Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

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

Page 39

Underground Shrine: Queen's step-well at Patan and Saptasati. Devi Bhagavata tells us there are 108 Sakti pithas or centres of Sakti in our country.
Queen's step-well abounds in Devi pratimas. They are sculpted very artistically. Such is the acumen of the artists for great intrinsic details, that images have been chiselled with complete spiritual bearing and aesthetic perfection. These beautiful images enshrined in the step-well, are all imbued with such divine grace and poise that one feels a devotional fervour of love and reverence for the divine mother. There are several panels in which these ecstatic images are installed. We refer to some of the representative ones.
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Gauri She is the daughter of Himavanta or the Himalaya and is also famous as Parvati who was later on married to Śiva. The following 12 images of Gauri are depicted in the step-well as follows.
1. Umā
2. Parvati
3. Gauri
4. Lalitā
5. Śrīya
6. Kṛṣṇā
7. Maheśvari
8. Rambha
9. Savitri
10. Triṣanda
11. Totalā
12. Tripura
Rosary
Rosary
Rosary
Rosary
Abhaya
Añjali
Lotus
Rosary
Rosary
Rosary
Śūla
Lotus
Śiva
Abhaya
Viņā
Rosary
Rosary
Mirror
Adamant
Manuscript Lotus Adamant Śakti
Rosary
Ankusa
Mirror
Gaṇeśa
Lotus
Viņa
Lotus
Kamandalu
Abhaya
(Maheśvari is also known as Haimavati)
Ankusa
Sceptre
Snake
Kamandalu Kamandalu
Kamandalu
Kamandalu
Blessing
Añjali
Kamandalu
Kamandalu
Kamandalu
Whisk
Blessing
In the Rūpāvatāra 8-3-14 it is stated that each goddess has four hands and is recognised by the objects held in the hands.
The Rūpavidhana of Gauri has been enunciated in Agni Purana (52.14), Silpa Ratna (24-60,2401), Rupa Maṇḍana (5.1-7), Rūpāvatāra (8.3.14) and many other treatises as stated by K. V. Dave in 'Gujaratnu Murti Vidhana', (pp. 172-173).
Matṛkās or the divine Mothers: There are several panels of 7 or 8 Matṛkās very popularly sculpted or in reliefs found throughout Gujarat and Rajasthan. There are several lores of Matṛkās in Matsya Puraṇa, Markaṇḍeya Puraṇa, Varaha Purāṇa, Brahma Vaivarta Purana and other treatises. Abhilaṣitārtha Cintamani tells us about the 7 Matṛkās. But Rupavatara adds Bhairavi and we have 8 Matṛkas. They are beautifully sculpted in panels in the Queen's step-well. They are as follows :