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Rock Art
of Orissa (Stone Crafts)
The Rock Art of Orissa dates back to as early as the
prehistoric period. The earliest reported are the rock
shelters of Vikramkhol in Jharsuguda district. The cells
attracted men to live there, who decorated these rock
shelters with paintings and engravings in various
geometrical forms and figures of human and animals.
Most of these sites are found in the hills of
Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Kalahandi. The
rock edicts at Dhauli, Jaugad and the archeological
treasures found at excavation sites of Sisupalgarh
testify to the earliest highly developed sculptural art
of Orissa covering a period of about 2000 years.
The forepart of an element, hewn out of solid
rock at Dhauli represents the earliest sculpture in
Orissa. With the rise of Kharavel (Chedi dynasty) in the
first century BC caves were ordered to cut in the solid
rocks for the use of Jain ascetics. The caves of
Khandagiri and Udayagiri decorated with highly artistic
large panels depicting a vivid picture of the
contemporary society find special mention in the rock
cut architecture of India.
Figures of Jain tirthankars and Sasanadevas with
their emblems have been found in caves in Puri, Keonjhar,
Balasore and Koraput districts. The caves consist of one
or more cells and a few of them are fronted by pillared
verandahs.
The Buddhist sculptural art developed with Emperor
Ashoka from 261 BC to about 12th Century AD. With the
transforming of Mahayana form of Buddhism to Vajrayan,
the creative genius of the artists once again attained
its peak as reflected by Buddhist sculptures of
Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri.
Sculptures representing Boddhisatva and Avalokiteswara
in different forms along with Buddha images, stupas and
monasteries were the main constituent of the early
medieval Orissan sculptural art.
However, the art found its supreme expression
represented by the sculptures pertaining to various
sects of Hinduism in Orissa, the Saivism, Vaishnavism
and Shaktism (represented by Durga and her different
forms). The Sailodbhava, the Bhaumakaras, the Somavansis
and the illustrious Gangas are particularly known for
temple building. The sculptures and superb carvings on
the temples at Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark are the
finest examples of the Orissa's glorious past.
Look out for the sculptures of nayika and mithuna
figures, yakshas and yakhis (the male and female deities
associated with ancient fertility cults), heavenly
musicians, human poses and expressions, elephants,
horses and soldiers and those depicting day to day
themes, like hunting, dancing, games and family life.
After the fall of the Gangas, sculpture in Orissa
vanished as an art form. |
