A Rare Representation of Dvādaśāditya

Author(s): A.L. Srivastava

Source: East and West, Vol. 52, No. 1/4 (December 2002), pp. 427-437
Published by: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO)
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 A Rare Representation of Dvadasaditya

by A.L. Srivastava

It iswell known that India's ancient art has always been prompting interest among rich
Western collectors who have been passing on the art treasures tomuseums. Almost all the
museums of Europe and America have such prized collections. The Sotheby's in London is
one of such auction houses dealing with antique objects. On November 26, 1984, Sotheby's
sold many art objects to art connoisseurs and buyers. One of the buyers was a dealer from
theUnited States who purchased a very beautiful stone stele representing S?rya, the Sun-god
for $ 15,840 (? 13,200 or Rs. 2 lacs). This red sandstone stelewas collected by Sotheby's from
some place in the Central India. The news of the sale and the photograph of the stele were
published in a fortnightly Indian magazine (x). On the basis of that photograph we are
discussing in the following pages the theme, style and identification of the carving of the stele
which iconographically is very important. On stylistic ground and modelling of figures the
carving of the panel may be assigned to c. 10th centuryA.D.
The stele is rectangular in shape having its height almost double to itswidth. It is a very
charming and rare representation of Dvadasaditya, the twelve-?dityas. ?ditya is a Vedic
Pur?nic name of S?rya. The name of the twelve ?dityas are: Indra or Savitr,Dh?t?, Parjanya,
P?s?, Tvast?, Aryaman, Bhaga, Vivasv?n, Visnu, Amsu, Varuna and Mitra. These twelve
names are actually the twelve different aspects of the Sun-god associated with different
activities and the twelve r?sis.
The panel is pleasantly complete and in good preservation. It has five vertical flanks
below the super structure. The middle one has the large figure of the main deity and the
other four, two on either side, represent figures of the subsidiary gods, familymembers,
attendant figures and decorations. The pediment of the stele represents eleven figures of the
Sun-god, eight standing and three sitting.When taken with themain figure, these make out
the number of twelve and that iswhy the representation of this stone slab is to be identified
as Dvadasaditya. All the twelve figures of the Sun-god are two armed, holding stalk of a full?
blown lotus in both the hands. All of them have a long garland {pralamba hard) suspended
over both the arms with flaring ends like a scarf or uttariya reaching below the knees on the
nine standing figures and hanging over the seat of the three sitting figures.
The main figure largest among all, stands in samap?da sth?naka pose on a padma-pifha
below which stands the tiny figure ofMah?svet?. She also wears a long h?ra similar to that of
the main figure. Mah?svet? is supposed to be the Earth goddess Prthvi. The two-armed
?ditya holds in both of his half raised hands a full-blown lotus with stalk (the flower of that
in his right hand is broken out). A round and radiant p^/^-prabh?-mandala, the twelve
petalled lotus-halo is set behind his head. Bedecked with high kirita rnukuta, long kundalas,

(l) Frontline (a publication ofHindu, Madras, now Chennai), January26-February 8, 1985, p. 35.

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 round graiveyaka, mekhal?, yajnopavita and stringed p?d?bharana (foot-ornaments), the god
has also sported an armour, vaksa-kavaca or channa-vapusa (breast-plate). The long scarf or
garland reaching below his knees is being suspended over the arms with its ends flaring
outside. The style of holding the scarf or garland is almost similar to a Gupta figure of the
god in theMathura Museum (acc. no. 16. 1256). Flanking Mah?svet? (in front of the feet of
the god) there stands the figure of an attendant Danda holding a long spear in his lefthand
at the right side of the deity, and that of Pingala holding a pen and an inkpot in his lefthand
at the left side of the god (2). Both the figures of Danda and Pingala, decorated with usual
ornaments and long scarf or mala like that of theirLord, stand in tribhahga.
By the side ofDanda and Pingala, there stand R?jni and Niksubh? the twowives of the god
against pillars on the next flanks (3). At the upper part of these pillars there stand in ?tidha
mudr? the two female figures shooting arrow outwardly to dispel the darkness of the night.
These female figuresmay easily be identifiedwith ?s? and Praty?s?, the personifiectTigures of
the two main rays of the Sun-god, symbolising the dawn. Figures of ?s? and Praty?s? have
been carved in India from the very inception of the sun images in the Sunga period (4).
Now on the outermost flanks behind R?jni and Niksubh?, we may see the two horse
headed human figures also having long scarf or garland. They may be identified with
Asvinikum?ras, the twin sons of S?rya born to Samjn? (orR?jni) when shewas in the form of
a mare haunting inUttarakuru (5).Above each Asvinikum?ra there stands an elephant facing
outside supporting probably a leogryph (partlybroken out). These elephants may be taken to
symbolise the guardians of directions (dik-gajas).
The top of the pillars in themiddle flanks is in the form of a rathik? panel on both the
sides of the prabh?-mandala of themain deity and which contains a figure of the sun, seated
cross-legged, holding a full-blown lotus in both of his hands and wearing long garland or
scarf hanging down in front of the seat. And next to these sun figures on the outermost
flanks on both sides there is a makara-mukha with its raised snout.
Now at the top of the panel, in themiddle just above the head of themain deity, there is
a similar figure of the two-armed Sun-god sitting cross-legged on an ?sana and holding stalk
of a full-blown lotus in both of his hands with long scarf or garland reaching below the ?sana.
On the either side there are four sun figures (total eight in number), all standing in samap?da
sth?naka pose like that of themain deity, and all have full-blown lotuses in their hands. All
these eleven sun-figures also have breast plate (kavaca or channa-vapusa). Finally, over the
head of the seated deity at the top middle, there appears a padma-?tapatra or a lotus parasol
ofmany spokes of lotus petals (Figs. 1-3).

