Mahabalipuram: Arjuna's Penance, Detail of dancing ascetic.
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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Here is a detail of one of the two representations of Bhagiratha on the monument. He is shown in an ascetic's posture, the head directed toward the sun and balancing his bony frame precariously on one leg. Near him, just to the left of his feet, is a jolly little guhyaka (dwarf Yaksha or earth guardian), shown as the antithesis of the ascetic Bhagiratha. Bhagiratha, in fact, stands in contrast to all the other figures around him, particularly because the other figures are of gods, but also because he must stand out in his role as the holy petitioner for mankind, displaying the utmost ascetic practices. There is a conspicuous de-emphasis on details in this sculpture. The broadest and simplest of forms are enough to express the figural content.
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Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
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This item is provided for research purposes. Contact the Australian National University Archives at butlin.archives@anu.edu.au for permission to use.
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