(This monthly column on history, art and architecture features here the relief sculptures at Sathyagiriswara cave and Sathyamurti Perumal temple.)
The town of Thirumeyyam, in Pudukkottai district, has witnessed so much of history and changed hands so many times between the Pandyas, the Pallavas and the Cholas. The Sathyamurthi Perumal cave and the Sathyagiriswara cave temple hold rare and beautiful sculptures. The study of their iconographical features will be of great help for students and connoisseurs. A relief sculpture from inside the Sathyargiriswara cave of Lingothbhava and the other is a Kosta sculpture of Vishnu from the Sathyamurthi Perumal temple.
The Lingothbhava murthy is simple yet stunning. The flames emanating from the side of the pillar burning upward have been sculpted in a natural manner. Siva is portrayed with two hands and is seen standing in Sama Bhanga pose, his left hand is held in Kati Hasta on His hip, while the right is in Varada Hasta – the boon bestowing pose. The sculptor has masterfully used the depth of the panel to show the right hand’s bend at the elbow giving it a natural grace. The face of Siva radiates calmness, the thick set nose and lips are lifelike and his tresses are artistically bundled up over his head to form the Jata Bhandam.
Iconographical texts state that the height of this must be one face length above the hairline and they have been followed perfectly here. The ornamentation is very simple, the most prominent being the thick Udara Bandana – the belt that is worn above the belly button. The lower garment though worn ornately, has no ornamental gem set strings and lacks the lion face belt buckle - simha mukha clasp.
The most interesting aspect to note in this masterpiece is the Yagnopavitha , that is thick and single stranded and goes over the right elbow which is the classic Pallava Nivitta fashion, and the very natural torso – not the bulging chest of a body builder, but a slender beauty of an ascetic. The shoulders and arms, however, are portrayed with great strength and muscle volume. The iconographical features and minimalistic ornamentation would give this sculpture a late 7th C CE - early 8th C CE date and the presence of fragmentary yet famous Pallava granta inscriptions affirm the same.
The second sculpture is that of a Vishnu from the Kosta of the structural temple that has formed around the Sathyamurthi Perumal temple. It is not difficult to make out that this sculpture was not intended to occupy this Kosta and has been placed there at a later date.
Here, Vishnu is four armed and stands in Sama bhanga, the lower left hand in Kati Hasta on the hip and lower right in Abhaya hasta – offering his protection to his devotees. The upper hands hold the Conch and the Discus in the Kartari Hasta – holding the attributes between the forefinger and middle finger. That the Discuss is held in the early Prayoga Chakra posture is clearly seen and the torso is still slender.
The ornamentation is elaborate and one can easily see the tall Makuta – Crown, the multiple necklaces, Udhara Banda and Tholl Valai - arm bands, an elaborate Lion motif – simha mukha belt clasp holding the beautiful folds of his silk cloth.
It will be interesting to study the depiction of the sacred thread. The three stands of the thread are joined with the Brahma Mudichu across the left chest – the central thick band is the yagnopavitham, while the shorter strand to its right is called the Stana sutram while the stand that falls straight is called the Uras sutram. Though the presence of the slender torso and the Prayoga Chakra denote this to be an early form, the evolved ornamentation and the features of the yagnopavitha would give this a late 8th C CE / early 9th C CE date.
(The writer is a sculpture enthusiast and blogs about temple art at www.poetryinstone.in)
