Relief sculptures of historical monuments: Representation of Krishna in the architecture of Douls built by the Ahoms

Images of Krisna, the most charismatic, prominent, loved, popular and widely worshipped Avatara/ Vibhava or incarnation of Visnu, especially among the neo- Vaisnava followers in Assam, is found to be represented in various manners in the relief sculptural art adorning the architecture of the Douls built under the patronage of the Ahom dynasty circa 17^th to 18^th century CE. Some of these images of Krisna are very unique to the sculptural art of the Douls. Such images or conceptions of Krisna are not met with in the extant sculptural art of Assam dating back to the pre- Ahom periods ( from circa 7^th to early 13^th century CE ). But several unique and intriguing iconographic visualizations of Krisna are met with in the art which proliferated under the aegis of the neo- Vaisnava institutions during the time period from 16^th to 17^th century CE onwards.

Figure 1 ( Photo- Siddhant Medhi)

The Bar Pukhuri Visnu Doul and the Visnu Doul at Gaurisagar, contain images of Krisna on its architecture where the deity is featured seated in Baddha Padmasana pose on some seat, may be a full blown lotus, and playing on his flute known as Benu or Muruli in Assamese ( Refer to Figure 1 and 2 ).

Figure 2 ( Photo- Siddhant Mehi)

Above type of images of Krisna is not to be found in the religious art of the cultures or traditions preceding or contemporary to that of the Ahoms. It is not clear whether such an imagery of Krisna exist in the art of the neo-Vaisnava culture too. But, depictions of Krisna playing or holding his flute and seated on a lotus is met with in some miniature paintings of the Rajasthani traditions of the time period not earlier than the 18^th century CE ( refer to Figure 3 ).

A particular, very rare and unique iconographic form of Krisna seated in a Padmasana pose or any other Yogasana pose and playing the flute is seen to be very much popular in Kerala. This iconographic form is known as Yogesvara Muralidhara Krsna ( Nayar 109- 115 ). In the temple sculptural art of temples across Kerala, images of this iconographic form have been numerously found depicted ( 109- 115 ). The difference between the image type of seated flute playing Krisna from the Bar Pukhuri Visnu Doul and images of Yogesvara Muralidhara is that in the latter, Krisna is depicted as having two or sometimes more back hands in addition to the two front hands playing on the flute ( 109- 110 ). There is no known image of Krisna in his Yogesvara Muralidhara aspect where he is featured with only two hands, both playing on the flute.

Figure 3 ( Photo- Siddhant Medhi)

A form of Krisna where he is visualized seated in the centre of an eight-petalled full blown lotus placed on an excellent jewelled throne/ pedestal under a wish granting tree situated in Vrndaranya or Vrindavana, and playing on a flute finds its mention in the Naradiya or Narada Purana [ III. 80. 40- 48 ]. The chapter 80 in which this description of Krsna is found constitutes the 3^rd part of the Naradiya Purana which deals with Tantra and Tantric worship of deities. The chapters of this part ( including the chapter 80 ) of the Purana which deals with Tantra, mainly the ‘Bhagavata Tantra’ has been placed by Tagare ( 23 ) to the early part of the 11^th century CE.

He speculates that these chapters were written in eastern India ( 23 ), which include Assam too. It hints us towards a possibility that the imageries or visualizations of the deities included in these chapters were prevalent in the culture of the eastern Indian regions including Assam which were important seats of Tantric practice. Considering this, we can interpret or speculate the above image type of Krsna seated and playing on the flute depicted on the architecture of the Bar Pukhuri Visnu Doul and Gaurisagar Visnu Doul as having some affinity or relation with the above mentioned form of Krsna and the practices and ideas associated with this form described in the 80^th chapter of the 3^rd part of the Narada Purana.

Figure 4 ( Photo - Siddhant Medhi)

The images of Krisna featuring him standing and playing his flute also find place in the relief sculptural art of the architecture of the Douls built by the Ahoms. Two of the significant images of such type are seen in the architecture of the Kesavarai Doul and the Visnu / Siva ( ? ) Doul on the banks of the Barpatra Pukhuri at Kalugaon. In the image from the Kesavarai Doul/ Jay Doul which is mutilated and obliterated ( Figure 4 ), Krsna is featured as accompanied by a female figure, who must be Radha. Krisna is shown as wearing high heeled Paduka-s or sandals and he is standing in a pose which is known as Mahapada . His head and facial features are severely obliterated. But it seems his head is turned towards the figure of Radha standing on his right.

Figure 5 ( Photo- Siddhant Medhi)

The figure of Radha is depicted shorter than that of Krisna. The bodily features of Radha are also not clear. she appears to be engrossed in the melody of Krisna’s flute. There appears to be an image of a tree in between the figures of Radha and Krisna. Only the sinuous trunk of tree which seems to echo with the graceful bend or Tribhanga of Krisna’s torso is discernible. The whole image, though severely obliterated, has a lyrical completeness in it and it corresponds to the descriptions of the trysts and dalliances between the two lovers in texts like the Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda which attained immense popularity in Assam during the time period from 17^th century CE onwards or may be even earlier. Its style of portrayal also has resemblances with that of certain pictures of Radha and Krisna’s dalliance in forested groves and gardens produced by the miniature painting schools/ ateliers patronized by dynasties and courts in northern, western and central India which were contemporary to the Ahoms.

Many of such pictures are from the miniature painting schools or court ateliers of states like Kangra, Guler, Basohli and Jaipur ( see Figure 5 ). These resemblances may hint towards the mass influx of artistic ideas and styles from the dynastic and courtly cultures of above regions into the Ahom kingdom during the reign of king Rudra Simha, and these artistic idioms making their presence in the artistic expressions of Assam during his reign.

Works Cited-

Nayar, Preeta. “Some rare sculptures of Krsna from Kerala with one hitherto undescribed form”. Kala- The Journal of Indian Art History Congress, Vol XV, 2009-2010.

The Narada Purana. Translated and Annotated by G.V. Tagare. Part I. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1980.

References and Bibliography

Khandalavala, K. Pahari Miniature Painting. Bombay: The New Book Company Pvt. Ltd. 1958.

Krishnamachari, N. “Pancharatra Agamam (A brief overview)”. Sadagopan.org, 2001,

www.sadagopan.org/pdfuploads/Pancharatra%20Agama.pdf. Accessed 14 January, 2021

Randhawa, M.S. Basohli Painting. New Delhi : Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India 1959.

Siddhant Medhi

( Siddhant Medhi is Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Fellow in the Department of Assamese, Tezpur University. The views expressed are the author’s own. He can be reached at [email protected])