Gangadhara Murthy

When I started studying Hindu Temples and their evolution, I was naturally drawn to their sculptures almost as much as, or even more than their Architectural aspects.

The multitudes of representations of various Gods and the mythological stories associated with them is astounding. Be it the main Gods Siva, Vishnu, Shakti, Karthikeya or Ganesha or the minor Gods, they all have multiple, varied and amazing representations.

As most of us are aware, Shiva the supreme God is represented in 64 forms artistically (both in paintings and sculpture). These 64 forms of Shiva represent the manifold aspects of the Supreme Being, illustrating the various divine activities, qualities, and attributes that Shiva embodies, from the formless absolute to fierce manifestations and benevolent interactions with devotees and the cosmos. Each form, signifies a different cosmic or spiritual principle, emphasizing Shiva's role as a creator, preserver, and destroyer, as well as the ultimate source of grace and liberation.

The major Symbolisms reflected in Siva's Forms include

• Different Divine Activities and Attributes  
• Cosmic Principles representing the eternal cycle of creation and destruction
• Form and Formlessness  
• Benevolence and Wrath (Anugraha Murthys and Samhara Murthys)
• Grace and Liberation 

One of these forms of Shiva is Gangadhara Murthy  - which literally means one who is bearing Ganga, which then becomes one of the attributes on his head/ hair along with the Moon, Datura flower, a skull etc.

Gangadhara - Puranic Representation and Painting in Lepakshi (The net)

I specifically noticed (for the first time) a Gangadhara Stone Sculpture in the Vimanam Portion (Karna koodu) of the Valisvara Temple at Thiruvaliswaram – a hidden Chola Gem (10th Century), standing in the Pandya land in the Tirunelveli District. This was part of  a Thenkasi tour with Culture Circuits, in 2022. It was a beautiful sculpture - the grace, the proportions, the expressions and of course the intimacy, romance and dynamics between Siva and Parvathy – an all too human and familiar concept, immortalized in stone.

Gangadhara in the Vimanam of the Valisvara Temple (me)

Gopu, our docent, explained about the Legend behind Gangadhara and the different styles of depicting Him.

The Legend...

The story of Gangadhara is the climax of a long tale which starts when a powerful king named Sagara performed the Ashva Medha yaga, sacrificing 100 horses. However God Indra hid the 100th horse, as he didn't want the Yaga to be completed. 

The King sent his 60.000 sons in search of the horse. They followed its trail to where a great sage, Kapila, was meditating. They concluded he must be the thief and disturbed his meditation. The heat of Kapila’s anger burned the 60.000 sons of king Sagara to ashes. They became roaming ghosts as no funerary rites were performed for them.

Several generations later, one of the King's descendants Bhagiratha, was told, the water of the heavenly river Ganga would purify the ashes of his 60.000 ancestors and would liberate their souls from their wandering. Hence King Bhagiratha wanted to bring Ganga, the celestial river, to earth. After a long penance, Brahma granted him the boon. 

But Ganga warned him that the force of her descent from heaven could destroy the earth. Bhagiratha then prayed to Lord Shiva who stepped in to help — first by breaking the force of the Ganga’s descent from heaven by capturing her in His hair, and second, by reducing it to a manageable and non-destructive flow and only then allowing Ganga to touch the earth. 

The story of King Bhagiratha bringing the river Ganga to Earth is primarily recounted in the Ramayana, specifically in the Bala Kanda, and also appears in the Mahabharata and the Narada Purana. 

Because Shiva captured Ganga in his locks and holds her there, He got the name Gangadhara.

The Great Penance Panel at Mahabalipuram showing Bhagreethas tapas (me)

The Iconography ...

According to Gopinath Rao, in classical śhilpa tradition, as Gangadhara

• Śiva is usually standing with his right leg straight and left leg slightly bent.
• He has four hands (rarely eight).
• The upper right hand lifts a lock of hair (holding Ganga). Ganga appears seated or descending within his matted hair (jāṭā), often shown as a small female figure above the crown.
• The lower right hand is in abhaya hasta or embracing/placating Parvati, if she is there.
• The lower left hand may embrace Parvati or rest on his hip and the upper left hand typically carries a deer (mṛiga) or a hatchet (paraśu),
• Parvati may stand to his left, her posture often complementary to him facing towards or away from him.
• Bhagiratha may be there near his right leg.
• Ganesha, celestials and other devotees may be present.

Pallava Gangadharas ...

Pallavas have created several Gangadharas, of which the important ones are at -

Tiruchirappalli – Lalitankura-Pallavesvara-Griham -

Although this temple is more famous for Mahendravarman I's inscriptions, on the western wall, is a large bas-relief of Shiva as Gangadhara, often termed the masterpiece of the Mahendravarman I period. 

