Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s8.9

v2.c74.s8.9

Again a point of special importance is that a few figures met in early art of Sanchi and Bharhut, there is a close covering of the whole body, from the neck to the feet. On this Dr. Bannerjea’s learned comment is worth reproducing: “This is one method of representing the ‘udīcya veṣa’ named by the authors of iconographic texts while describing such figures as Sūrya, Citragupta and Dhanada (cf. Hemādri’s Caturvarga-Cintāmaṇi); Varāhmihira characterises it fully as ‘gūḍham pādāduro yāvat’ in his description of the Sūrya figures. In the extant images of Sūrya of an earliar date, the custume worn by the God is exactly similar to the dress worn by the Kushan kings like Wema Kadphises and Kanishka (cf. the sculptural and numismatic representations of these kings with the Sūrya relief at Bhumara). The mode of presentation of costume changes in the latter sculptures and varies mostly in details according to the different localites they belong. In the case of some late medieval figures great care is bestowed by the artists on the carving of the garment; thus the ‘sārī’ i. e. the cloth worn by women, which is shown round the body of the figure of Pārvatī, one of the pārśva-devatās (deities shown on the side niches) of the Liṅgarāja temple at Bhuvanesvara, Orissa, is an example of the highest skill in carving”—D. H. I. p. 293-94.