Monday, December 26, 2011

Poetry in Stone - 8

This is eight in the series on the rich cultural heritage of ancient temples in India. 2o kms apart twin towns of Belur and Halebid are home for temples known for their exquisite Hoysala architecture. The temples at both these places are built by renowned architect Jakkanna Acharya in the 12th century.

Both the Hoysaleswara Temple of Halebid and the Chennakesava Temple of Belur have intricate sculptures and friezes. They include elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers. Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars.


As some of these sculptures represent scenes from Hindu epics, some of the sculptures in these temple look similar. One such sculpture is daemon King Ravana lifting Kailasa mountain. Atop the mountain is Lord Shiva with Parvati. This is based on Hindu epic Ramayana.

Another sculpture is Arjuna hitting the eye of fish using his bow and arrow looking at its reflection in the water near his feet. This scene is carved beautifully with some minor differences. This is based on Hindu epic Mahabarath.

There intricate sculptures at two different temples are carved very similar to each other. How could they achieve these in the ancient times? Were the ancient civilization so advanced that they knew techniques of photography and photocopying. There are more than thousand sculptures in each of these temples. It is possible that some of them are similar to each other and we may be able to identify them if observed them with interest.

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59 comments:

Kavita Saharia said...

Breathtaking ! The artists must have saved the sketches of the sculptures made in those days .

Sridharan said...

Superb..!

Ruby said...

I loved the series of sculptures on the outer walls of Belur and Halebid. My favorite was the Narasimha avatar with the ribs and the intestines of Hiranyakasibu carved intricately. Thanks for bringing back those memories!

Teamgsquare said...

Lovely carvings . Thanks for the comparison .

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Hi Rajesh,
queste tue foto sono stupende.
Peccato che la scultura di Arjuna at Belur abbia il viso rovinato.
Sono state le persone a fare questo danno o l'usura del tempo ?
Sei molto fortunato a poter vedere di persone simili capolavori !
Buona giornata :)
Myriam

Travel France Online said...

Wow! really stunning carvings!!

Sivinden said...

Great art work!

Ramakrishnan said...

Rajesh, Wonderful pics of the sculptures & intricate & exquisite ornamentation. Great post

Anonymous said...

Wow - magical stone poetry!

eileeninmd said...

Rajesh, interesting carvings. The details are amazing.

Lowell said...

These carvings are incredible. It's like having a larger-than-life sculpted library! Beautiful!

Sylvia K said...

Such incredible sculpture and carvings, Rajesh! Marvelous captures! Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year!

Sylvia

Unknown said...

Stunning carvings!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Al said...

This is so detailed, it's amazing. Great shots.

Arija said...

The friezes are truly amazing! Such intricate high relief carvings of most expressive figures. I wonder of the same artist may have been used on both temples, hence the similar figures?

joshi daniel said...

what a work!

LifeRamblings said...

it's always great to get a glimpse of your world through your eyes. lovely sculptures.

Tina´s PicStory said...

thats really amazing! wonderful pics :)

Leovi said...

Magnificent photos, these reliefs are impressive and beautiful works of art.

Reader Wil said...

Yes why are some of the statues so similar? Could they be made by the same sculptor? They are beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

Urmi said...

Gorgeous pictures with minute work. Absolutely brilliant.

RNSANE said...

I still haven't gotten out and about during my first three weeks here to see any of these incredible temples...have been so busy with the holiday celebrations. These places are just phenomenal. One wonders how such brilliance and skill existed so many years ago! Thankfully, these temples have endured for centuries.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Poetry in stone is a great way to describe this! Thank you for the closeups especially. Just amazing.

Robin said...

Breathtaking!

-----------------------------------
My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

Gattina said...

What an amazing artwork ! Incredible !

magiceye said...

amazing indeed!

Carver said...

Absolutely unbelievable. All the detail that goes into this beautiful work takes my breath away.

Roger Owen Green said...

xquisite building!
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Chubskulit Rose said...

Wow!

X-mas or Christmas, which one do you approve of? May you have a prosperous new year!

anthonynorth said...

They seem to get more intricate as the series progresses. Wonderful.

Eden said...

Wow, impressive work of art.

amit ganguly said...

amazing post indeed !! Keep up your great work !

Rohit Singh Jain said...

Wondeful. Just loving the detail. Also, amazed to find so much of history and heritage here.

Chronicles of Illusions said...

these are breathtaking
http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/x-is-for-xanthippe/

Rajesh said...

Thank you all for appreciating the wonderful craftsmanship.

ChrisJ said...

Amazingly detailed and outstandingly gifted sculpting. Quite breathtaking.

Chronicles of Illusions said...

Wow - quite stunning

BLOGitse said...

Happy New Year 2012!

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

Oh, my! The poetry in stone is amazing and boggles the mind at the accomplishment.

Anonymous said...

that's some art work

ornamented joshua

Chubskulit Rose said...

Beautiful structure.

My shadow, happy new year!

Gemma Wiseman said...

These wall sculptures are like a layered frieze of interesting characters! Incredible detail and such fascinating, unique artwork!

Kay L. Davies said...

Beautiful photos for Shadow Shot Sunday, Rajesh!
K

eden said...

Impressive carvings. Great shots.

Mary said...

Wow, the carving is simply stunning! Thanks so much for taking the time to share the beauty of India with us this past year. Best wishes for much joy in the new year! xoxo

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Beautiful!!! Happy New year!!!! Cathy!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Amazing! So much detail in every stone! ♥

Elaine said...

Spectacular sculptures. Such intricate carvings. I admire their dedication and talent.

Bohemian said...

Magnificent! Detailed Art like this captivates me, I can only imagine the Talent and Time necessary to Create such a Masterpiece!

Happy New Year from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Nancy said...

Simply amazing stonework! Nancy

Rajesh said...

Thank you all for appreciating the wonderful craftsmanship.

Jayashree Srivatsan said...

Maybe it was the same sculptor? Thanks for sharing!

TTT said...

poetry in stone indeed !

Meoww said...

Yes. I was amazed at their carving skills and the intricate designs! Nice comparisons.

indu chhibber said...

Thanks for sharing these stunning pieces of art.

Ranjana's craft blog said...

Magnificent. My wish to visit Belur Halebid is not fulfilled yet. Hope to visit this year.

Unknown said...

this is amazzzing...the title fits jus right

Panchali said...

Amazing craftsmanship we had..in fact, we still have....!!
Thanks for sharing the details, Rajesh. Great shots as always :)

Rajesh said...

Thank you all for appreciating this sculptural marvel.