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| Chola Bronze 11th century Govt Museum Chennai |
The reason for the great resurgence of creativity in Tamilakam during Chola centuries I am researching. Because of Ananda Coomaraswamy-s writings people in West became familiar with Chola Bronzes. Since during Chola period thousands and thousands of Bronzes were cast some found their way in West--legally and not-legally. The great beauty of these bronzes is that they are cast in round and hence are equally marvelous to behold from any angle--profile, front or back. As I stayed in Kumbakonam making rounds to beautiful; little village Swami Malai by the river I watched the invocation to heavens, to earth , to water to eternal Siva by the sthapati who appears more as a world-oblivious devotee. His broad forehead invested with the holy sandal paste and ashes, his eyes searching answers more inside than outside, his veshti (dhoti) wrapped around and folded to knee-lenght, his shirt hung in one corner of his stdio. In his bare torso he looks like devotee preparing to offer prayers in Chidambram Koil. I imagined the sky, the earth, the paddy fields, the river were the same more than a thousand years earlier and forefathers of the present day stapati invoked God as is done even now. The beauty of these bronzes holds you spell bound in their spirituality as also their unsurpassede sensuality. Here is a picture of the back view of a Chola bronze from the collection of Govt. Museum Chennai.
