PALLAVA ICONOLOGY A
STUDY
N.Nandhivarman
The Ecole
Francaise D'Extreme Orient [EFEO] is a place where silently lot of research is
done but it is all in French. "To know about all Saiva agamas one had to
go to Paris University which had done extensive and intensive research",
says Dr.Vijayavenugopal of the Epigraphy section of this French
Institute." There are lots of Tamil scholars knowing French, but they
don’t translate all these researches into Tamil. These results he says. As I
frequent this institute I found the photographers Ravindran and Ramasamy Babu
equally knowledgeable on all Temple Art of Tamil Nadu. They were showing in
computer screen a pillar with a sculpture, and a young French lady immediately
said it is from Kailasanatha temple of Kanchipuram. I was dumbfounded. Most
Tamils may have visited temples, but just by seeing a sculpture they won’t be
in a position to recapture its identity and history.
[The narrative panel of Lord Lingodbhavar at
Kailasanathar temple in Kanchipuram]
I got introduced and enquired about her mission. She
is Valerie from Paris University who had come all the way from France and had
stayed here at Pondicherry for 8 months. Miss Valerie is doing her PhD on
Pallava iconography under the guidance of Ms.Nalini Balbir who works at
University of Paris. Ms.Nalini Balbir, her Professor is specializing in
Jainism. She had sent her two students to stay in Pondicherry to undertake
researches. That is how Valerie, a French girl had come here. Another Srilankan
Tamil girl Udaya Velupillai is doing research on Sirkazhi temple. It is
needless to say that Mr.Jean Deloche took 6 years to do a research on Gingee.
The time taken, efforts put in to make a research and the dedication of these
scholars makes them excel in their findings. In another rare feat to the team
of scholars is that the 11,000 manuscripts collected meticulously and preserved
by EFEO Pondicherry had been declared last week as world heritage having been
accepted by UNESCO.
Miss Valerie says that the “Pallavas invented new
iconography in 7 to 8 th centuries, which never existed before. According to
Miss. Valerie it is the beginning of South Indian iconography. Of particular
mention is that of Saivite iconography for which no parallels are found in the
North India. But when it comes to Vaishnavite iconography we find similar
evidences in North India. The best of Pallava iconography belongs to the period
of Rajasimha Pallaveshwaran. Kailasanatha temple of Kanchipuram is a temple
with very rich evidences of art”.
The idol of Lingodbhavar
at Kailasanathar Temple Kanchipuram may appear to be depicting a myth about ego
clashes between Hindu pantheons of gods. It shows Lord Shiva coming out of
Lingam and Lord Vishnu in Varaga form digging the Earth to trace his feet. Lord
Brahma assumes the bird form of “annaparavai”.
And goes to find Lord Shiva’s head. In midway he returns with failure, whereas
the efforts to reach his foot also did not bear fruit. Explaining the inner
meaning of this myth it is said Brahma denotes mental power and Vishnu physical
power. The message of the sculpture is that you can’t reach god by either
mental power or physical power. This narrative panel of mythology is a
remarkable piece of Pallava art.
A picture or
sculpture is worth a thousand words. Iconography is the traditional art of
portraying figures in pigment that symbolically mean more than a simple
depiction of the person involved. Icons have been used by different religions
including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. “In the case of the various
Hindu gods almost everything is considered symbolism. The figures are
blue-skinned (the color of heaven) with multiple arms holding various symbols
depicting aspects of the god (the drums of change, the flower of new life, the
fire of destruction, etc.). The many heads, eyes, feet, and arms do not have to
be taken literally” opined a scholar. Iconography had grown into a new science
called iconology.
Nowadays
study is devoted to all hidden aspects and meanings with the origins of such
art forms, hence new name of iconology gained currency.
Soviet scholar Sergei Tokorav in his History of
Religion writes “The cult of cross has nothing to do with the supposed
instrument used for Christ’s execution. The Romans did in fact crucify people
on crosses but they were in the form of letter “T”. The Christian cross was
extremely an ancient symbol that can be found in Egyptian, Cretan and other art
work. Its origin is hard to establish, but it is certain that cult of cross had
nothing to do with the legend of the crucification of Christ”. As in West in
India too nowadays scholars are looking for hidden meaning and roots of various
symbols in the art. The snake on Lord Shiva denotes the Snake cult of the early
Naga society. There is a debate among scholars about the origins of Saivism.
One school claims it emerged from the lost continent of Lemuria. Other school
argues that it came from Kashmiri Saivism.
Near Baroda
there is a place called Karom, which is shortened form of Kayaroganam. It is
from this place, a sect of Saivism Kayaroganam emerged. In Tamil Nadu
Nagapattinam is called Thirunagai Kayaroganam., indicating the spread of that
sect here. Kaya aroganam indicates we have to reach upwards to God. Kaya
avaroganam means God descending to Earth. These two sects of Saivism differ on
this point. From this sect the musical term aroganam and avaroganum came, says
Dr.Vijayavenugopal. There is also an opinion that Chola emperor Rajarajan
brought pasupatham sect of Saivism from North.
All these
researches done in French will help Miss Valerie get a doctorate from Paris
University. She refuses to talk about her research thesis, which is
justifiable. But after this thesis is submitted until it gets translated in
English and Tamil, people of Pondicherry or Tamil Nadu will have to remain in
dark about its content. The time difference will result in Tamil scholars
lagging behind in updated knowledge on iconology.
[Courtesy: New Indian Express dated: 2nd July 2005]
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