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SEDAN
Ambikā in Art: Later Phase (9th to 16th centuries A.D.) South India
Although the rendering of Ambikā started in south India in c. A.D. 600 (as evidenced from the examples at Bādāmi and Aihole), yet she could not attain that favoured position in the region as enjoyed by some other Yakşīs like Padmavati, Jvālāmālini and Cakreśvari. However the figures of Ambiká procured from almost all parts of south India are spread over ninth to the 16th century A.D. The rendering of two-armed Ambikā was the most favoured form in the region. We are encountered with only a few examples of her Jina-Samyukta figures. In most of the examples, the two-armed Ambikā is accompanied by her two sons and lion mount. Both the sons (instead of one being in the lap) are shown on her left flank. However, the rendering of āmra-lumbi in the hand of Ambikā was not a regular feature. The south Indian images show mango tree in place of its foliages over the head of Ambikā.
One of the early figures of Ambikā (Fig. 59), seated in lalitāsana on pedestal, is found from Hagargundagi (Gulbarga, Karnataka). The two-armed Ambikā is joined by her two sons (nude) on two sides. She holds an amra-lumbi in right hand while the left hand is kept on thigh. The figure of her lion mount is carved on left. The figure, belonging to later Chalukya period (10th century A.D.), is now preserved in the Govt. Museum, Gulbarga. The oval and
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