The base (adhisthana) of this panel has a railing with lotus patterns, similar to Buddhist stupas.

Shiva himself is standing in tribhanga with one leg firmly on the ground and the other leg resting above the head of a gana. The left hand of the gana supports the ankle of Shiva’s leg while his right hand is carrying a snake. Shiva has four hands, upper right hand is holding a tress of his hair, upper left hand is holding a deer, lower right hand is carrying a snake and lower left hand is on his hip. 

On his right is shown Ganga, depicted in a female form, descending on to his tresses. On his jata makuta, he is also wearing the moon to the left and a skull to the right.

On the top corners are shown two flying vidyadharas with their one hand raised in adoration and the other hand on their waists. At the bottom corners are shown two devotees kneeling on their feet and raising one hand in admiration. Behind them are two rishis.

The narrative panel and relief style, balance of composition, scale and stance of Shiva and the fluidity makes this a beautiful piece of art in granite.

Pallava Gangadhara Panel (From the Net...)

Kailasanathar Temple, Kanchipuram-

There are 2 beautiful Gangadharas in this temple, attributed to Rajasimha and built between 685-705AD.

The first is found as a Koshta murthy in the main temple.

Shiva stands in a heroic pose, receiving Ganga, to his left, in his hair. One of his left arms is raised to hold up the hair while the other is in a welcoming gesture. His left foot is raised and His consort Parvati lovingly holds his raised knee, while standing somewhat bashfully on his left side.  

The uniqueness of the sculpture lies in the fact that both Ganga and Parvathy are on the same side, creating an unusual composition and of course in the beautiful smile and expression of Shiva, which is a Pallava signature and speciality.

This sculpture truly depicts Thirugnanasambandar's words

" கடுத்து வரும் கங்கை தன்னைக் கமழ் சடை ஒன்று ஆடாமே தடுத்தவர்"

Shiva blocked Ganga with minimal effort. Not even a single hair was dishevelled in the process. 

Koshta Murthy (Net and me)

The 2nd relief panel is found in one of the mini shrines. A lot of its original beauty is lost in restoration

Shiva receives Ganga, again to his left, by holding up his hair with one of his 8 arms. His left foot rests on the shoulder of a kneeling figure. Parvati holding the same, looks adoringly at him. Ganga holds her hands in anjali mudra (folded hands), offering her prayers. Her lower body flows as the river, behind Shiva’s head and down his right side. A chamara bearing gana stands on the right. Two dogs, one high up above Ganga’s stream, and one low on the right side, almost hidden in a corner, are framing this mythological scene.

The unique features of this composition is the presence of the 2 dogs, which some say, represent the 2 constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor (The Greater Dog and the Lesser Dog). These two constellations are found on either side of the Milky Way. Thus the fact that Ganga also known as Akasha Ganga is descending all the way from outer space (Heaven) is symbolically shown.

One of the Mini Shrines... Me

Chola Gangadharas ...

Cholas not only popularised the Gangadhara, by placing him in many of their temples, as Koshta murthys, they also added a unique dimension by including a miffed Parvathy next to him and creating a new dynamic between them.

The Gangadhara I saw in Valeeswaram comes under this category.

At GKC, Thillayadi, Tanjore Museum - Suresh Priyan and Net.

In Chola Gangadharas, Parvathy is not merely Shiva's consort but a focal point of the sculpture, dominating one half of it. She complements Shiva in stance and posture and is responsible for the aura of romance here. 

The Chola panels focus on the story that Parvathy was not too happy or pleased to have Ganga in Her husband’s hair, literally. And hence they depict an annoyed or petulant Parvati with a body language that conveys Her strong disapproval of the whole ‘arrangement’ of Shiva and Ganga. Usually Parvati’s body is curved away from Shiva, even as He reaches out to placate and reassure her, using his right hand to turn her face towards him.

Although there may be minor variations in the sculptures, they uniformly depict romance, intimacy and humanlike emotions between the Gods, the entire composition, one of grace, balance and fluidity not repeated all that often in our temple sculptures.

At Thiruvattatturai, Mayiladuthurai and Melakadambur - Suresh Priyan and Net

The Pinnacle of Chola Beauty...

The most beautiful Chola Gangadhara belongs to the Lalithambigai Temple at Thirumeeyachur.

Thirumeeyachur - Sudhagee

The artistic merit of this sculpture comes from

• The relative placement of the 2 idols, their superimposition and counterbalancing.
• Parvathy, though, she is facing away from Shiva, seems to give him a surreptitious sideways look.
• Shiva's stance as he balances Ganga with one right hand and placates Parvathy with the other. Both his left hands are almost hidden.
• Parvathi's body language. If you view from the right, she appears miffed. On the other hand, if you look from the left, she seems to be coyly smiling at Shiva.
• Last but not the least, is the expressions of both with a slight smile (புன்முறுவல் / குறுஞ்சிரிப்பு), which captivates the viewer's heart.

