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[Full title: Madan-Kamdev in Comparison with some Deccanese and South Indian School]

Though the iconography of the Surya sculptures have made an indication about the possible existence of south Indian influence in consecrating some of those sculptures available here at Madan-Kamdev, but their specification is now an impossible task to achieve, except some generalized view to conclude. 37 The term 'South Indian inspiration', mean to state here an impulse hailed form the artistic movements of Peninsular India, occurred under the aegis of some of those great dynasties like Pallavas, Cholas, Rashtrakuta, Hoysala etc. (without differentiating them as deccanese or as south Indians). Starting with the Pallavas, who dominate south Indian politics for about two centuries (i.e. from 7 th century A.D. to that of the early part of the 9 th century A.D) were the real initiator of the great artistic movement in the Tamil land. 38 Their architecture and sculpture constitute a most brilliant chapter in the history of south Indian A balance and well integrated execution along with the art. 39 37. That means we can bring out only some similarities but that can'nt be explained as a hailing influence to exert here at Madan-Kamdev. 38. 39. The history of Indian architecture and sculpture in the south begins at the close of 6 th century under Pallavas. Smith, V.A. : Oxford History of India, 1958, p.223. Sastri, N.K. : Op-cit, 1975, p. 445.

40 317 application of a restrained movement in their composition to enhance poise and dignity of their product, singly as well as collectively, are some of the primary characteristic features of the sculptures of Pallavas. The open air relief at Mamalipuram provides the best possible explanation of these features. The most significant character of this relief execution is that the artist refused here to accept any artificial barrier and accordingly used entire height of the massive boulder as the ultimate limit to realize their dream. Each of the figure in this relief execution are in specific mood and gesture and they are all executed in low relief. The animals particularly, masterful portraits as they are, reveal the artist's sincere sympathy with and understanding of inherent nature and character of each species. 41 It is on this point i.e. the masterful execution of animal, the sculptures of Madan-Kamdev seem to have beared a node of similarity with the Pallavas. The execution of a pair of pig in an erotic mood (fig.9.4) to the narathara section of the main temple plinth at Madan-Kamdev is the best proved explanation of this fact. Like the Pallavas though they are not life size in execution, but their naturalistic approach would immediately caught the eyes of the visitor as if they are being the product of Pallava inspiration. Low relief with resilient and the balance form of execution are some of the other aesthetic concept prone to the sculptures of Madan-Kamdev. With slim and attenuated figure, the sculpture of Madan-Kamdev, specially of the narathara section of the main temple plinth also refuse to have any quest for spirituality and instead of that they gave emphasis in depicting the joyous outburst of life however of a specified community. Saraswati, S.K.: Survey of Indian Sculpture, 1975, p.170.' Ibid, p. 171. 40: 41.

318 Like the Pallavas, the Rashtrakuta and the Chola were the two other political powers, who contributed a lot to the plastic activities of peninsular India. The Political dominancy of these two dynesties starts with the emergence of Rashtrakuta, during the 8 th century A.D. and that was continued till the end of 13 th century A.D., when Chola power was ultimately collapsed. Thus, the tenure of their rule had a contemporary status with the construction of the mighty temple complex of our concern. Apart form that, their active participation in the north Indian politics 42 along with diplomatic moves (in terms of matrimonial alliances) initiated by the Kamrupi king (as it has been stated earlier) have further highten the affinities of their closeness which in turn stimulate the matter of comparative analysis of the product of MadanKamdeva with that of the Rashtrakuta and the Cholas. The Rashtrakuta dynasty, from being a feudatory of the Chalukyas of Badami, soon rose to become one of the supreme powers in the peninsular India under the able leadership of Dantidurga. The period of their rule being always remembered in the history as an age of Saivite revivalism. Crowded ornamentation with less emphasis on pose and expression are two of the identical feature of the sculptures of Rashtrakuta. 42. 43. 44. 44 The Rashtrakuta had a coherent engagement in a tripartite struggle with the Pratiharas and the Palas for the mastery over north India. Similarly, Chola king Rajiendra Chola stated to have conquered major parts of north Indian tract including Bengal and Orissa, in between 1021-1025 A.D. and adopted a title Gangaikonda in the fond memory of his victory (Baruah & Barua : Pracin Bharatar Itihas, 2005, p. 430). Tomory, E. : Op-cit, 2002, p. 211. Srinivasan, K.R. : Temples of South India, 1972, p.77.

