Shilābālike holding a betel leaf and pankah (fan)
Holding a folded betel leaf with her left hand and a fan with her right hand, this beautiful shilābālike is standing gracefully with a dancing pose. Accompanying her are the two musicians on the bottom. A male musician on the left is playing the flute, and a lady musician on the right is playing the tāla, an Indian musical instrument that looks like a smaller version of hand cymbals.
As you can see from the image, this shilābālike has a well-proportioned body and a pleasant facial expression. She is wearing stylish clothes and beautifully crafted jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, armbands, and anklets.
This shilābālike is one of the 38 sculptures, known as bracket figures, mounted on the exterior wall surrounding the Navaranga (the front portion of the temple). Each figure is attached to an inclined bracket placed just below the eaves, with its base mounted on a pillar just below its capital.
Read more about this and other bracket figures at: Belur Chennakeshava Temple: Bracket Figures.
Check the Navaraga Layout page for the location of this shilābālike. She is bracket figure number 29 and is on the corner at the junction of sections 4 and 5 on the north side of the temple.
Shilābālikes – Female Bracket Figures
– Darpana Sundari, Sukha Bhasini, Nātya Sundari, Gāna Sundari, Kesha Sundari, Tribhangi, Nagna Sundari, Kapāla Durga, Koravanji, Nātya Mohini, Betegārthi
Male Bracket Figures
– Flute playing male musician
– Narthaka – Davane playing male dancer
– Davane playing male musician
Hoysala Temples:
– Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Bracket Figures
– Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Navaranga
– Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Garbhagriha Outer Wall
– Kappe Chennigaraya Shrine
– Somanathapura Keshava Temple
Badami Chalukya Temples:
– Badami, Cave – 1, Cave – 2, Cave – 3, Cave – 4
– Durga Temple at Aihole
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