Underground Shrine Queens Stepwell Patan

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

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Underground Shrine : Queen's step-well at Patan
One panel depicts a nāyikā fully adorned with precious ornaments, threatening a snake that is coiling round her leg. There are several panels portraying various poses conveying tantric thoughts for the aspirants of tantra.
Yoginīs are the devotees of Bhairava-rudra and Bhairavī, the dreaded aspect of Śiva and Sakti. This is essentially described in the Tantric Sadhanā. There are several panels devoted to Yoginīs.
In one of the panels we see a Dancing Yogini absorbed in herself. She is nude and in her left hand she holds a staff on the top which is a human skull or Khatvanga while her right hand is in a dancing pose holding a fish-bowl over head. She wears a necklace and a garland swaying over her breasts. Yet she is in a graceful pose with her bent right leg on the ground, while her left leg is raised. Below it, a goblin is engaged in devouring a severed limb of a corpse. She is shown in dancing pose between two rotund decorative pillars. Her hair are matted jatā-juta and the round earrings are like that of an ascetic. Her nose is pointed and her half closed eyes seem to be concentrated on its tip. From her shoulder hangs a noose. It circles around her implanted leg. This is a well preserved panel as there are no eroison marks disfiguring the image.
There is another image of Yogini wearing bone ornaments. She holds a skullbowl with fish while a dog-the vahana of Bhairava is seen leaping at it. Three birds are shown as perching on the edge above.
Yoginis in their several other poses are depicted on the walls of the well empahasising the tantric rituals of sādhanā.
Tapasvis, Tapasvinis and Ascetics occupy many panels of the step-well. In this grand picturisation there are beautiful evocative sculptures depicting the worldly and the spiritual aspects of life. There are images of devotees performing penance. There are ascetics standing with folded hands. Tapasvis standing with both the hands raised above the head, ascetics standing on one leg while hands are held above the head. Rșis absorbed in deep meditaiton or again the recluse sitting or standing midst five fires lit in four directions and blazing sun above head called the pañcāgni tapaścaryā. Besides these panels are ascetics in various forms of penance and meditation. Moreover, as stated earlier there are several panels depicting Umā or Pārvati as tapasvini penancing midst pañcāgni standing on one foot in the attire of an ascetic. All these ascetic panels are in the midst of panels of gods and goddesses, nāyikās and nāgakanyās, yogis and yoginis signifying in the world the spirit of non-attachment or anāsakti midst the vast turmoil of attractions pervading all around. The multifarious aspects of life are given full expression in this unique step-well by the master artists of those days.