Inspirational Paintings from the Vijayanagara Period
Dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a local name for Shiva, the Virupakasha Temple is one of the main attractions of Hampi and has been an active temple for hundreds of years. An amazing feature of this temple is the murals painted on the ceiling of the Ranga Mantapa, the main hall in front of the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum).
The murals were painted more than 500 years ago at the height of the Vijayanagara Empire. Inspired by the folklore, ancient Indian texts and epics, and Kannada literature, such as Girija Kalyana by Harihara, these beautiful and expressive paintings reflect the traditions and the culture of that era. With the passage of time, the murals have faded considerably. However, some of them have been restored in recent years.
There are three distinct sections in this mural: 1. West section 2. Middle Section 3. East Section. The Virupaksha Temple is an east-facing temple, so note that the west section is near the garbhagriha and the east section is near the entrance.
The main focus of the paintings on the west section is Shiva and the celebration of his marriage to Parvati. The middle section has a beautiful lotus flower medallion carved at the center, flanked by two narrative paintings depicting stories about Shiva. The east section is about Vishnu, his avatars, and related scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
West Section
Painted on the topmost panel of the eastern section are the Trimurti, Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma, each with their consorts.
Vishnu
Shiva
Brahma
The theme of the rest of the eastern section is Girija Kalyana, the celebration of the Shiva and Parvati wedding, and is based on the epic poem authored by Harihara, an ancient Kannada poet known for his devotion to Shiva.
Girija Kalyana – Pompous wedding of Shiva and Parvati
The image below depicts the scenes at the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. Attending the wedding are the pantheon of Hindu gods, including Brahma and Shiva (the other two gods from the Hindu Trinity), Ashta Dikpalas (guardians of the eight directions), rishis (sages), devas (demigods), celestial beings such as gandharvas, yakshas, and kimpurushas (mythical creatures with the human bodies and horse or lion heads).
Girija Kalyana – Wedding of Shiva and Parvati
The rectangular frames on the topmost panel show kinnara’s on the left and right extremes, and palaces with onlookers in the middle.
The second panel from the top depicts the actual wedding ceremony. At the center is Shiva trying to hold Parvati’s hands. Standing behind Shiva is Brahma, shown with four heads, and behind Brahma is Vishnu, shown with four hands, and his wife Lakshmi, who is carrying a veena.
Behind Vishnu and Lakshmi is Narada, the matchmaker of the Shiva-Parvati alliance, and the horse-faced figure standing next to Narada is Tumburu, a gandharva considered as the best musician among the gandharvas. Notice that both Narada and Tumburu are carrying musical instruments on their shoulders.
Standing behind Parvati are her parents – Himavata and Mena – and female attendants. The figures on the last frame with the lion, horse, and elephant heads represent the mythical creatures from the forests.
The topmost panel shows kinnaras who have human heads with the bodies of birds. The panel below the wedding panel shows the ordinary people celebrating the wedding and playing music with drums and tuttooris, trumpet-like instruments. The panel below depicts Ashta Dikpalas (eight guardians of the directions).
Ashta Dikpalas – Guardians of the eight directions
Painted on each of the eight frames is a dikpala (guardian of a direction).
Ashta Dikpalas
Here is the list from left to right:
1. Ishana – Guardian of Eshanya (Northeast), riding Vrishaba (a bull) 2. Nirrti – Guardian of Nairutya (Southwest), riding a horse and carrying a sword 3. Vayu – Guardian of Vayuvya (Northwest), riding a gazelle 4. Varuna – Guardian of Paschima (West), riding Makara (a crocodile-like mythical creature) 5. Kubera – Guardian of Uttara (North), riding Nara (a man) and carrying a gada (mace) 6. Yama – Guardian of Dakshina (South), riding a male buffalo 7. Agni – Guardian of Agneya (Southeast), riding a ram 8. Indra – Guardian of Purva (East), riding Airavata (a white elephant) and wielding his signature weapon Vajrayuda (Thunderbolt)
Middle Section
The middle section has a beautiful lotus medallion carved at the center flanked by the following two narrative paintings.
Manmatha Vijaya – Manmatha firing Kamabanas at Shiva.
Tripurantaka – Shiva’s incarnation destroying three aerial cities
Manmatha Vijaya – Manmatha shooting Kamabanas at Shiva
Manmatha Vijaya – Kama shooting Kamabanas at Shiva
This painting shows a scene based on Shiva Purana where Manmatha (also known as Kama, Kamadeva), the god of love and carnal desire, strikes Shiva with Kamabanas (Kama’s arrows) to arouse passion and desire in meditating Shiva.
Here is the story in brief:
After the death of his wife Sati, a grief-stricken Shiva started meditating, resulting in a great imbalance in the world. Meanwhile, Sati was reborn as Parvati, and the gods wanted Shiva to marry Parvati. To accomplish this goal, Indra, the king of heaven and the devas (demigods), sends Kama to break Shiva’s meditation, and arouse his passion and desire to make him love Parvati.
As you can see from the image, Kama is standing with an elegant pose inside a chariot driven by his vahana (vehicle), a parrot. Standing behind him is his consort Rathi. Seated on a majestic throne with a meditation pose is Shiva. Below him are Agni riding a ram and Parvati waiting for Shiva to open his eyes. As Kama shoots his arrows made of flowers from a sugarcane bow, Shiva opens his eyes with rage for waking him up from his meditation.
