Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

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

Page 43

Underground Shrine : Queen's step-well at Patan
UL.
The goddess wears a crown or trimukuta. She has three eyes. In the ears she wears ear-rings of sun shape, a jewelled necklace, a long garland, a breast-band, mangalasūtra, bracelet, armlets several bangles, waist-band, anklets, designed sarees and uttariya the upper garment. The goddess has twenty hands and is fully armed with weapons. They are ten right hands holding trident, thunder bolt, an arrow, a mace, a goad, a spear, a lotus with stalk, gives a sign of fearlessness abhaya-mudrā, kettledrum damaru and a sword, while the ten left hands hold shield, scull with fish, war horn, three-headed snake, dagger in hand, noose, bow, holding hair of the demon and trident.
The buffalo succumbs under the strong attack of the goddess while the lion attacks it from behind. Buffalo's head is severed and tongue is seen lolling out. A fully armed demon in the human form emerges out of its slain body, wielding sword and shield and engages himself in a deadly duel with the goddess in which he is also ultimately slain. The eight miniature images surrounding the frame, four on each side depict various forms of the goddess, engraved therein. This is a well preserved panel emanating such lively vigour of strength and compassion on the beaming countenance of the deity. The goddess in Queen's step-well has twenty hands while in Bengal she has ten hands. Dr. D. C. Sircar opines that these ten hands correspond to the ten incarnations of the Lord. Agni Purāņa (50.1-5), Vişnudharmottara Purāņa (51.1-10) and Devi Bhāgavata (50.68-70) give us the pratimā lakṣaṇa of the goddess.
Cāmundā is the frightening image of the goddess. She is slim, emotional, having sunken abdomen sagging shrivelled up breasts, protruding teeth. A nude man is lying prostrate at her feet. She wears an animal skin 'Mrgachāla' around her loins, as girdle. She wears several ornaments all made of bones. Her mukuta or crown has a human skull in the centre. She has ten hands holding trident, dagger, damaru, serpent's tail, serpent's head and bell. Her upraised hand touching the lips is in the mudra or pose wherein she is shown licking her little finger. One hand is broken. The garland of snake is around her neck. Her ribs are seen prominently. The sunken stomach has a scorpion crawling on it. She has short loin cloth which is tied by a loose bone string. A garland of skulls hangs over the left leg and goes up to the right leg. The goblin near the feet in gnawing at the severed limb. The goblin on the other side is borken. The surrounding frame has four goddesses on either side. There are eight mātrkās. The image of the goddess on the top is very indistinct. This is a very beautifully carved image and has tantric bearings. It conveys the emotions of bhayānaka and bibhatsa rasa of terror and disgust. Visņu Dharmottara,