The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c10.255

Language: English

v1.c10.255.1

**Thrones :** The throne designed by Phidias for his renowned Olympian Jupiter was a large, high-backed arm-chair, elaborately carved, and sumptuously decorated, but still a chair, or a seat for one person, as the word *thronos* originally meant in Greek, in contradistinction to the *dithros* or couch for holding two or more persons, and the Egyptian thrones as preserved in sculptures and paintings are all huge chairs of some kind or other. The Indian throne differed entirely from these. It was founded on the model of the *takhtapoṣ* or bedstead, and was distinguished from it only by its mountings and decorations. According to the *Yukti-kalpa-taru* two sizes were common, one eight cubits square and four cubits high, and the other four cubits square and two cubits high. The former was called *Rājapātra*, and the latter *Rājāsana*. The angles of the square, however, were not always left entire, and by the way in which they were cut off, the seat became six, eight, or ten-sided. The great height of the seat necessitated a flight of steps in front, but whether the steps extended to the whole length of a side, or only covered a portion of it, I cannot ascertain. Around the platform, there was a railing, but there is nothing to show that there was any raised back to lean upon : probably there was none, as the large pillow or *tākiyā*, which formed an important element of the seat, rendered it superfluous.

v1.c10.255.2

The name of the throne, *Siṁhāsana*, is supposed to have been derived from the images of lions (*Siṁha*), which originally formed its supports, but the secondary meaning of a state-chair or throne, soon set aside the derivative meaning of a "lion seat", and such solecistic words as *Padma-siṁhāsana*, "lotus-lion-seat", *Gaja-siṁhāsana*, "elephant-lion-seat", like the Yankee "neck-handkerchief", got into currency from very early times. The objects ordinarily selected for the decoration of the legs were images of lotuses, conch shells, elephants, geese, lions, pitchers, deer, and horses. The thrones were named differently according to the forms in which the legs were carved. Thus a throne made of *gambhār* wood with mountings of gold and rubies, having the sides festooned with carvings of lotus flowers, and the feet shaped like lotus buds, was named the "lotus throne". It had a lining of scarlet cloth, and for supports of the frame-work eight to twelve human figures, each twelve fingers long. A throne made of the above named wood with silver and crystal mountings, white lining, and carvings of shells on the frame and the feet, was called the "conch-shell throne", *Śaṅkha siṁhāsana*. It had twenty-seven figured supports. A throne made of jack-wood, with gold, amethyst, coral and *lapis lazuli* mountings, scarlet cloth-lining, and carvings of lines of elephants on the frame, and of elephant heads at the feet, was called an "elephant throne".

v1.c10.255.3

In the same way, the "goose throne", (*Haṁsa siṁhāsana*), was so called from having figures of geese carved on the frame and on the feet. It was made of *śāla* wood, mounted with gold, topazes and agates, and lined with yellow cloth. It had twenty-one human figures for supports. The "lion throne" was made of sandal wood, mounted with gold, diamonds, mother-o-pearls, and lined with white cloth. It had, as its name implies, carvings of elephants on the frame and on the feet, and twenty-one human figures for supports. The "pitcher throne", (*Ghaṭa siṁhāsana*) was made of *campaka* wood, and mounted with gold and emeralds; it had lines of pitchers carved on the frame, lotus buds on the feet, and blue cloth for lining. Its figured supports numbered twenty-two. When the throne happened to be made of *Nima* wood (*Malea azadirachta*), mounted with gold and sapphires carved with lines of deer on the frame, and deer heads on the feet, and lined with blue cloth, it was called a "deer throne", (*Mṛga siṁhāsana*). And when it happened to be made of the *Mesua ferrea* wood, mounted with gold and diverse kinds of jewels, lined with various coloured cloth, and carved with figures of horses, and horses' heads at the feet, it was called a "horse throne", (*Haya siṁhāsana*). It had seventyfour human figures for supports. Besides these the Garuḍa throne, (*Garuḍāsana*), for Viṣṇu, the Bull throne, (*Vṛṣāsana*), for Śiva, and the Peacock throne for Kārtikeya, are frequently mentioned.

v1.c10.255.4

But I have seen none of these in sculpture. A plain *takhtapoṣ* [**104**] with carved legs, and moulded frames, is what is most common, and carvings of animals and human figures are rather exceptions than otherwise. Even the two large thrones of Jagannātha in the Puri and the Guṇḍicā temples, are perfectly plain and uncarved. It should be added, however, that it is possible that the structures which I have taken for *siṁhāsanas* or thrones were intended only for *pīṭhas* or ottoman seats and not thrones.