Belur Chennakeshava Temple: Davane playing male musician

Davane playing male musician - A bracket figure mounterd on the exterior wall of the Belur Chennakeshava Temple in Karnataka, India

Davane playing male musician

Davane playing male musician
This beautifully carved sculpture depicts a male musician playing the davane, a two-sided drum-like instrument played with a stick that is curved at the end. As you can see, he is beating the drum-head of the davane with his right hand while holding the davane steady with his left hand. Accompanying him at the bottom are the two male musicians, each playing a dolu, also a two-sided drum-like instrument played with hands.

As you can see from the image, the male musician is sporting a mustache (upward-pointing handlebar style) and a beard (neatly-trimmed boxed style), which is probably a reflection of men’s fashion in those days. As for his hair, he has a long ponytail held up behind his head. Like his female counterparts in the bracket figures, he is wearing stylistic jewelry, including large loop earrings, armbands, and necklaces. Because of his stance, it appears that he is dancing as he beats the davane. As with the other bracket figures, the background is covered with a finely carved creeper.

This bracket figure is one of the three male figures among 42 bracket figures (38 outside and four inside) in the temple and is mounted on the last pillar on the south side of the exterior wall surrounding the navaranga, the covered hall in front of the garbhagriha (inner sanctum). Each figure is attached to an inclined bracket placed just below the eaves, with its base mounted on a pillar just below its capital.

Check the Navaraga Layout page for the locations of the bracket figures. This bracket figure is mounted on a pillar on the eighth section (S8) of the south side wall and is number 18.

Read more about this and other bracket figures at: Belur Chennakeshava Temple: Bracket Figures.

Male Bracket Figures
Flute playing male musician
Narthaka – Davane playing male dancer

Shilābālikes – Female Bracket Figures
Darpana Sundari, Sukha Bhasini, Nātya Sundari, Gāna Sundari, Kesha Sundari, Tribhangi, Nagna Sundari, Kapāla Durga, Koravanji, Nātya Mohini, Betegārthi

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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