Tripurantaka – Shiva’s incarnation destroying three aerial cities
Tripurantaka – Shiva’s incarnation destroying three aerial cities
This painting depicts Tripurantaka, an incarnation of Shiva. Note: Tripura means three cities. With his incarnation, Shiva destroys three aerial cities, each belonging to a son of Tarakasura. As you can see from the image, Shiva is riding a chariot and pointing an arrow at the three cities (two of them are partly visible on the right side). The faces drawn inside the wheels of the chariot represent the moon and the sun.
Here is the story in brief:
Pleased with the three sons of Tarakasura after they perform tapasu, Brahma presents them with three aerial cities in the sky that revolve around the earth. Brahma assures them that they are indestructible, except when a single arrow pierces through them when they are aligned in a straight line.
When Tarakasura’s sons realize that they are invincible, they start tormenting the devas (demigods) and rishis (sages). The gods, including Vishnu and Brahma, urge Shiva to destroy the evil cities. Shiva agrees and makes plans to teach Tarakasura’s sons a lesson.
Vishwakarma, the god of architecture and crafts, constructs a chariot with Prithvi (Earth) as its body and Surya (Sun) and Chandra (Moon) as its wheels. He creates a bow from Mount Meru with Vasuki as its string. Brahma volunteers to become the charioteer, and Vishnu the arrow. Once the chariot is ready, Shiva waits for the precise moment for the three cities to align into a straight line and shoots an arrow that pierces through the aerial cities and destroys them.
Shiva wipes the ashes from the destroyed cities on his forehead horizontally with his three fingers, and these three lines remain permanently on his forehead from then on. Based on this legend, Shiva’s devotees apply the three horizontal ash lines daily on their foreheads.
East Section
Dashavatara and Rama Sita Wedding painted on the ceiling of the Virupaksha Temple
The theme of the upper part of the east section is Dashavatara (ten avatars of Vishnu). Each avatar is painted in a small frame in chronological order. The Dashavatara frame is flanked by Rathi on the left and Manmatha on the right.
The lower part has three themes: 1. Draupadi Swayamvara on the lower right. Arjuna shoots at the Matsa Yantra (Fish Machine) to win Draupadi’s hand 2. Wedding of Rama and Sita in the middle 3. Sita Swayamvara on the lower left. Rama lifts the bow at the King Janaka’s palace to win Sita’s hand
Dashavatara – Ten Incarnations of Vishnu
The panel shown in the image below has 12 frames. Painted between the two large end frames are the ten standard avatars of Vishnu, which are in the chronological order from left to right.
Dashavatara (Ten Incarnations of Vishnu)
According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu, the preserver, intervenes by manifesting himself in different forms – sometimes human and sometimes anthropomorphic – to restore order and maintain harmony in the universe. These manifestations (or incarnations) of Vishnu are known as avatars. The Dashavataras are the ten standard avatars, according to ancient Indian texts, including the Puranas, although there is no complete agreement on the eight and ninth avatars.
The avatars of Vishnu are spread across all four yugas (epoch), which are, Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kalki. The list below provides a brief explanation of the avatars painted in the image from left to right :
1. Matsyavatara – Human face with the body of a fish 2.Kurmavatara – Human face with the body of a turtle 3. Varahavatara – Human body with the face of a wild boar 4. Narasimhavatara – Human body with the face and claws of a lion 5. Vamanavatara – Vamana is carrying a wooden umbrella. 6. Parashurama – Parashurama is holding an ax, his signature weapon 7. Rama 8. Krishna – Krishna is killing Kaliya, a serpent causing trouble in the Yamuna River 9. Buddha 10. Kalki – Kalki is riding a galloping white horse
The first five avatars occurred during the Satya Yuga, the sixth and seventh during the Treta Yuga, and eight and ninth during the Dwapara Yuga. The last avatar hasn’t occurred yet. According to Hindu mythology, the Kalki avatar will appear at the end of the current Kali Yuga.
The two end frames depict Rathi and Manmatha. Riding a horse on the left end is Rathi, and riding an elephant at the right end is Manmatha, and each is holding a bow and an arrow.
Sita Swayamvara – Rama lifting King Janaka’s bow
Note: Swayamvara is an ancient Indian practice in which girl herself chooses her husband. Swayam means self and vara means groom.
Sita Swayamvara – Rama lifting the bow
According to the story, King Janaka of Videha arranges a swayamvarafor the princes who seek his daughter Janaki’s (Sita’s other name) hand in marriage. The suitor must lift the bow that King Janaka inherited from his ancestors. None of the other suitors, including Rama’s nemesis Ravana, succeed in lifting it.
As you can see from the image, Rama, an avatar Vishnu who was born as a prince of Ayodhya, is lifting the King Janaka’s bow above his head. Standing on the right side are Sita and her parents, Janaka and Maithili, who are anxiously watching Rama as he is lifting the bow.
Draupadi Swayamvara – Arjuna shooting at the fish revolving in the Matsya Yantra
Draupadi Swayamvara – Arjuna shooting at the fish revolving in the Matsya Yantra
This painting depicts a scene from the Draupadi Swayamvara episode narrated in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. According to the story, King Drupada of Panchala arranges a swayamvarafor the princes who seek his daughter Draupadi’s hand in marriage.
As part of this swayamvara, his sons devised a competition where the suitor must shoot a mechanical fish revolving above in the Matsya Yantra (Fish Machine) by looking only at its image in the water pond below.
As you can see from the image, Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, is looking down into the water pond to see the reflection of the mechanical fish revolving above while he is aiming the metallic bow up to shoot that fish. Draupadi, whose hand Arjuna is seeking, is standing on the right, anxiously watching Arjuna.
Located 137 miles west of Bangalore in southern India, the Belur Chennakeshava Temple is a magnificent temple dedicated to Vishnu. King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala dynasty commissioned the temple in 1167 CE to commemorate his victory over the Cholas at Talakadu.
