Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

Author(s): Jaikishandas Sadani
Publisher: B J Institute of Learning & Research

Page 30

Brahma
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hand circles the waist of his beloved Brahmāni. She is also known as Sāvitrī and Gāyatri. Brahmāni has four hands but they are now in a broken state. A three hooded snake canopies her head. Her matted hair is arranged in a jațā. Brahmā wears all the majestic ornaments. So also Brahmāņi is depicted wearing a full range of ornaments. A swan-hansa which symbolises wisdom and intelligence is seated near the feet. This mythical bird can segregate water and milk and it partakes only milk and leaves the water. It represents discrimination and takes the essential and leaves the non-essential. On either side of the image are the devotees. One of them is seated while the other is kneeling. The image is surrounded by a frame which has miniature sculptures carved on it.
Most of the images therein are eroded and cannot be recognised. The faint, outline is visible which suggests that two images are in dancing poses the rest are seated. Brahmā is an important God in the divine Trinity, but being born out of the naval of Vişnu, he is dependant on Vişnu. Not many temples are assigned to him. The most outstanding temple of Brahmā is seen at Pushkar in Rajasthan.