Kalai "N" Koyil
Darpana Sundari (Beauty and Mirror) @ Belur Chenna Keshava Temple- Karnataka
The figure is of charming lady admiring her beauty in the mirror, held in her left hand. The slim youthful lady with perfect features,rounded breasts, thick hips is conceived as an epitome of feminine beauty and grace.
Bracket Figures :
Singularly beautiful are the 38 freestanding bracket figures above the perforated screens, at the top of the pillars,angled between the upper walls and the over-hanging eaves around the outside of the temple and navaranga (pillared hall). The brackets are adorned with voluptutous beauties known as salabhanjikas or madanikas, which have the fluidity and vibrance of living flesh. The word salabhanjika in sanskrit means "breaking a branch of sala tree". These celestial nymphs depicted in various dancing and ritual postures under a stylized sala tree are said to be inspired by Shantaladevi, the beautiful queen of king Vishnuvardhan. The tree and woman motif also signifies fertility. The features of the young maidens on the bracket figures are often exaggerated and are lavishly adorned with jewellary and complex hairdos. when going around the temple from the right side the bracket figures are identified
Darpana Sundari (Beauty and Mirror) @ Belur Chenna Keshava Temple- Karnataka
The figure is of charming lady admiring her beauty in the mirror, held in her left hand. The slim youthful lady with perfect features,rounded breasts, thick hips is conceived as an epitome of feminine beauty and grace.
Bracket Figures :
Singularly beautiful are the 38 freestanding bracket figures above the perforated screens, at the top of the pillars,angled between the upper walls and the over-hanging eaves around the outside of the temple and navaranga (pillared hall). The brackets are adorned with voluptutous beauties known as salabhanjikas or madanikas, which have the fluidity and vibrance of living flesh. The word salabhanjika in sanskrit means "breaking a branch of sala tree". These celestial nymphs depicted in various dancing and ritual postures under a stylized sala tree are said to be inspired by Shantaladevi, the beautiful queen of king Vishnuvardhan. The tree and woman motif also signifies fertility. The features of the young maidens on the bracket figures are often exaggerated and are lavishly adorned with jewellary and complex hairdos. when going around the temple from the right side the bracket figures are identified