Architecturally classified as the Mantapa style temple – a subclass under the southern Dravida style – the Belur Chennakeshava Temple consists of two main parts, garbhagriha and mantapa. The garbhagriha is the inner sanctum where the principal deity of the temple resides. The mantapa, popularly known as the Navaranga, is a covered hall in front of the garbhagriha.
This page describes the exterior wall surrounding the garbhagriha. To read about other parts of the temple, check the following pages:
Unlike the wall surrounding the Navaranga, which has a step-like outline, the outline of the wall around garbhagriha (inner sanctum) is jagged with a random pattern. The shape of this outline is symmetrical about the east-west axis, i.e., the south side outline is a mirror image of the north side, and vice-versa. The wall structure is also symmetrical about the east-west axis. However, no carvings on the north and south side are alike. The outline of the roof also has the same shape and is symmetrical about the east-west axis.
Attached to the outer wall are the massive pillars carved with sculptural reliefs of gods and goddesses and other deities. The carvings do not appear to be in any particular order or following any storyline.
Because the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, the majority of the reliefs are related to Vishnu and his avatars. Shiva and his consort Durga appear in many reliefs, most of which depict the story of their incarnations. Brahma, on the other hand, appears only in one pillar. The other deities include Manmatha (Vishnu’s son) and his consort Rathi and Ganesha (Shiva’s son). There is also a relief depicting Ravana shaking Mount Kailash.
South side wall
The orientation of is wall changes from east-west to north-south. For the sake of simplicity, the description of the wall is divided into the following four sections: 1. East section 2. Middle section 3. Southwest Section 4. Rear Section
The carving is much denser on the southern side of the wall than the northern side, and the south side has more variety of sculptural reliefs.
East section
Sculptural reliefs of Vishnu carved on the south-side exterior wall surrounding the garbhagriha
This is where the wall around the garbhagriha starts and is connected to the Navaranga wall. The wall is oriented along the north-south direction and is flatter compared to the other sections. As you can see, there are six beautifully carved sculptural reliefs with Vishnu as the theme.
The relief on the rightmost pillar depicts Lakshmi Narayana, i.e., Vishnu sitting with his consort Lakshmi on his lap. Below them is his vehicle Garuda in the kneeling position with folded hands. The relief to the right of Lakshmi Narayana is Vishnu portrayed with four hands carrying his signature objects, Gada, Chakra, Shanka, and Padma. The relief on the pillar next to it depicts Harihara, i.e., Vishnu and Shiva fused into a single entity with Vishnu’s features on his right side and Shiva’s on the left. Carved on the Vishnu’s side is his vehicle Garuda, and on the Shiva’s side is his vehicle Nandi the bull.
The rest of the reliefs carved with the standard iconography of Vishnu.
Mid section
South side outer wall pillars
This section of the wall is oriented along the east-west direction. On the right side, it is attached to the east section. On the left side, it is attached to the wall of the chariot-like shrine.
The middle part of the square pillars and the wall in between the pillars are carved with sculptural reliefs. There is a round pillar that has no carvings except for a small figure at the bottom. The reliefs on the wall to the left and right of this pillar are related to Shiva. The relief on the right side depicts Shiva slaying Andakasura and the relief on the left side depicts Kali, an incarnation of Shiva’s consort Parvati.
The relief on the squarish pillar portrays Vishnu with four hands, each carrying his signature objects. Another Vishnu relief is carved on the wall to its left. The next square pillar on the left has two sides, each of which has reliefs of some unknown deities. The relief on the corner pillar attached to the shrine depicts Ravana shaking Mount Kailash, where Shiva is resting with his consort Parvati.
Southwest section
Brahma, Varaha, and Narasimha on the south outer wall
This is the section between the south shrine and the west shrine and the most interesting one from the sculptural reliefs point of view.
Brahma, the creator
Brahma carved on the south exterior wall
In Hindu mythology, Brahma, the God responsible for the creation, is one of the Trimurti (Hindu Trinity). The depictions of Brahma with standard iconography show him with four heads, each facing a cardinal direction and four arms.
As you can see from the image, Brahma has three heads (the assumption is that the fourth head [facing east] is not visible) and four arms, two on each side. Brahma, with his two right hands, is holding a spoon (used for pouring ghee into the yagna pyre and japamāla (prayer beads), and with his two left hands, a kamandala (water jug) and a book (Vedas).
Carved on the bottom right is Brahma’s vāhana (vehicle) Hamsa (Swan), and on the bottom left are the two unidentified figures.
Although Brahma is the creator in Hindu mythology, he is not worshiped as widely as Vishnu or Shiva. There are very few temples dedicated to Brahma in the world. The Brahma Temple in Prambanan (in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) is one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma. The other well-known Brahma Temple is in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.
There are several legends why Brahma is not worshiped. According to one legend, his consort Savitri, who was angered by Brahma’s extreme lust, cursed him not to be worshiped anywhere in the world except in Pushkar. In another legend, Shiva cursed Brahma because he lied to him and Vishnu about their creation.
The Narasimhavatara relief is carved on a pillar attached to the exterior wall surrounding the garbhagriha. This pillar is located on the south side of the temple between the south and west two-storied shrines.
