum, which was established in the year 1910. After the due initiative of Sir
John Marshall, the then Director General of Archaeology in India, a decision
was taken in 1905 to construct a site Museum adjacent to the excavated area of
Sarnath. Then, the plan of the site museum was prepared by Mr. James Ransome.
The plan of the museum is like a half sangharam or
monastery. The Archaeological Museum in Sarnath has five galleries for the display of sculptures and two verandahs for the display of architectural members. The
antiquities of the museum are datable from the 3rd Century B.C.E. to the 12th Century
CE. The Shiva killing demon Andhaka, which is approximately 3.25 meters in height, is the most significant display in the Hindu Gallery No. 5, along with other Brahmanical
Sculptures.
Sarnath
School of Art produced beautiful images of the Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu
religion. The massive depiction of Shiva. Parvati, Vishnu. Bhairav, Agni,
Ganesh, Kamdeva, Rati, and nine Planets are noteworthy among these. Different
Gods and Goddesses are carved with their specific attributes and sometimes with
their vehicles too. These images were made from the 5th - 6th centuries. C.E. to the 12th
century. C.E. These images strengthen the fact that in contemporary society, Hinduism was getting the same importance as Buddhism, and the art style was also
developing in the same manner.
GANESHA
Ganesha is
one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon.
Although he is known by many other attributes, Ganesha's elephant head and big belly make him particularly easy to identify. Ganesha was created by
Parvati using clay to protect her, and Shiva beheaded him when Ganesha came
between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with
that of an elephant. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles and
more generally as the lord of beginnings, patron of arts and sciences, and the
God of intellect and wisdom. He is honored at the beginning of rituals and
ceremonies and invoked as the patron of letters during writing sessions.
Ganesha is
a popular figure in Indian art. Unlike those of some deities, representations
of Ganesha show wide variations and distinct patterns changing over time. He
may be portrayed standing, dancing, heroically taking action against demons,
playing with his family as a boy, sitting down, or on an elevated seat.
Ganesha's consorts are Riddhi and Siddhi. Ganesha is often shown riding on or
attended by a mouse, shrew or rat. Ganesha is also identified with the Hindu
mantra, Aum.
Ganesha,10th Century CE
CHAMUNDA
Chamunda, also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari, and
Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu divine mother and one of the
seven Matrikas (Mother Goddesses). She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a
group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric Goddesses, who are attendants of the
warrior Goddess Durga. This fierce deity is the terrible form of Devi, the
great Goddess, born by the collective energies of the Gods. In this form, the
Goddess defeated the army of demons with all their Elephants and weapons and
devoured them. The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters whom
Chamunda killed. She is sometimes identified as Goddesses Parvati, Chandi, or
Durga as well. The Goddess was worshipped by ritual animal sacrifices, along with
offerings of wine in ancient times. Sunken eyes, a skull-like head, and a furious
face are the most prominent characteristics of this deity.
LORD SHIVA KILLING DEMON ANDHAK.
Lord Shiva is shown here in a furious mood, killing
Andhakasura (demon of darkness) with his trident. Shiva is shown here bearded and ten-armed, holding different weapons, including a bow arrow, a trident, a bowl, and a mace
(khatvang) made of a skull. He is holding a bowl to collect the drop of blood of
the demon since there is a belief that each drop of blood of the demon, if
touches the earth will give birth to another demon, such a demon is shown
beneath the raised left leg of Shiva. This 12th century C.E. Sculpture is
unfinished, evident from the chisel marks. It is one of the best specimens of the Sarnath School of Art and belongs to the Hindu pantheon.
Lord Shiva killing Demon Andhak, 12th Century CE.
Hinduism and Indian Society
Hinduism is the oldest of all Indian religions.
A few elements of Hinduism seem to go back to the prehistoric period. Classical
Hinduism has developed from an amalgam of indigenous and external beliefs. A
fundamental belief in Hinduism is reincarnation, that time is cyclical and the
position one achieves in each life is determined by deeds done in previous
lives. The three major gods, called Trimurti or the Hindu Trinity, are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Brahma
Brahma is the god of creation in Hindu mythology.
