Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

AkT

response to the phenome- nal changes and their inte- gration into the religious and mythological concepts. The icons of Vishnu getting transformed into matsya (fish) and varaha (boar) to rescue the world from del- uge and drowning, depicted a visual conceptualization of such transitional proc- esses occurring in man-na- ture relationships. in- stances of icons being made in the anthropomor- phic forms with both human and animal traits. Elephant headed Ganesha, (fig-11) here are several

The traits or attributes referred to as symbols, over a period of time, had evolved independently of the icons. As abbreviated and abstracted representations of religious beliefs and spiritual experi- ences, symbols had originated much earlier to the icons. Unlike the icons, symbols had independent existence. Swastika , (fig-6) the solar symbol, spiral motif representing eternity, lotus (fig-7) with aquatic association, elephant (fig-8) symbolising strength and no- bility and the large looming cloud, were adequate and self-explana- tgry in nature.

horse headed Hayagriva, (fig-10) eagle headed Garuda, monkey faced Hanuman and a score of such composite deities demonstrate the skills of the visualisers in combining different life forms and thus adding distinct iconographic forms. Adoption of sympathetic attitude towards all life forms is simi- larly reflected in phytomorphic or the plant life acquiring divine status and appear frequently in sculptural representations. Ash- watha, bodhi, kalpavriksha, tulasi and madhavi creeper, the par- ijatha flower, mango fruit, to mention a few, occur in iconography either in association with the deities or independently as the sym- bols. Representation of environment indicating time-space conceptu- alization, also figured often in iconographic forms. Death (kala),

In conjunction and combination with these symbols, the icons acquired special significance, as the religious doctrines and dog- mas could now be communicated with greater effectiveness and articulation. The symbol of wheel in association of Buddha’s icons (fig-9) for instance, put the entire Buddhist philosophy and theol- ogy in a nutshell, be- sides representing

the incident of Bud- dha setting in motion the wheel of Dharma clearing the path for enlightenment. Further elabora- tion was noticeable in the icons resulting from a continuous interaction of the en- vironment on the ex- isting religious be- liefs. Though the icons by and large were initially repre- sented in anthropo- morphic forms, in course of time began to be rendered in zoomorphic forms. This was in ready

Aruna (dawn), night (ratri), Earth (Bhudevi or the Prithvi) frequently ap- peared in their anthropomorphic forms. Motifs based on the objects used in the rituals of worship also contributed considerably to the development of iconography. A pot filled to the brim (pur- nakumba) (fig-12), fly-whisk (chamara) (fig-13), ladle (sruk) used in the sacri- fices ( homa) added to the process of elaboration and expansion of iconogra- phy.