In this avatar, Vishnu has the torso of a man and face and claws of a lion. He adopted this body to kill an asura named Hiranyakashipu, who wanted to take revenge on Vishnu for killing his brother Hiranyaksha in his previous avatar, i.e., Varahavatara. Here is the story of Narasimhavatara in brief:
To exact revenge for his brother’s death, Hiranyakashipu performs an intense tapasu (austerity and meditation) to please Brahma from whom he expects to obtain a vara (boon) that would give him special powers and make him immortal. Pleased with Hiranyakashipu, Brahma asks him what he wants. When Brahma realizes that he wants to become immortal, Brahma refuses his request but suggests that he can request other varas. Hiranyakashipu then cleverly asks Brahma that he must not be killed by a man or animal or by any weapons. Brahma accedes to this request and endows him with the vara he asked. With the superpowers he gained from the vara, Hiranyakashipu assumes the godly status and starts tormenting Vishnu’s devotees, including his own son Prahlada. To solve this problem, Vishnu cleverly transforms himself as Narasimha (lion-man) and kills Hiranyakashipu in a gruesome manner by ripping off his entrails with his bare claws.
The relief depicts Vishnu with the lion head and human torso having multiple hands with claws. With the body of Hiranyakashipu lying on his lap, Vishnu is seen ripping the entrails of Hiranyakashipu with his claws.
Gajasura and Bhairava on the south outer wall surrounding garbhagriha
Slaying of Gajasura
Gajasura carved on the exterior wall
The relief shown in the image depicts Gajasurasamhara, which means the slaying of a demon named Gajasura. In Sanskrit, gaja means elephant, asura means demon, and samhara means slaying.
The Gajasura story is described in two ancient Indian texts, Kurma Purana and Varaha Purana. Here is the story in brief:
Gajasura wants to take revenge for the slaying of his father Mahishausura by Shiva’s consort Durga. To fulfill his wish, he goes the Himalayas and performs tapasu. Brahma pleased with his tapasu, gives a vara (boon), which makes him very powerful. With this boon, he thinks he is invincible and starts tormenting people of Kashi (present-day Varanasi, India). When they complain to Shiva, he confronts Gajasura, and after a prolonged fight, he kills Gajasura with his trishula (trident).
As you can see from the image, Shiva with a dancing pose is standing on an elephant head and with his numerous hands carrying a variety of objects that include trishula (trident), shula (sharp knife), kapala danda (staff with a skullcup), ghanta (bell), and damaru (drum-like musical instrument). Shiva Ganas (goulish attendants of Shiva) are on the bottom left. Several musicians are playing the dolu (drum) near the head of the elephant.
Bhairava – Fierce form of Shiva
In Hindu mythology, Bhairava is a fierce form of Shiva created by himself to destroy both the internal and external enemies. His sculptural depictions indicate the fierceness of his physical presence.
Bhairava carved on the south exterior wall
As you can see from the image, Bhairava is standing with a fearsome stance. Although he is a digambara (i.e., wearing no clothes), he is wearing a variety of jewelry, including necklaces, anklets, armbands and udiyana (waistband). He is also wearing the yajnopavita, a looped thread sacred to Hindus worn across the chest from the left shoulder to the waist.
He is wearing a crown made of a garland of kapalas (skull cups), and another set of kapalas is hanging from one of his necklaces. Surrounding is legs are two coiled nagas (serpents) with one visible head.
With one of his left hands, Bhairava is carrying a severed-head belonging to Brahma. According to a legend, Brahma used to have five heads, four of which facing the cardinal directions and the fifth head gazing upwards. Shiva cut off the fifth head when he realized Brahma became infatuated with a female goddess he created. Bhairava’s other hands are holding a variety of objects that include a trishula (trident), Shula (a pointed weapon), damaru (drum-like instrument), and pasha (noose). All in all, it is a fearsome sight.
Rear section
Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Rear view
The image shows the west side of the temple surrounding the garbhagriha (inner sanctum). As you can see from the image, there is a two-storied mini-shrine at the center.
The star-shaped roof is supported by pillars on the right and left of this mini shrine with sculptural reliefs. The temple is built on a platform named Jagati, which is also star-shaped. There is a small shrine built on the floor exactly at the center.
North side wall
The north side wall is similar to the south side, but has less denser carvings.
Chariot-like shrine
Two-storied shrine facing north built on the exterior wall
As you can see from the image, a statue of Vishnu is standing inside the inner sanctum. Each story of this shrine has a balcony with beautifully decorated balustrades. The water from the shrine drops into a small tank made of stone. A small statue of Ganesha, Shiva’s son the head of an elephant, is placed below the second-floor balcony.
Notice the three layers of beautifully carved frieze below the first floor. The bottom layer is a row of elephants, the middle layer is a row of lions with some men fighting them, and the top layer is a row of people riding horses. It is interesting to note that no two carvings in a row are alike.
The shrine is flanked by two squarish pillars. The left pillar has a relief of Vishnu and the right pillar depicts Shiva slaying Andakasura.
Mid section
Exterior wall surrounding the garbhagriha on the north side
The section of the wall shown in the image is on the north side of the temple and is oriented in the east-west direction. On the right side, it is attached to the wall of the chariot-like shrine.
The square pillar standing on the right side exposes the front and left sides.The front side relief depicts Vishnu, and the left side depicts Bhairava, who is an incarnation of Shiva. The relief on the mid-section of the square pillar standing next to it depicts the story of Varahavatara, (i.e., Vishnu’s incarnation as a wild boar). The wall between these two square pillars has the relief of Vishnu. Standing to the right of the Varahavatara pillar is a tall round pillar with no reliefs carved on its midsection.
The relief on the wall between the Varahavatara and this round pillar replicates a bracket figure that depicts a lady trying to chase a monkey that is trying to pull her dress. The relief on the wall to the right of the round pillar depicts a beautiful lady holding a flower with the right hand and the head of a child with the left hand. There is another child on her left side. This wall is then attached to a section that is part of the Navaranga.
