Prof. Dr. Nagarajaiah Hampana
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62 Khidrāpura, 12th Century |
Thus both the bejewelled sculptures of Sarasvatī of dancing pose, contribute to the overwhelming visual exuberance of the temple's exterior. "The Hoysaḷa sculptors seem to have developed special fascination for the theme of dance and music in the temple architecture of the period, as is evident from the magnificent dancing figures at Belūr, Haḷebīḍu, Jinanāthapura, Nuggehaḷḷi, Somanāthapura and Śravaṇabeḷagoḷa. As evidences collaborate, the two Jaina celebrities of the time, Paṭṭamahiṣi Śāntalādevī, chief queen of Viṣṇuvardhana (1108-52), the Hoysaḷa chief, and Bācaladevī, who had the cognomen of pātra- jagadale, 'chief of the world of dancers', spouse of Bhujabala Gaṅgā Permāḍideva (1103-18), ruler of the Mandaḷi-Thousand, were responsible for the renaissance of this performing arts. Contribution of the Jaina iconography for the resurrection of Temple architecture is considerable. The age of the Hoysaḷas is the golden age" [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: 2002: 34-35].
But when compared to similar images in the Haḷebīḍu Museum, and an image in the temple of Hosahoḷalu, we can clearly notice the influence of contemporary Hoysaḷa architectural style. The image under discussion has its similarity with the (three) Sarasvatī images found at Jinanāthapura, Khidrāpura (Maharashtra) and the eight-armed bracket figure in the VimalaVasahi at Mt. Abu (Rajasthan). Among the three seated four-armed Śrutadevatā images on the outer wall of Jinanāthapura Śāntinātha Jinālaya (1200 CE), one is in padmāsana and the other is in lalitāsana. The seated four-armed Sarasvatī has pāśa and aṅkuśa in her upper arms and has palm-leaf manuscript in her left lower arm where as the right lower arm shows abhayākṣa, i.e., holding rosary and showing no-fear posture. The Khidrāpur sculpture of Sarasvatī on the outer wall of Jain temple, is identical with this in all its details.
