Statue of Agastya in the Shiva Temple
Agastya is one of the most revered rishis (sages) in Hinduism. His statue is standing in the inner sanctum of the Shiva Temple located on the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The inner sanctum has four chambers, each of which faces a cardinal direction and houses a statue. The statue of Agastya stands in the south-facing chamber.
As you can see from the image, Agastya Rishi is portrayed as a stocky man with a long beard. With his left hand, he holds a kamandala, a water jug typically held by ascetics in Hinduism. With his right hand, which is folded across his chest, he holds a japamala (prayer beads). As with many other statues in Prambanan, the Agastya statue stands on a round lotus flower pedestal. An upright trishula (trident) is carved on the right side of Agastya.
The other three statues in the Shiva Temple are:
– Shiva facing east
– Durga as Mahishasuramardini facing north
– Shiva’s son Ganesha facing west
Related Pages
– Prambanan, Prambanan Bas-Reliefs, Borobudur, Bali, Indonesia
– Angkor Wat, Angkor Wat Bas-Reliefs, Banteay Srei, Cambodia
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