Varahavatara, the third avatar of Vishnu
Varahavatara
Varaha is the third of the ten avatars of Vishnu. Varaha in Sanskrit
means wild boar. In this avatar, he assumes the form of a wild boar and
rescues Bhudevi (Mother Earth) from an evil demon named Hiranyaksha, who
was tormenting her.
As you can see from the image, Vishnu as Varaha is lifting Bhudevi with his tusks while Hiranyaksha lay dying on the ground killed by Vishnu.
The story of Varahavatara is a popular theme in both Chalukya and Hoysala temples. Both the Chennakeshava and the Hoysalesvara temples have several reliefs carved on their walls. The Badami caves also have numerous carvings of Varahavatara.
Monolithic pillar at the corner
Corner pillar on the wall surrounding the garbhagriha
This massive monolithic pillar is standing at the junction of the Navaranga and garbhagriha (inner sanctum) on the north side of the exterior wall. There is a similar pillar at the corresponding location on the south side.
As you can see, the exterior wall of the temple is attached to this pillar. The wall on the left surrounds the Navaranga, and the wall on the right surrounds the garbhagriha.
This precisely-cut pillar is highly ornate, with two female figures carved at the bottom and many layers of star-like patterns stacked on top. It appears as though grooves in the middle are machine-made because of their smoothness and precision.
West Section
Reliefs on the north-side exterior wall surrounding the garbagriha
As you can see, there are six reliefs, three of which depict Vishnu with standard iconography. In middle of the wall is the relief depicting Manmatha his consort Rathi. Manmatha, who is known by many names, including Kamadeva, is a son of Vishnu and the Hindu god of love and desire. As you can see from the image, Manmatha is holding a sugarcane bow with his left hand and the floral arrows with his right hand.
On the right, there are two female figures, similar to the ones in the Bracket Figures. The second female figure from the right – likely depicts a huntress – appears to be damaged and defaced.
Known for its exceptional beauty, intricate carvings, and fine workmanship, Banteay Srei is a gem among hundreds of temples that dot the Cambodian landscape. Located 16 miles northeast of Siem Reap, it is relatively a small temple complex containing multiple single-story structures. Unlike many other temples in Cambodia, it is not built like a temple-mountain.Dedicated to Shiva, the Banteay Srei Temple has some of the stunningly beautiful bas-reliefs that depict gods, demigods and scenarios based on the episodes from the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The bas-reliefs, most of which adorn the pediments, are deeply cut and finely carved. Even after 1000 years, most of the sculptures and bas-reliefs have retained their original sharpness.
A Masterpiece of Khmer Temple Art
Known for its exceptional beauty, intricate carvings, and fine workmanship, Banteay Srei is a gem among hundreds of temples that dot the Cambodian landscape. It is a smaller temple complex containing multiple single-story structures. Unlike many other temples in Cambodia, it is not built like a temple-mountain.
The Banteay Srei Temple has some stunningly beautiful bas-reliefs that depict gods, demigods, and scenes based on the episodes narrated in the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The bas-reliefs are deeply cut and finely carved. Even after 1000 years, the carvings have retained their original sharpness.
Unlike most of the other Cambodian temples, Banteay Srei was built predominantly using red sandstone. Because of the color and texture of the sandstone, its carvings appear pleasant and colorful.
Banteay Srei is about 16 miles northeast of Siem Reap and is on the way to the Phnom Kulen mountain range. Many tourists who visit Angkor Wat often miss Banteay Srei because it is not in the Siem Reap region, home to many well-known Hindu/Buddhist temples. You can accomplish the Phnom Kulen and Banteay Srei visits in a single-day trip.
A Bit of History
Banteay Srei is unique in that it is commissioned not by a king (like many other famous temples in the region) but by the courtiers of a king. Yagnavaraha and Vishnukumara were the courtiers who built this temple on the land granted to them by King Rajendravarman. According to an inscription, Yagnavaraha is the grandson of King Harshavarman and the teacher of the future king Jayavarman V. He was known to be a great scholar, philosopher, and philanthropist who fought for justice.
The building of this temple started in 967 CE. The name Banteay Srei is recent, which in Khmer means Citadel of Women or Citadel of Beauty. The name could be referring to the beautiful carvings of women (apsaras and devatas) on the bas-reliefs.
The original name of Banteay Srei was Tribhuvanamaheshwara, which refers to Shiva as the Lord of the Earth, Heaven, and Hell. Note: In Sanskrit, Tribhuvana means three worlds or realms consisting of earth, heaven and hell, and Maheshwara means great god.
The town surrounding the temple used to be known as Isvarapura, which in Sanskrit means Isvara’s town. Isvara is another name for Shiva. After the temple was built, Isvarapura became a town having residents supporting the temple.
Temple Complex
A view of the Banteay Srei Temple from the outer enclosure
As mentioned, the Banteay Srei Temple was surrounded by a town. The entrance to the temple is through the town gopura (gate), located on the east side. The town gate opens into a long causeway, which leads to the main entrance to the temple.
The Banteay Srei Temple complex has three rectangular concentric enclosures built on the east-west axis. The main temple structures are in the innermost enclosure. The innermost and the middle enclosures are close to each other and are surrounded by brick walls. Separating the outer and middle enclosures is a moat.
The entrance to the temple complex is on the east side and is through a gopura built with an ornate door an exquisitely carved pediment above it. The door opens into the causeway, which leads to the eastern entrance to the outer enclosure.
Gate and Causeway
Entrance to the temple complexPediment of the gopura
The gate at the eastern entrance to the temple
Causeway from the entrance to the middle enclosure
The gopura (gate) is mostly made of red sandstone. The door frame and the pediment are beautifully carved. The bas-relief on the pediment depicts Indra riding his vehicle three-headed elephant called Airavata. At each end of the pediment is Makara, a mythical sea creature, spewing multi-headed naga, a mythical serpent.