He is depicted with four heads, one facing each direction, to show his all-seeing and far-reaching powers. Brahma is connected with knowledge and is shown as
a sage with a beard. He is said to recite the four Vedas, the ancient texts of
sacred knowledge, from each mouth. Although important in Indian cosmology,
Brahma has many temples in India today.
Vishnu
Vishnu is the supreme ruler in charge of stability
and the rule of family life. Like most Indian deities, he exhibits great variety,
doubtless reflecting the amalgamated beliefs of many cults over the centuries.
Lists of incarnations of Vishnu, known as avatars, are indications of his many-faceted
character. One of the commonest lists contains ten names: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha,
Narasimha, Vamana, Balarama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. They include
animal deities concerned with creation; the heroic figure, Rama; the pastoral
god, Krishan; the historical figure, the Buddha; and an incarnation yet to come,
Kalki. The most widely revered today are Rama and Krishna.
Vishnu (the Perserver) and Goddesses, 10th Century CE
Shiva
Shiva is considered the supreme God within
Shaivism, one of the three most influential denominations in Hinduism. In other
branches of Hinduism, such as in the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of
the five primary forms of God. He is "the Destroyer" or "the
Transformer" among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects
of the divine. Shiva is usually worshipped in the aniconic form of lingam. He
is also described as an omniscient yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount
Kailash. Shiva has many benevolent as well as fearsome forms. He is often
depicted as immersed in deep meditation or as the cosmic Dancer. In fierce
aspects, he is often depicted killing demons. The Shiva Sahasranama (1000 names
of Lord Shiva) declares Shiva as "Paramatman", the super soul found
everywhere. He is commonly connected to the practice of Yoga. The worship of
Shiva is practiced widely across India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Some
historians believe that the figure of Shiva as we know him today was built up
over time, with the ideas of many regional sects being amalgamated into a
single figure.
KAMADEVA
Kamadeva (God of love) is the Hindu God of love or
desire. The arrow of decorated Kamadeva is represented as a young, handsome, winged
God who wields a bow of sugarcane and blue Lotus, Mallika (jasmine), and mango flowers
of Mango. Kamadeva's consort, Rati, carries a discus and a lotus. Rig-Veda,
Atharva Veda, and Puranas mentioned the prominent and lesser-known stories of Kamedeva.
One of the principal myths regarding Kama is the
incineration by Shiva. Indra and the Gods were suffering at the hands of the
demon Tarakasur, who cannot be defeated except by the son of Shiva. Shiva was
deeply meditative at the moment. Indra assigns Kamadeva to break Shiva's
meditation. To create a congenial atmosphere, Kamadeva created an untimely
spring (vasanta) by taking the form of the fragrant southern breeze and entered
Shiva's abode. He awakened Shiva with a flower arrow, and as a result of that, furious Shiva incinerated Kamdeva. But after Rati's mourning, Shiva agrees to
let Kamdeva live, but in a disembodied form. The spirit of love embodied by Kama
is now disseminated across the cosmos. The companions of Kamadeva are a cuckoo,
a parrot, humming bees, and the gentle breeze, which are symbols of the spring season
AGNI
Agni (Fire) is a Hindu deity, one of the most
important of the Vedic Gods. He is the acceptor of sacrifices. Agni's consort
is Svaha. The sacrifices made to Agni go directly to the deities because its
flames go upward toward heaven. He is ever-young because the fire is re-lit
every day and also immortal. Agni has made the transition into the Hindu
pantheon of Gods without losing his importance with Varuna and Indra. He is
one of the supreme Gods in the Rigveda. 218 out of 1,028 hymns of the Rigveda
are dedicated to him. He is Indra's twin and one of the guardians of the
directions representing the southeast. He is an important link between heaven and
earth & deities and humans. In Hindu scriptures, Agni is the God of fire
and is present in many phases of life, such as honoring birth, birthdays,
prayers, weddings (Yogna where the bride and groom circle 7 times), and death
(cremation). When Agni is pleased, the Gods are generous.
Agni, 6th Century CE.
Ref:
ASI display board.
LOCATION OF THE MUSEUM: CLICK HERE
Panel depicting Nine Planets, 5th Century CE
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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