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ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES :
:
The Iconographical study of Sarasvati is chiefly
based on archaeological finds of different parts of India. Archaeological finds of Northern, Southern, Central, Western and Eastern India including sculptures in stone, wood, as well as in metal, seals, paintings and epigraphical anc numismatic evidences have been taken into account. The vast span of time, at least from 2nd century A.D. upto 15th-16th century A.D. have yielced numerous images of Goddess of learning. Some of the · images show clear iconographic features while others are
damaced or in mutilated condition due to ravages by man ond nature. Some icons also throw new light on the iconic
features of the deity. However, in spite of regional or local
variations in images, some of her distinct iconographic features
were all through maintained. In different periods, her
iconcgraphical characteristic went through modification and ramification, just to meet the requisites of the creeds to
which she belonged or to satisfy regional concept. Thus in the medieval temples of Orissa, Bihar, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujurat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pracesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Himanchal Pradesh etc, we find beautiful
images of the goddess, having variations in their iconographic
features.
