Some Interesting Sculptures of the Jaina Goddess Ambika from Marwar
Summary
R. C. Agrawala surveys early mediaeval sculptures of the Jaina goddess Ambika found in Rajasthan. He notes that the Jodhpur region has no very early Ambika sculptures but describes a ninth‑century stone relief at Ghatiyala where Ambika sits on a lotus with a lion beneath and no child in her lap. A brass image from Sidadi shows Adinatha seated with Ambika beside him on a lotus. An early‑mediaeval sculpture from Jalor depicts Ambika with mangoes and flowers around her, again lacking the child; the baby's head appears near her thigh. Agrawala also discusses an uninscribed bronze from Sanchore where Ambika is shown without her usual lion and amralumbi, suggesting another iconographic mode. He then describes seventh‑century bronzes from Pindwada that depict the yaksa Sarvanubhuti and Ambika riding on a lion. These works illustrate regional variations in Ambika's iconography and help chart the goddess's evolution in Rajasthan.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The article concludes that the surveyed sculptures show diverse representations of Ambika across Marwar, ranging from stone reliefs to bronzes. Variations in attributes—such as the presence or absence of the child, lion or amralumbi—reflect regional artistic styles and shifts in religious symbolism. The study enriches our understanding of Jain iconography in early mediaeval India.