Northeastern India
12th century
Northeastern India
12th century
The central figure on this small stone stele is Manasa, a goddess venerated in the Hindu traditions of Bengal in northeastern India. She is worshiped primarily for her ability to prevent and cure snakebites, a power reflected visually in her hood of seven snakes and the snake she holds in her left hand. She is also believed to bestow agricultural prosperity and fertility, here represented by the fruit in her right hand and the vase underneath her foot. A kneeling female worshiper and her offering are shown at the base.In the Himalayan region many craftsmen made objects for multiple religious traditions, and thus the appearance of Hindu and Buddhist works are often closely related. This is exhibited clearly if one compares this depiction of Manasa to depictions of the Buddhist deity Tara in such aspects as body posture, clothing, and ornamentation, as well as figural proportions.
Prescribed practices that carry symbolic meaning and value within a specific tradition and are intended to attain a desired outcome. Rituals are usually done as part of a ceremony or regular routine.
A kind of energy that can be used, individually and collectively, to effect change.
Hindu gods (deva) are thought to be manifestations of the absolute, or Brahman. The goddesses (devi) are considered manifestations of the Great Mother Goddess (Mahadevi), who is seen as the counterpart to Brahman.
As the cradle of Buddhism, northeastern India was and remains today a region abundant in sacred Buddhist sites. Through the late 13th century, India was the epicenter for the production of Buddhist material and visual culture, with teachers, monks, traders, and pilgrims bringing objects back home to Tibet, western Himalayan regions, Nepal, and beyond.
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