Elements of Hindu Iconography v3.c18.28.3

v3.c18.28.3

The ahyanga in this figure is not a broad band but a narrow belt encircling the waist. The three figures on this plate are seen wearing socks and boots. The photographs reproduced on Pls. XCI and XCII are of Sūrya of the South Indian variety belonging to the Chālukya-Hoysaḷa country. The hands of Sūrya in these cases are lifted up to the level of the shoulders and are found to carry half-blown lotuses. There are the udara-bandha and the ahyanga, but no sort of footwear. In Pl. XCI the goddesses Rājñi and Nikshubhā are worked out as standing one on each side of Sūrya with a chāmara in their hands. In Pl. XCII the goddesses Ushā and Pratyushā are, as usual, driving away darkness with bows and arrows. Besides these, a number of small figures are carved probably to represent Daṇḍa and Piṅgala and others. On the top-most tier of the sculpture stand five figures resembling boys; these are perhaps the rishis Sanaka and others. In the tier below this first one are a set of musicians playing upon different musical instruments. In Pls. XCI and XCII are the seven horses, but in the latter alone is the figure of Aruṇa shown. Fig. 1, Pl. XCIII and figs. 1 and 2 on Pl. XCIV also belong to the South Indian variety of Sūrya and to the Tamil country. In these the absence of the attendant deities may be noticed; these images, excepting fig. 1, Pl. XCIV, wear udara-bandha and ahyanga; the figures of the seven horses carved below the seat of Sūrya are not seen in the remaining images. Fig.