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16
RAVI HAJARNIS
SAMBODHI-PURĀTATTVA
unusual physical feature. The neck is short and the hump too prominent. The bull reflects the compact vigour of the Nandis of the Maitraka period. It may be assigned to c.7h cent. A.D.61
There is one more example from Kayavarohan assignable to c.8th cent. A.D. It is lying near the Sivālaya at Suthār-no-Ovāro. Muzzle part at the end horns are mutilated. The elaborate ghanta-ghurghurmālā, dewlap folds and impressive anatomy are rendered realistically. (P1.X) Nandi lying near the tank at Danteśvara village near Pratapnagar, Vadodara is also contemporary to the Karvan specimen. It has ornaments as usual.
Vrsa at EME School, Vadodara: The image probably hails from Limbaj village of Bharuch district. The horns and mouth part are broken. The dewlap is suggested by strongly incised lines. A ghantamālā passes from behind the hump and a chain decorates the neck. As at Sandhida, the chisel is used here only to give minimal shape. The hump is not prominent. It can be ascribed to c.8th cent. A.D.62 (P1.XI)
Nandi, Devgam near Nadiyad, Kheda district is one of the biggest so far known in Gujarat. The mouth is damaged. A ghurghurmālā passes from behind the hump. The overall form is schematically rendered. The details of the modaka-patra and tamas are unfinished. A simple rope decorates the neck. Dhaky observes Southern influence on this Nandi.63 However, it still may have not been fully worked and hence suggestion requires further confirmation. A figure clings to the left side of the bull's longish body. The specimen belongs c. 9th cent. A.D.64 (P1.XII)
The unfinished Moregaon (Maharashtra): Nandī belongs to the medieval period is mentioned here for the sculpting technique of the Nandi images.65 The sculptor in this example had first drawn the outline of the exterior form and then he must have applied chisel to remove the unwanted lumps form the outline limbs. The process possibly is first to draw gross outlines and chisel out a gross of the body and then with a stronger chisel remove the unnecessary portion. Next the artist must have employed a finer tool for achieving the desired shapes and for packing up essential details.
A question may arise whether the medieval Nandi sculpltures of Gujarat have followed this technique or not. We can only say that we should wait till the discovery of some more unfinished Nandi specimens from Gujarat.