In the blowups below, one can appreciate the nuanced sculptural details that make this a masterpiece,

Relative Placement of the idols, Angles and expressions, Hand movements and Ganga

The beauty of this sculpture is best encapsulated in the verse of Thirunavukkarasar (Appar) 

சூடினார் கங்கையாளைச் சூடிய துழனி கேட்டு அங்கு

ஊடினாள் நங்கையாளும் ஊடலை ஒழிக்கவேண்டிப்

பாடினார் சாமவேதம் பாடிய பாணியாலே

ஆடினார் கெடிலவேலி அதிகை வீரட்டனாரே.

When Parvathy came to know that Shiva was adorning himself with Ganga, she was miffed and upset. To placate her he sang the SamaVeda and danced to match his tune.

A few other Gangadharas...

Kailasanathar Temple, Ellora-

This sculptural Panel has many unique features.

• At the top left, Bhagiratha is depicted standing on one leg, performing a rigorous penance. 
• Below him, Ganga is portrayed with folded hands, bowing to Shiva in reverence. Her tail-like lower body artistically symbolizes the flowing river, emphasizing its grace and vitality. 
• Shiva has loosened one of his matted locks to receive the river, significantly reducing its force.
• Shiva stands poised on the Apasmara Purusha (a dwarf symbolizing ignorance), with the divine mother Parvati gracefully positioned by his left side. His expression exudes a sense of tranquility and control.
• From Shiva’s locks, the river cascades into the hands of Rishi Janhu, who gives it the name Jahnavi. The river then flows down the mountains, depicted with vibrant details of fish and other aquatic creatures swimming in its sacred waters.
• Wild animals such as elephants and horses are shown gathering to partake in the celestial waters, symbolizing the river’s life-sustaining power. 
• As Ganga strikes the mountains, it splits into seven streams, represented by seven saluting women at the base of the sculpture. These streams are named Hladini, Pavani, and Nalini, which flow eastwards; Suchakshu, Sita, and Sindhu, which flow westwards; and Ganga herself, who flows southwards under the guidance of Bhagirath.

Cave 1, Elephanta Caves -

One of the few panels, whose lower portion is still intact. A masterpiece in composition, the sense of rhythm here binds the two figures together in a harmonious whole. The depth and relief make it a visual treat.

Shiva, with 4 hands, is standing tall and slim,  with a reclining right leg and the left leg bent at the knee.

Parvati stands gracefully in the tribhanga pose. Her diaphanous lower garment is held in place by a girdle. She wears a simple crown and a few select ornaments. Shiva and Parvati’s posture makes a very unique curve, within which a Gana has been sculpted. Parvati is shown moving away from Shiva and Shiva tries to hold her hand from the top. Parvati’s expression and the whole scene generates a theatrical concept

1. Here, Ganga is being depicted as 3 busts (Goddesses), with her robe flying denoting that she flows in the three worlds.  She is called Mandakini, Bhagirathi and Bhogvati when she flows in heaven, earth and the underground respectively.
2. Baghiratha is shown kneeling down on the lower left corner.
3. The background contains an amazing collection of minor sculptures, which include Brahma and Vishnu.

Temples in Aihole -

Ravan Phadi Cave and Durga Temple - Net and me.

The Ravan Phadi panel shows Shiva in Samabanga, holding his hair out with 2 hands, on either side. Ganga is again depicted as 3 busts, all in Anjali Mudra. Bhagiratha is to his right and Parvathy to his left. The relative proportions and expressions and the simple composition within the available space, makes it a beautiful composition representative of Chalukya art.

The Gangadhara in the Durga temple is a Rishabhantika, with 8 hands, holding a strand of his hair out with his uppermost right hand. There is no Ganga, Parvathy or Bhagiratha here, but Shiva's expression and posture make it a sculpture of rare beauty.

Modern Depictions -

Raja Ravi Varma and other modern depictions - Net

While almost all the ancient sculptures seem to follow the agamas and weave their creativity around the mythological story, in contrast, modern depictions (starting with Ravi Verma), completely ignore these idioms.

The extreme grace, fluidity, emotions and sentiments captured in the Chola and Pallava compositions are completely absent here, leaving you wondering all over again, why Modern Indian Art wants to dissociate from its roots and thrive in a vacuum. Not wanting to adhere to our ancient principles of Art and  representation and not creating a fresh grammar to replace the same, results in cheap imitational art entirely devoid of context or aesthetics.

This contrast only emphasises the fact that Indian Art through the ages had a very well defined context and grammar, whose essence we may need to recapture and reinvent, if we are to produce modern Indian Art which is not merely a clone of the west.