Browsing by Author "Yegnaswamy, J."

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The ‘Asian Elephants’ in ‘Madhubani’ Paintings’ – India Legends, Mythology and Iconography
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Yegnaswamy, J.
‘Asian Elephants’ in ‘Madhubani’ Paintings: Legends, Mythology and Iconography
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Yegnaswamy, J.
“Madhubani” is an ancient folk art of the Mithila region in Bihar, India. Until the year 1960, only the families undertook the art of Madhubani painting, as the skills were transferred exclusively from mothers to daughters. By tradition the Madhubani paintings (chitrakari) were composed and painted solely by women, and their subjects involved folk songs, tales, social and religious belief. Besides such narrative themes, the Madhubani paintings also included emblematic expressions that associated cultural and religious beliefs with Mother Nature. Accordingly several birds, water animals, and certain quadrupeds are depicted with symbolic expression in Madhubani paintings. In this context, the quadruped elephant had been an admired subject, depicted as a fertility symbol, insignia of power for its immense strength, and also as a status symbol for its huge physical structure. The subsequent spread of Hindu Classical (puranic) mythologies introduced several elephant related Hindu deities such as Indra, Indrani, and Ganesha into the Madhubani folk tradition that were absorbed in Madhubani visual compositions. Thus, in the Mithila tradition the Madhubani paintings containing images of elephant are measured auspicious used significantly for certain social and religious events. This paper will shed light on the aspects of local legends and mythology behind the depiction of elephant in Madhubani canvas paintings (patachithrakari), and the iconographic elements absorbed by Madhubani artists. Besides this, the style, use of material and colors, techniques and the aesthetic values applied by Madhubani artists using the ‘Asian elephant’ as a visual subject in their painting will also be discussed with selected visual examples incorporated in this paper.
Female Divinities – Mortal, Heroic & Mythical in Jaina Religion Reference to Ancient Jaina Scriptures, Sculptures and Paintings
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2017) Yegnaswamy, J.
Female Divinities – Mortal, Heroic & Mythical in Jaina Religion: Reference to Ancient Jaina Scriptures, Sculptures and Paintings
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2017) Yegnaswamy, J.
Jainism is one of the ancient religions in India, traces its history through twenty four male monks called Jinas or Thirthankaras. In the early phase of Jainism, the women were strictly restricted in the religious sphere. However Mallinatha - a sole female mortal was an exception who transformed herself to the nineteenth Digambar Jaina Thirthankara. Only during the period of the final Thirthankara by name Vardhamana Mahavira (Circa 599-527 B.C.) the Jain community and its doctrines were expounded. Accordingly, women were admitted in the religious sphere as ‘laywomen’ (shravika) and ‘nuns’ (sadhavi) and some attained enlightenment (kevalagyana). Further to this, several mortal heroines (sati and mahasati) for their chastity are placed on the pedestal of divinity, and are worshipped in Jain religion. In terms of godly mother figures the mortal royal mother of Thirthankara Vardhamana Mahavira is measured as a significant divine mother. Besides this, Jains worship a number of female mythical deities, categorized as devi and yakshi/yakshini who as guardian deities (shasanadevi) of each Thirthankara assigned to protect them from the worldly attractions. The images of such tutelary deities (shasanadevis) are seen placed alongside the tangible images of Thirthankaras with whom they are venerated by Jains. Also, a number of female tutelary deities (shasanadevis and yakshinis) though are associated with the Thirthankaras, yet they hold an independent status of divine motherly figure (matrika) in Jaina religious pantheon. This paper brings an account on female divinities of mortal, heroic and mythical category in Jaina faith in terms of their origin, mythology, and iconography drawn from the scriptures, paintings and sculptures respectively. The visual examples presented in this paper are derived from ancient Jain religious temples and historical sites extant in varied regions in India.
‘Wheel’ – The Basis of Movement In the Context of Indian Culture, Thought and Art
(The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017, 2017) Yegnaswamy, J.
Wheel is defined as a tangible circular object revolves on an axis, and while fixed beneath a vehicle enables it to move over the land. The earliest wheel in history is the potter’s wheel (c. 500 BCE), and when its horizontal position was changed to vertical it became the very basis of the movement. The physical wheel emerged in every culture on the globe, universally marked as a vital part mainly of the land vehicles. In India, particularly in Hindu belief wheel is interpreted also in mythical, metaphysical and artistic contexts. In this regard, several unwritten saga and written accounts on wheel are popular in both local and in the classical realms. Termed as ‘chakra’ in Sanskrit, the wheel is mentioned in multifaceted contexts. For example, the earliest Indian scripture Rig Veda mentioned ‘Thy two wheels’ (Rig-veda X, 85, 12.16) pointing at life; in Upanishads wheel is associated with the cosmos; in metaphysical milieu it is referred to the time (kalachakra), virtues (dharmachakra) etc.; further to this, it is mentioned as a divine weapon (sudarshanachakra) and power (shakti) of the Supremes (in Ramayana, Mahabharata); also in multiple numbers it adored the divine vehicles (ratha) as mentioned in various Hindu scriptures (Puranas); Besides this, as a desired subject to ancient Indian sculptors, the wheel is seen in sculptural form in various Hindu temples. Added to this, one of the most celebrated aspects of the wheel is the ‘Ashoka Chakra’ which with an extreme admiration adorns the Indian National Flag forever. Thus, this paper will present the ‘wheel’ in Indian context as not only an indispensable body of a physical vehicle, but also an insightful concept in Indian culture, thought and art as well. The selected visual examples included will be from the historical sites in India.