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Certain details of making images from various materials

- 189 are also given in the Puranas. The Agni purana mentions seven different substances, such as clay, wood, iron, gem, stone, 10 sandal and flowers. But the purana chiefly expatiates on In Chapter 44, the Agni Purana has given In Chapter the use of stone. instructions about making the stone image of Vasudeva. 11 It is said that the stone is to be divided by lines each a finger apart, and such a division is to be called a Svingula, according to the Surpa measurement. part or division of the stone enclosing a space measuring two such fingers is known by the name of Golaka or Kalanatra. The block of stone is to be divided into nine parts. While giving the characteristic signs of the pedestals (Pithika) the Matsya Purana remarks that stone, earthen, wooden and mixed pedestals are to be assigned to images which are made of stone, earthen, wooden and mixed materials 12 respectively. In the next chapter on Lingalaksana, the author says in the last verse that Lingas should be made of such materials as precious metals, crystals, earth and wood. The chapter in Bhavi sya Purana (Ch. 131) on pratimevidhi in the Prathama Brahma Parva, gives details about this subject. Narada, while explaining to Samba gives rules for the construction of images of gods in general and Surya in particular and says that seven kinds of images tending to the welfare of the devotees are known, viz. those made of gold, silver, copper, earth or clay, stone, wood and those that are drawn on canvas and other objects. Of these, Narada selects those made of wood

- 190 as deserving special notice. The Visnudharmottara has devoted a whole chapter namely Darupariksanam (Ch. 89) to the selection of wood and the next chapter, Silapariksa to the selection of stone. It gives details for procuring wood for temple building and image-making and rules for marking off different sections of the images and building posts on the trunk of the tree are incorporated. The Visnudharmottara also gives the merits and demerits of the stone, because it is said that the 'Sthapati' should select a particular kind of stone for image. In Vedic times wood was the principal material that was used. The ancient practice of making images was from perishable materials like wood and clay. Early texts like Bhavisya Purana and the Brhat-Samhita (Ch. 58), lay special stress on wood as the material for image-making. Some of the later texts like Agnipurana give importance to the use of stone. The Visnudharmottara (III. 43. 31 - 32) refers to materials for making images such as gold, silver, copper, stone, wood and iron.