Lankan Hindu temple sculptures

Subashini PATHMANATHAN

Idol worship is an important form of worship in Hinduism. Hinduism is generally divided into three main categories. Those are Saivaism Vaishnavaism and Sakthiism. Saivaism implies Lord Siva is the foremost and important God; Vaishnavaism is another form of worship considering Lord Vishnu is the main God.

And other form of worship is considered, Goddess Sakthi as the main God. The Sri Lankan temple architecture, temple design, inner structural view and interior structural decorations almost resemble the Hindu temple architecture and structure of the south Indian states specially the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Inside and outsides of all these Hindu temples are more or less excellently and expertly decorated with typical Dravidian sculptures.

Graceful moves

The Sri Lankan temple sculptures are divided into different catergories. Some are stone made sculptures. Some temple sculptures of Sri Lanka are made out of different variety of metals. Among them, most of the worshipping sculptures are made out of iyempon. Iyempon is a mixed form of metal, made out of five different valuable variety of metals.

The sculptures made out of iyempon are generally called iyempon sculptures in Tamil. Most of the main worshipping Hindu Sri Lankan temple sculptures are made out of iyempon. Besides these Iyempon sculptures, considerable amount of the granite made worshipping sculptures are also available all over the island. Even at different archeological sites, different variety of excavated Hindu temple sculptures are found.

Lasting and durable

These sculptures are made out of different variety of metals, including copper silver and gold. The sculptures are more or less long lasting and durable. At the present era a modern building material named as cement is often used for temple sculptures. But these cement made sculptures are always used for decorative sculptures in the temples.

It should be noted, that the modern cement mixture is not at all used to make the worshipping idols or worshipping deities in the temples. The cement made sculptures are totally used for the temple decorative sculptures. Even another material called plaster of Paris is generally used to make sculptures. But this particular material is not at all used to make the Hindu temple sculptures.

Bharatha Natyam, which is the classical dance form of the Tamil community all over the world. Bharatha Natyam originated from the temple and temple environs. It derives its main source from the temple arts. Among the temple arts Bharatha Natyam derives the main research source from the temple Hindu sculptures.

These temple sculptures are further divided into different categories. The main temple sculptures are divided into three main categories, such as worshipping temple sculptures, inner decorative temple sculptures and tower temple decorative sculptures.

Inner decorative temple sculptures could be seen at the temple walls, and at the temple pillars. In some temples beautiful carved sculptures also could be seen at the roof tops and at the top of the inner temple pillars.

Depicting beauty

The Hindu temples are famous for the tower sculptures (Kopura sculptures). All the temple sculptures are more or less depicting numerous beautiful human dance poses, dancing figures of apsaras (devaloka dancers) and Yalies (the temple decorative elements) of the Hindu temples.

Even the temple chariots (temple Ther) are also decorated with beautiful wooden sculptural figures. In some temples, ancient important four Varnas or four caste putham figures (elements) also could be seen.

Most of the tower temple sculptures depict the puranic stories and epic stories related to the concerned temples. For instance majestic temple towers of the Shivan temples are generally decorated with the excellent and magnificent sculptures related to Shiva Purana stories. At Lord Murgan (Skanda) temples the temple towers are always beautified with the Skanda Puranic stories. Similarly at Lord Vinayagar temples, the temple towers are decorated with exquisite sculptures of Lord Vinayaga Perumal related stories. In Vaishnava temples, the stories related to Lord Vishnu and Vaishnava cult are decorating the temple towers (Kopurams). At Goddess Kali Kovils (temples) the Kali Kovil Kopurams (towers) are decorated with numerous sculptures of the epics related to Goddess Kali. Besides these, most of the Hindu temples are decorated with numerous dance poses of various Gods and humans.

All the Sri Lankan Hindu temple sculptures more or less resemble the South Indian Hindu temple sculptures. But sometimes the imaginative creativity of the local sculptors (Sri Lankan sculptors), their own style of creativity, their own regional influences, their own creativity ideas and thinking also reflect in the sculptural creations of the local sculptors.

These factors are the main cause of differences between the Hindu temple sculptures of Sri Lanka and India. Yet it is a must that all the Hindu temple sculptures should strictly stick to the established Hindu Agama codes.

Most of the Bharatha Natyam poses resemble the Hindu temple sculptures. Anyhow the sculptures are manmade imaginative figures; these manmade figures provide more opportunity to the imaginative creativity of the sculptors.

Sculptural imitation

When the Bharatha Natyam artistes try to imitate the sculptural poses in their practical dance many of times they fail to resemble the same image.

Yet one should understand that beyond a particular level or limit the performing artistes cannot imbibe the same sculptural image in the dance.