Arjuna’s Penance or Gangavatarana-Stone-Pallava Period (7th century AD)

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Title : Arjuna’s Penance or Gangavatarana
Medium : Stone
Date : Pallava Period (7th century AD)
Finding Site : Mamallapuram (Chennai)
Size : 91 ft X 152 ft (Approx)
Artist : Unknown


GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The monuments of the Pallavas consist of cave temples and structural temples,
plus a few monolithic structures. 
One of the most important sculptural works of this
period is from Mamallapuram. The relief is on two huge boulders. 
The sculpture
is uneven but very distinct and spontaneous in representation. There is a flow in the
whole composition. There is a crowd of life–size human and animal figures. 
They
include gods, demi - gods, and sages, all in the flying position. There is a cleft in
between the two boulders. All the figures are shown facing the cleft. Though there
are lots of movements and energy on the upper part of the relief, in the lower part of
the composition the life shown almost calms down. 
The ascetic figures in the crowd
have been shown in meditating posture. The name of the relief, according to some
scholars, is Gangavatarana where Shiva has been shown receiving the flow of
Ganges in his hair. 
To the right of the cleft a Four armed figure larger than all the rest
can be identified as Shiva by the trident over his shoulders and his group of followers. 
Others think that it should be known as Arjuna’s Penance, because a male
figure (which they think is Arjuna) has been shown at one end in the posture of
meditation. 
This is a distinctly Pallava Period work. There is enormous speed and
monumentality in the sculptures. The animal figures and their characterization show
the close observation of the artists. 
For example, the sleeping baby elephant, the
monkey figures, the deer scratching its nose, all show their acute study of the natural
world. 
The figures have softness in the treatment and roundness. This has been
regarded for ages as one of the masterpieces of the Indian sculptures from the
southern part of the country.
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Author: unknown
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History of art in India 
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To be continue
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