The Development of Hindu Iconography c19.s6.18

c19.s6.18

Śiva-Lokeśvara, Sūrya-Lokeśvara and Hari-Hara-Sūrya-Buddha icons have been noticed earlier, which show syncretism between Brahmanical Hinduism and Buddhism. Varieties of multi-armed images of syncretistic type hailing from different parts of Eastern India, mainly Bengal, are known, in which Vaiṣṇava and Mahāyāna Buddhist elements have combined, the former being more prominent. Such images may be conveniently described as Viṣṇu-Lokeśvara, and such a one from Surohor in the district of Dinajpur (Bengal) may be noticed first. The four-armed god stands erect under a canopy of seven serpent-hoods, the *gadā* and *cakra* are placed on full-blown lotuses which are held by their stalks by the right and left hands of the god; two Āyudhapuruṣas (identifiable as such on account of a tiny lotus and a conch-shell placed on *nīlotpalas* held by their left hands) stand on either side of the god instead of the usual Śrī and Puṣṭi.