According to an inscription, this gate used to be the entrance to Isvarapura. It is believed that a wooden wall existed surrounding Isvarapura.
The causeway that leads to the outer enclosure is about 67 meters long. There are 32 boundary marking stones lined along the path.
Outer Enclosure
The outer enclosure measures 110 x 95 sq m, and a laterite wall encloses it. The original construction had the gopuras in the middle of the east and west walls. Only the west gopura exists now, and part of the east gopura is lying on the ground where the original gopura once stood.
Pediment from the east gopura depicting the Ravana abducting Sita scene
The image on the left shows this structure. It is the east-facing pediment of this gopura, and the west-facing pediment is on display at a museum in France.
As you can see from the image, the bas-relief on this pediment depicts Ravana abducting Sita, a well-known episode in Ramayana in which Ravana, a rakshasa and the King of Lanka, kidnaps Sita, Rama’s wife.
Gopura on the west side of the outer enclosure
The image shows the west gopura with an ornate pediment. The beautifully carved bas-relief on the pediment depicts Shiva and his consort Parvati (a.k.a Uma) seated on his vehicle Nandi, the bull.
Under Nandi is Kaala, the time demon often associated with Shiva, who, according to Hindu mythology, is the timekeeper of the universe and controls the time cycles by creation, preservation, and destruction.
Surrounding the bas-relief is the decorative carving of Makara, a mythical sea creature, disgorging yakshas from its heads on the left and right ends.
Note: Yakshas in Hindu mythology are the demigods who protect natural treasures, such as water and forests.
Middle Enclosure
The middle enclosure measures 38 x 42 sq m and has gopuras on the east and west sides connected by a brick wall, some portions of which have collapsed. The causeway mentioned before leads to this enclosure, and the moat filled with water on either side of this causeway surrounds this enclosure.
The gopuras on the middle enclosure are ornate with exquisitely carved artwork of creative patterns and narrative bas-reliefs.
East Gopura
The image shows the east-facing view of the eastern wall with a gopura in the middle. As you can see, it is an elaborate structure with three doorways and extending it on either side is the brick wall that surrounds this enclosure.
Gopura on the east side
The approach to the middle enclosure is through a causeway, i.e., the mud path in front of the gopura. A small part of the moat can be seen in the image on either side of this causeway. A narrow terrace surrounds the wall on its outer side, separating the moat and the wall.
Just like the other gopuras in the temple, the east gopura has two facades: east facing and west facing. The façade shown in the image is the former. The middle door of this gopura is flanked on either side by a false window and a door. The two identical structures visible behind the gopura are the libraries situated inside the inner enclosure. The structures within the middle and inner enclosures harmoniously blend with the surroundings.
East facing pediment
The image shows the pediment above the middle door. In the center of this highly ornate pediment is a triangular area with a beautifully carved bas-relief depicting Kaala, a time monster associated with Shiva as he is the timekeeper of the universe, and an unidentified deity above Kaala.
The rest of this triangular area is filled with foliage. Enclosing this area is an exquisitely carved artwork of symmetrical patterns.
Gaja Lakshmi
Gaja Lakshmi
The west-facing pediment depicts Gaja Lakshmi – one of the eight avatars of Lakshmi- seated on a lotus flower flanked by two gajas (elephants ) performing abhisheka (showering with water and food) and riding Uluka the Owl. Uluka is often associated with Lakshmi, but not always as her vahana (vehicle).
Lakshmi is Vishnu’s wife and goddess of wealth in Hindu mythology. She is known as Ashtalakshmi because of her eight avatars (manifestations), each symbolizing an aspect of wealth. The Gaja Lakshmi avatar symbolizes wealth through strength. According to a myth, Gaja Lakshmi is a by-product of Samudra Manthana (Churning of the Ocean of Milk).
Note: Angkor Wat has a bas-relief depicting the story of the Samudra Manthana carved on the eastern gallery located at the lower level of the temple.
West Gopura
Vali – Sugriva fight depicted on the west gopura Kaala (time demon) depicted on the lintel of the west gopura
Gopura on the west side of the middle enclosure
The pediment depicts the fight between the brothers Vali and Sugriva and Rama is trying to help Sugriva. This popular theme from Hindu epic Ramayana is portrayed in many Hindu temples in India and Southeast Asia.
Surrounding Walls
Walls of inner and middle enclosures of the Banteay Srei temple
The inner and middle enclosures are much closer than the outer and middle enclosures. Both the inner and outer enclosures are surrounded by brick walls. As seen in the image below, a narrow empty space separates the enclosures.
Inner Enclosure
This is where the main temple structures are located. The enclosure measures 24 x 24 sq m with a brick wall surrounding it. Built inside this enclosure are the main temple structures, including two libraries and three sanctuary towers. Attached to the middle sanctuary tower is mantapa, a covered hall with an entrance facing east and side entrances facing north and south.
Structures in the innermost enclosure – A view from the northeast side
The image shows the view of the innermost enclosure from the northeast side. The rightmost structure is the north library and next to it is the east gopura. The structure that has two kneeling dwarapalakas (guardians of the door) in front is the mantapa. The tips of the three sanctuary towers are seen at the far end of the image.
Structures in the innermost enclosure – A view from the southwest side
The image above shows the view of the innermost enclosure from the southwest side. The leftmost structure is the south library and next to it is the east gopura. The view shows the west-facing facades of these structures. The three sanctuary towers are in the front.
