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76
BHARATIYA ASMITA PART II
ding the former Idar State,257 has given us some of the finest mother-and-child stone sculptures in Indian art.
called "Lajja Gauri" i.e. "a shy woman." But this is euphemistic. Really it means "a shameless woman." Hence her head is never shown. Now-a-days, women who do not get children worship "Lajja Gauri." Butter and red lead are applied on the vegina and breasts and they pray for childern.
This explains one of the reasons why such figure occur not only in Indian art and iconography, but in Furopean, West Asiatic, Egyptian and even South-East Asian monuments. There might be psychological reasons too, as pointed out by Murray, and that is how such figures could find a place even on Christian churches and in Indian temples.
It is interesting to find that such figures but with heads continue to be made even now, or were made until recently in such far of places as Kampong and Sanga, Middle and West Celebes, and Palau and Java from where figures were carried to Japan, as drawings, photographs and information kindly supplied to me by Dr. Carl Schuster18* and his freinds prove.
From this rapid review of certain types of female figures can we say definitely that these were introduced from Western Asia in the early Roman period ? Except for the Piprava (Lauriya Nadangadh) gold leaf image, 261 and now the Rupar stone relief27$ (600-200 B.C.), we have few well-documented figures of this nature from the early Historical Period. It is a far cry to Mohenjodaro and the so-called Mother goddess figures of that civilization are differently made, though the motive or purposes might be the same. As againt this, there is good stratigraphical, evidence from a number of sites in India to suggest the importation of the type during the first centuries B.C. or A.D. with the Roman and West Asiatic trade. However, as with Graeco-Iranian and other motifs, the figures were soon Indianized, so much so that in figures from Gujarat, it would be difficult to see even a trace of foreign influence.28
When and how the Baubo type figures reached Indonesia (Java and the Celebes islands) is also worth investigation. The figures resemble the Mathura toad figurine so much in certain particulars that Indian influ
In India, the inspiration was most probably received from Egypt through the Romans in about the firstsecond century A. D. It is to this that may be attri- buted the occurrence, in late Andhra or Satavahana layers, of another goddess, seated in European style. Cast in double mould, and perhaps nude or in diaphanous dress, she has pleasing, benign features. She might well be the "Divine Woman" or "the Ishtar type, "19* wherein the figure is always that of a young woman, hardly more than a girl, and the rounded limbs are beautifully shown.
So far such "Divine Woman" figures have come from Kolhapur, Nasik, Nevasa, Ter, Tripuri,201 and Nagarjunkonda 207 all belonging to the first-second century A. D.
171 Stella Kramrisch, "An Image of Aditi-Uttanapad". Artibus Asiae, Vol. XIX, p. 259. Cf., however, Coomaraswamy, op. cit., p. 32 who says, "we cannot with any security attach a name to the Indian nude goddess," and suggests several alternaticns.
18* See note 1 on page 1 of this article 19* Op. cit., p. 94.
201 Dikshit. Moreshwar, G., Tripuri - 1952, Pl. XXXIII and p. 95, and IAR., 1956-57 pl. LXIA.
21. Sankalia, H. D., and Dishit, M. G. Excavations at Kolhapur (Brahmagiri), pl. XXIIA.
Mother goddess figures probably of similar inspiration can be had from Mathura and elsewhere. Hariti and Ambika are well-known. But towards the later Andhra or early Gupta period, i.e. about 300-500 A. D. and later. deterioration in type had devoloped as shown by the stratigraphical evidence from Kolhapur 21* Nevasa.22* Maheshwar23* and Ahichchhatra247 and Kausambi.24* All these sites have produced a ligure, cast in single mould, as if in half relief. The woman is shown standng, with her right arm at her side, and with the left supporting a child. Agrawala called such figures ank adhatri. On the contrary, Northern Gujarat, inclu
22* Sankalia, H.D. and Deo. S. B., From history to Prehistory ar Nevasa, (Poona 1960).
23* Sankalia. H. D., and Subbarao, and Deo, S. B., Excavations at Maheshwar and Navdatoli (Poona and Baroda) 1958.
24* Anicicnt India, No. 4, pp. 146-48 PI. LI-I, and Bulletin, Museum and picture Gallery, Baroda, XII (1955-56), p. 3.
25+ Shah, U. P., Sculptures from Samalaji and Roda, Museum and Picture Gallery, Baroda, 1960.
261 Bloch, T., "Excavations at Lauriya," ASIAR, 1906-07, and Coomaraswamy, o. cit., p. 31, no. 36.
271 Sharma, Y. B., "..Excavations at Rupar" in Lalit Kaal, No 1-2, p. 125.
281 For Roman influence on Indian art and architecture, sce Goetz, Harmann, "Imperial Rome and the Genesis of Classic Indian art" in East and West, Vol. 10 (1959), pp. 153-81; 261-68.
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