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MAITRAKA-GURJARA PERIOD
205
and the long pearl necklace of Umå reaching her navel add to the grace and beauty of their figures. Image is assignable to 7th century A. D., probably to the rule of the Kalacuris over Läta.“(U. P. Shah and R. N. Mehta, JOI, Vol. I, 2, pp. 160).-(Plate XXXIV).
Mātřikā Sculptures :- The Matřikā' and the Mother and Child'sculptures from Idar and Kotyarka have several of the motifs common to the late Gupta sculptures. Nandă, an ancient Hindu goddess is identical to Pārvati, whcm Buddha converted, according to one tradition, to Hāriti in Buddhist worship. Hindu Gauri or Pārvati, the Buddhist Hāriti and the Jaina Ambikă are virtually identical forms evolved under different religious pantheons. When in the Gupta age, the older Yakşa cult was being replaced by neo-Hinduism, the ancient Mother-goddess cult came to be replaced by a new set of Mātřikās, Jaina Ambika, Buddhist Hāriti etc. The types of Mother and Child' represented in sculptures appear to be a result of this process. The stylistic analysis and the interpretation of the Western Indian Sculptures by a comparison with the Gupta Sculptures of more or less known dates from the adjoining territories of Uttara Pradeśa and Madhya Pradeśa should convince us, at least tentatively, that the best of the Såmalāji group of sculptures might fall generally in the late 6th century-(Plate XXXV).
Mätsikäs from Devani Mori: The mutilated sculptures of Saktis, recovered from the village Devani Mori near Sāmalāji, having been almost without the head and even the complete torso, cannot be definitely identified as Mātņikās. These, originally beautiful images were perhaps hidden underground, as they were not considered fit to be worshipped. The Mäheśvari is evidently with a child held by the hand resting on the hip. The Vārāhi figure has also the vestige of a child's leg by her side. The Aindri has the elephant as her vāhana. Āgneyi depicts the Sakti of Agni. It can be surmised that the other mutilated Mātřikā images also may have held the child in the fragments now lost to us.--( Plate XXXVI)
All of them evince the characteristic features of the current Gupta tradition. There is aesthetic sobriety in the treatment of drapery, ornaments and other decoration. The transparent drapery marked with schematic folds enhances the loveliness of the modulating lines of the figure and conceals the charm of the flesh. The sparseness of ornaments imparts a graceful touch to the body which is so restful to the eyes.-(M. R. Majmudar, Gujarat Research Society Journal, April, 1950).
Brahmi from Vasişthāśrama, Mt. Ābu: Loose sculptures in the compound of Vasisthāśrama at Mt. Abu and those at Koteśvara, the source of the Sarasvati, now removed to Baroda Museum, include three-headed Savitri, with the swan by her side, Vārāhi, Maheśvari and others.
Delvādā Mātņikās: Out of the three sculptures of Mātņikās of the post-Gupta period, preserved in the nitches of the Jagannātha temple at Delvādā, Mt. Ābu, that of Kaumāri is closely allied to the Idar group in modelling and style. These are made from green schist.-(Journal Indian Museums Association, Vol. VIII, ix).
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