Structures in the innermost enclosure – A view from the northwest side
The image shows the view of the innermost enclosure from the northwest side. The rightmost structure is the north library and next to it is the east gopura. The view shows the west-facing facades of these structures. The three sanctuary towers are in the front.
Gopuras
The image shows the east-facing facade of the east gopura. The door frame and the pediment of this gopura are beautifully decorated.
Gopura and entrance to the inner enclosureShiva Tandava Nritya (Shiva’s Cosmic Dance) Nandi in front of the east gopura
The pediment depicts the scene Shiva Tandava Nritya, i.e., Shiva performing his cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction.
The lintel depicts Indra, the dikpala (guardian) of the east direction, riding his vehicle Airavata, a three-headed elephant. Each Airavata head is shown as a monster-like figure attached to the elephant head. As you can see from the image below, Indra, whose head is missing, is holding the elephant trunk with the right hand, and the monster head with the left hand. The other two Airavata heads are at the ends.
A damaged statue of Nandi is in front of the gopura.
Mysterious Libraries
Built like mini shrines, the libraries are the unique elements of the Khmer temple architecture. Although their exact purpose is still a mystery, the likely intention of building them was to use them as repositories of manuscripts. It is worth noting that there is no concept of libraries in the architectures of Hindu temples in India.
The Hindu religious texts, which include four Vedas, two epics and 18 Puranas, are large and numerous. The manuscripts of these texts were likely brought from India and were considered precious and sacred. The libraries were likely built to preserve them in a safe place and were designed like shrines to allow people to worship them. However, there is no evidence that the libraries were ever used as repositories of manuscripts.
Located near the entrance of the inner enclosure, the two identically designed library structures, one on the north and the other on the south, are equidistant from the center. In other words, they are like the mirror images of each other.
They are aligned along the east-west direction with ornate facades facing east and west, each of which has a beautifully decorated door, lintel and pediment. The facade facing west has the doorway to enter the building, whereas on the east side, there is just a false door built only for decorative purposes.
The bas-reliefs on the pediments depict stories from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
South Library
The south library is dedicated to Shiva. Both the east and west facades depict stories about Shiva.
East Facade
The east-facing pediment depicts an episode from Ramayana in which Ravana with his 20 hands tries to lift Mount Kailash, the heavenly abode of Shiva and his consort Parvati (a.k.a Uma) as Shiva sits calmly with his consort Parvati on his lap.
East facing facade of the south library
Ravana Shaking Mount Kailash
According to the story, Ravana was enraged by Shivas’ vehicle Nandi who did not let Ravana’s plane (Pushpak Vimana) to pass over Shiva’s abode. When Ravana tries to lift Mount Kailash, Shiva holds it down, which enrages Ravana further and he starts shaking the mountain.
Ravana shaking Mount Kailash
West Facade
The west-facing pediment depicts a story from Shiva Purana in which Kama (a.k.a Kamadeva), the god of love and carnal desire, strikes Shiva with Kamabana (Kama’s arrows) to arouse passion and desire in Shiva, who is in the state of meditation.
According to the story, after the death of his wife Sati, Shiva goes into a state of meditation to grieve her death. This results in a great imbalance in the world. Meanwhile, Sati is reborn as Parvati, and all the gods want Shiva to marry Parvati. Sensing this need, Indra sends Kama to arouse passion and desire in Shiva for him to be interested in Parvati.
West-facing facade of the south library Kama firing arrows at Shiva
West-facing south library facade
North Library
The north library is dedicated to Vishnu. Both the east and west facades depict stories about Krishna, who is one of the avatars (manifestation) of Vishnu. The library is built on a raised platform with two levels.
East Facade
The doorway of the facade has a beautifully decorated false door flanked by pilasters. Because this facade is facing east, Indra, who is the dikpala (guardian) of the east, is the theme of the carvings on both the lintel and pediment.
Check the list of Ashta Dikpalas, the eight guardians of directions.
The bas-relief on the lintel depicts Indra riding his vehicle Airavata, a three-headed elephant. As you can see from the image, Indra is in the middle sitting above an elephant head. At each end of the lintel, there is an elephant with a human-like figure sitting on it.
As you can see from the image, there are three pediments. The innermost is the narrowest and is in the front, and the outermost is the widest and is on the back. Each pediment is enclosed by a finely carved creeper which is resting on an intricately decorated pillar.
East facing facade of the north library
Carved into the lowermost pediment is a narrative bas-relief depicting a well-known episode in Mahabharata, Burning of the Khandava Forest. Here is the story in brief:
Burning of the Khandava Forest
According to the story, the fire god Agni wanted to burn the Kandhava Forest because of a stomach ailment. Disguised as a brahmin, he went to Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, and requested that he was hungry and needed to be satiated. Because Arjuna could not refuse a request from a brahmin, he agreed to Agni’s request. Agni then revealed himself and said to Krishna he was hungry, and the only way he could satiate his hunger was to help him consume the Khandava Forest by letting him burn it. Arjuna reluctantly agreed to help him.
The Kandhava Forest was also the home of Takshaka, the king of nagas (snakes), and Maya, the architect of the asuras. When Agni started the fire, Takshaka was not in the forest, but his family was inside. So, he begged his friend Indra, king of the devas (demigods) and heaven, to help them to escape the fire. Indra agreed and used his power to bring rain to the forest to douse the fire. Arjuna tried to stop the rain by creating a layer of arrows. Meanwhile, Krishna stayed on the other side of the forest and helped Arjuna stop the rain.
While this battle was going on, Takshaka’s wife swallowed her son Ashvasena and tried to fly out of the forest. Realizing that she was trying to escape with her son, Arjuna cut her head off with his arrows but could not prevent Ashvasena from escaping the forest.
