Artist: Unknown
Title: Durga Shrine
Material: Granite outcroping
Site: Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Current Location:
Period/Date: Ca. 7th century, under the Pallava dynasty
Iconography/Iconology: This shrine is dedicated to the goddess, durga,
as indicated by the predominantly female imagry present on it. The shrine
door is flanked by two life-size female guardians and the niches on the
exterior walls contain representations of Durga. The abundance of
female imagry on this shrine indicates the growing emphasis of the female
principle (shakti) in Hinduism (Huntington, AOAI, 306).
Stylistic Comments: The thatch-like roof is the most distinguishing
feature of this shrine and may have been modeled after similar prototype
(Huntington, AOAI, 306).
Huntington, Susan L.The Art of Ancient India, New york, Tokyo: Weather Hill, 1985.
