Sculpture of Rajasthan

Sculpture of Rajasthan

The growth of sculpture in Rajasthan is traced to ancient time. The clay and metal idols among the cultural village material of Harappan period as obtained from Kali Banga (Shri Ganganagar) are notable but absence of Matrika Phalaks or matron flakes (worship of mother deity) conspicuous in these idols were got made by different religious sects during the Sunga period (184-172 B.C.) By Kushan period (80 B.C. to 200 A.D.).

 

An example of  Sculpture of Rajasthan

Sculpture could acquire a definite form whereas in the Gupta period (319-600 A.D.) those idols became the symbols of liveliness and charming (comely) beauty, these attained their peak perfection during the medieval period (13th century). Eastern Rajasthan (Bharatpur region) played a special role in the early origin and development of sculpture.About half a dozen idols of Yaksha-Yakshi' of Sunga-Kushan period as found from places like Noh, Adhapur, Veeravai, Sogar, Peernagar etc. are kept secured in Bharatpur museum.

 

Many works of art of early Shaiv sculpture are gift of Rajasthan itself. The 'Shivlingas' of Gamsi Bharatpur), Chouma, Bhandpura (Bharatpur-Sikar ghway) and Nand (Ajmer) near Pushkar etc. are the creation of the conjunction of Sunga and Kushan The early of Singhavahini Durga and 'Kartikeya' oo have been found in Rajasthan which have been kept secured in the museums of Bharatpur and Jaipur. Kashan or early Gupta period. The Vishnu flake as the oldest Vaishnav idols of Rajasthan are of aimed from Malav Nagar (Tonk), Sambhar (Jaipur) and Pilee Banga (Ganganagar) are important from this view point.

 

Viratnagar of Bairat (Jaipur) the capital of ancient 'Matsya' state became the cultural centre of Buddhist religion. Many interesting Buddhist idols of Kushan period have been obtained from Bharatpur region too. Among these 'Bodhistva Maitreye', Shaven head (kesh-mundit) of Buddha (Karpad), 'Vasudhara' etc. are notable. The first two being the treasure of Bharatpur museum. The mrin (soil) idols in Noh, Nagri, Redh etc. are also worth-mentioning.

 

Gupta period (1319-600 A.D.) is the golden age of ancient India. The idols and architectural part of the grand temples that were located in Mujundara and Charchouma (Hadoti region), Nagri (Chittor), Gangdhar (Jhalawar), Mandor (Jodhpur) and Saraswati valley (Ganganagar) are eulogizing the cultural grandeur of the gone by past even to-day. Many important stone idols of Gupta period are known through Rajasthan all of which are that of gigantic and life sized Vishnu. The idols of 'Chakradhar Dwibhuji Vishnu' (22 ft.) and Sarpakan Balram Rewati (19ft.) as discovered by Carlyle in the year 1871-73 at Rupbas (Bharatpur) are filled with all the prominence of the Gupta period.

 

In the Post Gupta Period (6th and 7th century) the temple architecture and sculpture adopted on entirely new form. These are highly important from the view point of art. The comely works of art of this age have been discovered at Aamjhara, Tanesar, Nawalshyam. Kejar, Kalyanpur, Jagat, Abu etc. There is abundance of Shaiv idols in these which are mostly made of Pareva stone. There is a rich collection of these in Dungarpur museum.

 

This art attained its zenith during the medieval (8 to 13 century) period. The prominence of ornamentation, abundance of figures and diversity of the forms of deity as found in the idols of this age are unique in the history of cultural world. Religious harmony and amity is the major message of the medieval art of Rajasthan of which the temples and sculpture stand testimony. Vaishnav, Shaiv, Devi and Jain temples were built together in Osain, Abaneri (Jaipur), Baroli (Kota), Jhalrapatan (Jhalawar) and Katara (Bharatpur) are matchless treasures of medieval sculpture.

 

 

The rise of Maharana Kumbha (1433-1460 A.D.) in Mewar after two centuries of the past medieval period is a big event of the cultural history of Rajasthan. Gorgeous temples were built in Kumbhalgarh, Chittorgarh and Achalgarh (Abu) during his time and it apears that as if there occurred the re-birth of sculpture in Rajasthan. In all these three centres he got built 'Vishnu temples under the name of Kumbh Swami. The Kirti Stambha of Chittorgarh (1488 A.D.) is, in fact, the Vishnu Stambha of the Kumbh Swami temple of that place. The Chaturmukh Adinath' temple (1439 A.D.) of Ranakpur and Shanti temple of Chittorgarh, which have the outstanding idols of Yugadishwar Rishabhanath and Shantinath also are predominant.

 

 

The friendly relation between Rajputs and Mughals which saw its happy beginning in 16-17 century influenced the temple and its sculpture. Jagat Shiromani and Shila Devei temples (Amer), Kesoram temple (Patan) and Jagdeesh temple (Udaipur) are the Vaishnav temples of Rajasthan built during the Mughal period.

 

The Vallabh cult influenced sculpture and temple architecture throughout the state in 17-18 century. The temples and sculpture of Shrinathji (Nathdwara), Dwarikadheesh (Kankroli), Mathuraeshji (Kota), Govinddeoji (Jaipur), Ratan Beharji and Dauji (Bikaner) stand testimony to this fact.

 

This continuity of art is sustained in spite of political ups and downs. However, the liveliness, beauty, ornamentation and dynamics of the former ages is totally lacking. Although idols are being made in Jaipur but the former attraction of these in missing. Jaipur, Amer, Abu Chandravati, Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer, Nagda, Kota, Osian, Alwar, Ranakpur, Pushkar, Kankroli, Bharatpur, Jodhpur and Mandor are major among the well known places of sculpture. Subjects like music, dance, nature, adornment etc. are inscribed in the different idols of these places. Among the religion, both Hindu and Jain religions developed together, Buddhist idols too are found in Osian.

 

Amer was a renowned centre of sculpture during the Mughal period. Among the artists and craftsman who were invited from different parts of the country by Raja Man Singh included sculptors too who came Amer from Mandu in South, Narnaul in north is a the nearby villages of Mandawar and Deeg in east , when Sawai Man Singh moved to his new capital Jaipur, the sculptors also migrated to Jaipur along with There exists a separate residential locality known a Silawaton ka Mohalla at Jaipur even to-day.

 

 

Recent sculpture tends to move away from religion and manifests the soft of the craftsman for a superb coordination of his experience, thoughts, reflection and imagination protrudes or comes out in his creations. The seed of the said tradition was sown by the typical indigenous craftsman Ustad Mali Ram of Jaipur. Further the names of Pt. Gulab Chand Sharma, Lallu Narain, Rajendra Sharma, T.P. Mitra, Gopi Chand Mishra, Ram Ratan Mishra, Rajendra Mishra, Jawahar Mishra, Mukul Behari Natha, Haridutt Gupta, Devi Singh Rathore, Roop Chand Batliwala, Vinod Singh, Smt. Usha Rani Hooja, Manju Sharma, Ankit Patel etc. may be counted in this chain (series). It will, however, not be over exaggeration to mention here that even now this contemporary sculpture is neglected with painting and graphic domineering over it.

 

 

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