Madanikas of the Channakeshava Temple, Belur – Part 5

Madanika 30: abhimani. Wall 32

This madanika is called Abhimani… the proud one. Symbolizing someone who has a lot of pride in her beauty and is also very conscious of it.




The sculpture at the left (at her feet), holds up a mirror but is looking away – kind of telling her ‘woman, reality check’

 

 

 

Madanika 31: Imaginary flute. Wall 33.

This one has an imaginary flute in her hand.
Nope… double checked… the flute was not removed in the eight hundred odd years since this has been in place. 

 

 

 

Madanika 32 & 33: Wall 33 & Between 33-34

 

 

 

Madanika 34: The married one. Wall 34

This one depicts a woman who has been recently married and who toe is being adorned by a toe-ring. 

In parts of India, especially the south, married women wear a toe-ring.

I like the detailing in this one… she is holding onto a vine for balance.

 

 

 

 

Madanika 35: The Drummer. Wall 34.

As in an earlier one, this is not really a madanika… but is a sculpture of a man. A drummer.

the drummer is tuning his drums by tightening the ropes that pull the skins together.

 

 

 

 

Madanika 36: Wall 35.

Don’t really have much on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

Madanika 37: Wall 35

This madanika is one of the most intricately carved ones.


The carvings around the head are really beautiful.

I’d imagine most of the madanikas had this kind of sculpture at the top… but most don’t.

 

 

Wall Reference:

Madanikas of the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur – Part 4

Madanika 22: the Hunter. Wall 29

This is a real nice one. The madanika is carrying a bow… (broken with the lower half no longer there… muslim invaders/vandalism…) …

On the left is a smaller sculpture of a fellow hunter who has a thorn stuck in her foot, which a servant is trying to take out.



On the right at the madanika feet is a servant carrying the hunt.  

 

 

 Madanika 23: Wall 29

 

 

 

 

Madanika 24:  Mohini.  Wall 29

Supposed to be in perfect symmetry. If a drop of water fell from the tip of her right hand, it would touch her nose, her left breast, the tip of her left hand and then the toe of her left leg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madanika 25: Vishakanya. Wall 30

Vishakanya -  This woman was supposedly more poisonous than a scorpion.












……symbolized by the scorpion on the platform she stands on – which has died after it has bitten her.

 

 

Madanika 26 & 27:  Wall 31

 

 

 

Madanika 28: Madanika with a ‘Japanese fan’. Between walls 31-32.

…the guide will tell you that this Madanika is holding a Japanese fan…  didn’t really look like one, but that is what the guide will tell you. :)

 Madanika 29: Nagaveena. Wall 32.

This madanika is holding a ‘nagaveena’.. A veena with one end shaped like a snake.

  Wall Reference:

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Madanikas of Chennakeshava Temple, Belur - Part 3

Madanika 12: ..the one with the lizard. Wall 7

..well, the lore behind this one is not so much about the dancer, but the small lizard that’s at the level of her face.
the lizard is clearly visibly, but what is not is what it’s doing.



 
 


..the lizard is going after a fly, which is in turn sitting on a jackfruit – supposedly signifying the circle of life.

 

 

 

Madanika 13: with the rudraveena Wall 7

…no real tale on this one. Just holding a rudraveena. A rudraveena is a type of veena, a stringed musical instrument.

 

 

Madanika 14: with a mirror Wall 7

Madanika 15:  Wall 8

Madanika 16: Shooting birds. Wall 8

This madanika is aiming for some birds.












If one looks closely, the bird seems to shielding two chicks from the hunter – as the guide will happily tell you of how a mother’s love for her children is dearer to her than her life. 
 

 

 

Madanika 17:  Wall 9

 This is a drummer with a moustache and a beard – with an almost impish smile.

 

 

 

Madanika 18 & 19: Wall 27

 

 

 

Madanika 20 & 21: Wall 28

This one has a scull sceptre in her hand… and I see a recurrence of this at a few places on the temple. Not sure what that means though.

 

 

Wall Reference:

Part 2 of this post.

Madanikas of the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur - Part 2

Madanika 7: Washing Hair. Wall 4.

 
This madanika has washed her hair and is squeezing the water out of it.




The detailing is in the water droplets showing at the tip of her hair. This depiction is seen on a sculpture inside the temple too.

 

 

Madanika 8: natyasundari. Wall 4.

This is apparently one of the most difficult postures to achieve in Bharathnatyam .
The body is twisted into three different planes which requires the artist to be an expert dancer and also be good at yoga.
Even today, Bharathanatyam dancers try to achieve this pose.

 

 

 

 

Scull Sceptre’d One. Between Wall 4 & 5

Sculptures with a  skull sceptre in their hand is something that is there at a number of places on the temple walls.

 

 

 

 

Don’t know what it signifies though.

 

 

madanika 9: The drummer. Wall 5.

This madanika is tuning the drums by tightening the ropes that pull the drum skins together.




 
 






What I like about this is the detailing of the ropes. This is a single stone sculpture, but all the ropes are formed separately, ….
with the twists of the individual strings clearly visible – NICE!! 

 

 

madanika 10: The Flute Player Wall 5.

Well, this one is not really a madanika (if I understand madanikas to be necessarily women dancers), but is that of a man playing a flute.

 

 

 

 

madanika 11:  Wall 6

…not much I have on this one. (anyone?)

 

Wall Reference:

Earlier Post on the Madanikas of the Chennakeshava Temple.