45 46 319 The Kailasnath temple at Ellora, near Aurangabad in Maharashtra, is the most glorious monument of the Rashtrakuta. The basic point of similarity that the sculptures of Madan-Kamdev would like to share with the Rashtrakuta is that the sculpture hailed from both these site gives little importance to their facial expression, but while the Rashtrakuta sculptures tried to compensate it with their vigorous pose and gestures, the sculptures of Madan-Kamdev thoroughly refused to excell the same in their execution. Another interesting feature of the Rashtrakuta temple (which have beared a mark of similarity with the temple of Madan-Kamdev) is that they have initiated the process of decorating their high basement with different sculptural works and design. This concept had found much more elaboration during the later stages of its development specially, under the Hoysala and Kakatiya. At Madan-Kamdev also the stapati has made a successful attempt to decorate their basement with different sculptural works and floral design. The only difference is that while the Rashtrakuta sculpture have showed their preference to the life size execution with a theatrical estimation in their overall presentation, the sculptures of Madan-Kamdev though have failed to attain the height of that perfection, but still the way of execution of Goddess Tritia Tripura, in attachment of the basement of the surviving temple plinth, appeared to be an attempted derivation of Rashtrakuta's (theatrical) inspiration. On the other hand, the mighty Chola, though have conquered major parts of the north Indian tract, but they failed to 45. They tried to communicate their feelings, emotion with the visitor only through their pose and gestures. 46. Vatshyayana, K. (ed.): Op-cit, 2006, p. 488.

320 maintain it for a long. Naturally, this has left them with limited opportunity to exert their influence in north. Indian politics as well as to the trend of its aesthetic development. Despite of this limitation, it is interesting to have here at Madan-Kamdev, some characteristic bearing Chola tradition. Accordingly, one of the primary characteristic feature of Chola temple architecture is the narrative panels. Like the Cholas, the sculptor at Madan-Kamdev also attempted narrative sculpture in small panels. However, the Chola sculptor while trying to have them with some religious minutes, as in case of Ramayana Panels of Kampaharesvara temple at Tribuvanan, but at Madan-Kamdev these panel concentration more in describing the life of specific community. The execution of the concept of humanism in sculpture is a primary contribution of the Cholas to the south Indian art. 47 This, they have mainly with their 'portrait sculptures'. where they emphasized to differentiate the execution of king and other person with that of a god. The sculptures of Madan-Kamdev though abstract in nature (that means, they did not like to differentiate the execution of king with that of a god) but still, they seem to have endorsed the concept of humanism in describing the life of people specially to the narathara section of the main temple plinth and to the sculpture of danapati with his wives (fig. 19.1). Apart from that, the conserving Angasikhara structure at the site museum, has also suggested another indication of similarity of the Chola architecture with that of the temple of Madan-Kamdev. The Chola sculptor appreciated the values of the plain surface to the walls of 47. 48 Bhattacharjee, A.: A History of Ancient India, 1988, p. 466. 48. Portrait sculptures are invariably meant to represent actual persons Harle, T.C. Temple Galeways in South India, 1995, p. 139. 3

J 1 321 their temple as they did not like to crowd them with too many figures. The temples at Madan-Kamdev also seem to have followed the tradition. However without having a compact structure of a wall, it is now quite difficult to ascertain it in a confirm manner. Above all, the excavation of two big Nataraja sculptures further illustrates the popularity of a hailing Chola concept of the cosmic dance of lord Sadasive here at Madan-Kamdev, as the conception of Nataraja and his cosmic dance often referred to be a derivation of the Tamil land, specially of Chola period as the earliest depiction of Nataraja in stone and metal belong to this period.