Maya also escaped the forest and then sought asylum from Arjuna. Eventually, Agni consumed the entire Khandava Forest and cured his stomach ailment.
Burning of the Khandava Forest
This is one of the most beautiful and detailed bas-reliefs in the temple. On the top is Indra riding his vehicle Airavata and trying to bring down the rain on the forest. The layer underneath Indra depicts flowing water, giving an impression of rain coming down. On the left is Arjuna shooting arrows to stop the rain. Below the water, there are two layers of arrows, created by Arjuna, preventing the water from coming down. On the right is Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, holding his signature weapon, Sudarshana Chakra, helping Arjuna. Between Arjuna and Krishna is the forest with a chaotic scene of animals, Takshaka’s family, and Maya and other asuras trying to escape the fire.
Notice the two multi-headed nagas in the middle of the arrow layers. These are Takshaka’s wife and their son Ashvasena. As mentioned in the story, Ashvasena escaped Arjuna’s arrows through the brave action of his mother, who swallowed him to shield him from the barrage of arrows. Although she died in the ordeal, she enabled Ashvasena to escape the fire.
West Facade
The west pediment shows Krishna killing Kamsa, a popular theme portrayed in many Hindu temples in Cambodia and Indonesia (See Prambanan and Prambanan Bas-Reliefs).
Krishna killing KamsaKrishna killing Kamsa
West-facing north library facade
Sanctuary Towers (Prasats)
Aligned along the north-south direction, the three sanctuary towers in the inner enclosure are close to each other and symbolically represent the Hindu Trinity, Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. The sanctuary towers are the most sacred buildings in the temple.
Each tower has an inner sanctum, i.e., a chamber with the deity. Because Banteay Srei is a Shiva temple, Shiva is considered the dominant god of the trinity. The middle tower is dedicated to Shiva, and to show his dominance, it is taller than the other two. Its inner sanctum likely had a Shivalinga or a statue of Shiva. For this reason, it is taller than the other two towers, which likely had statues of Vishnu and Brahma.
The south and north sanctuary towers have three outward facades, each of which has a door with multi-level pediments and a lintel. The entrance is only on the east side and the rest three facades have false doors. The central tower has only one outward facade, which is on the west side.
Central Sanctuary Tower
The central tower is home to a Shiva Linga inside the inner chamber. It is taller than the other two. There is a mantapa in front of it on the east side. The pediment on the west side depicts Varuna riding three hamsas (sacred swans), the north side depicts Kubera, the south side depicts Yama riding a buffalo and the east side depicts Indra riding Airavata.
Mantapa
The mantapa is a covered hall that leads to the central sanctuary tower and is attached to the east facade of the central sanctuary tower.
North wall of the mantapaSouth wall of the mantapa
The images above show the north and south facing walls of the mantapa. As you can see, the design is similar but the carvings are different. The he doorway in middle and leading to the doorway is a stone staircase on both sides. Guarding the entrance are the two squatting dwarapalakas (guardians of the door), who have human bodies and monkey faces.
In the north wall image, the staircase on the right leads to the east-facing entrance of the north sanctuary tower and is guarded by the bird-faced dwarapalakas. Likewise in the south wall image, the staircase on the left leads to the east-facing entrance of the south sanctuary tower, guarded by lion-faced dwarapalakas.
South Sanctuary Tower
East facing facade of the south sanctuary towerSouth facing facade of the south sanctuary tower
The east-facing facade of the south sanctuary tower facades
The images show the east and south facing facade of the south sanctuary tower. The bottom pediment of the east facing facade depicts Shiva and his consort Parvati (a.k.a Uma) sitting on his vehicle Nandi. The lintel shows Indra riding his vehicle Airavata, a three-headed elephant. The doorway is beautifully decorated. On both sides of the door, devatas are guarding the door and in the front two dwarapalakas (guardians of the door) guard the door. The entrance to this structure is on this facade and the facades on the other three sides have false doors.
The bottom pediment and the lintel of the south facing facade depicts Yama, the god of death and justice, riding his vehicle male buffalo. The doorway with a false door is beautifully decorated. On both sides of the door, devatas are guarding the door.
Carved into the pediment is Kaala (time monster) devouring an elephant, and there is an unidentified deity on top of Kaala. The lintel also depicts Kaala.
North Sanctuary Tower
East facing facade of the north sanctuary tower North facing facade of the north sanctuary tower
The images above shows the east and north facing facades of the north sanctuary tower. The bottom-most scene on the pediment most likely depicts Bhima killing Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, by splitting his body into two. The lintel shows Indra riding his vehicle Airavata, a three-headed elephant. This is the only entrance to the sanctuary tower and the other three sides have false doors. It is guarded by two squatting dwarapalakas (guardians of the door) who have human bodies and faces of mythical bird Garuda who is Vishnu’s vehicle. The door frame is beautifully decorated and it is flanked on either side by devatas standing on top of hamsas (swans).
Unlike the east-facing facade, the north-facing facade has a false door, which is decorated with beautiful artwork. On both sides of the door, beautifully sculpted devatas are guarding the door. The bottom pediment depicts Kubera carried by yakshas and the lintel shows Bhima killing Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, by splitting his body into two.
West facing facade of the north sanctuary tower
The image above shows the west-facing facade of the north sanctuary tower. The bottom pediment depicts Varuna riding three hamsas (swans) and the lintel depicts Kubera carried by a yaksha (Kubera’s vehicle is a man or yaksha). The doorway is beautifully decorated. The door is a false door. On both sides of the door, devatas are guarding the door.