(2) Visnudharmottara Pur?na, III, 67.7, ed. Priya Bala Shah, Gaekwad's Oriental Series, 2nd ed., Baroda
1994: 'Lekhanipatrakakarah //'.
k?ryobhavatiPingalah /Carmas?ladharoDandastath? yatn?dvidhiyate
(3) For different numbers and names of the wives of S?rya, see S.C. 'A Fourteenth
Upadhyaya, Century
Brass Image ofR?jni,A Consort of S?rya ,JournalofU.P.Historical Society,
XXIII, 1950,pp. 213-17.
(4)The sun figuresfromBh?j? (Maharastra),Bodhgay? (Bihar),Anantgumph? inKhandgiri (Orissa)
and L?l?bhagat (U.P.),belonging to Sunga period, have figuresofOs? and Praty?s? shootingan arrow.
(5) Visnu Pur?na, III, 2.7, 9, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, 12th ed., V.S. 2045; N.K. Bhattasali,
Iconographyof Buddhist and Brahmanical Images in theDecca Museum, Dacca 1929, pp. 156-57 vide
op. cit., p. 214, n. 5. The Asvinikum?ras, the twin horse-headed sons of S?rya were born in
Upadhyaya,
Uttarakuru when both the father and mother were in the form of horse and mare. See the story in

Bhavisya Pur?na and Var?ha Pur?na (see also Upadhyaya, op. cit., p. 213).

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 -
Fig. 1 Dv?das?ditya (as published inFrontlinemagazine).
-
Fig. 2 Line drawing of Fig. 1.

Thus, the stele represents in all twelve figures of S?rya which are well known as Dv?dasa
?dityas inVedic and Pur?nic literature.Out of these twelve, nine figures are carved in standing
posture (the one of themain deity and the eight on the top of the panel) and three in sitting
posture (the one in themiddle on the top and the two below, flanking the halo of the god). The
stele also exhibits the familymembers of the sun and his attendants including R?jni and
Niksubh? (wives), twinAsvinikum?ras (sons), Danda and Pingala (the attendants), Mah?svet?
(theEarth goddess) and ?s? and Praty?s? (the twowell known forerunners of dawn).
Some noteworthy features of the present stele are:

1. Normally, thewives of the god are seen just beside him (6). But in the present panel
preference has been given toDanda and Pingala. Wives and sons have back positions.

(6)N.P. Joshi,BrahmanicalSculpturesin theStateMuseum, Lucknow, Part 2, Vol. II, Lucknow 1989,

no. 70, acc. no. SML cat. no. 76, acc. no. SML 16; Pramod
catalogue 60.1, pi. 21; 68.31, pi. Chandra,
Stone Sculptures in theAllahabad Museum, cat. no. 388, acc. no. AM 450 (Kara); KiritMankodi, 'An

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 2. According to various texts, the
position of Danda and Pihgala should be
at the left and right side of the sun (7), but
in this panel theirposition is reversed.
3. Another noteworthy feature may
be noted in the case of the rathik? panels
at the top. In some other contemporary
S?rya images, Brahma, Visnu and &va (8),
and sometimes Brahm?ni, Vaisnavi and
M?hesvari (9) are seen in the rathik?s.
However, there is an eleventh century panel
of the Sun-god in the Allahabad Museum
(acc. no. AM 450) (10) wherein the seated
figures of the god himself are carved in both
the rathik? panels quite similar to the
present stele. But the panel under discussion
has three rathik?panels and all are occupied
by the figureof themain deity himself.
4. The lotus-halo has twelve lotus
petals which may also be taken to symbolise
Dv?das?dity (n).

The concept of twelve Adityas is as old

as the Vedas. Some of them mentioned
in the Vedas are: Savitr, Pus?n, Bhaga,
Vivasvat, Mitra, Aryaman and Visnu (12).
The Satapatha Br?hmana (VI, 1.28; XI, 6.3)
for the first time gives the twelve number
of Adityas (13). The R?m?yana (III, 14.14
- 15) also mentions the twelve Adityas
Fig. 3 Dvadasaditya (as published in Sotheby's
Catalogue as item no. 202). among the thirty-three sons (devas) of

Image of S?rya Bh?yillasv?mi,fromBhilsa', journal ofIndian SocietyofOriental Art, n.s.,X, 1978, p. 41,
pi. X, fig. 1;G.K. Agnihotri,Kannauj: Archaeology andArt, Kannauj 1978, figs. 105, 107.
(7)VisnudharmottaraPur?na, III, 67.5: Turusar?po sv?k?roDandah (Dandi) k?ryo asya v?matah /
Daksne Pihgalo-bh?ge karttavyasc?tiPirigalah //'.Also see Samba Pur?na, XXIX, 7; Bhavisya Pur?na,
Brahma Parva, Chap. 124. For see Pramod Chandra, op. at., cat. no. 253, acc. no. AM 406,
figures pi.
XCIII (Bhit?); cat. no. 388, acc. no. AM 450, pi. CXXIII (Kara); cat. no. 442, acc. no. 632, pi. CL
cat. no. 399, acc. no. AM 651, etc.; Joshi, op. cit., cat. no. 55, acc.
(Lacch?giri); pi. CXXVII (Kaus?mbi),
no. H.29, pi. 14; cat. no. 56, acc. no. H.30, cat. no. 53, acc. no. G-224,
pi. 15 (Allahabad Fort); pi. 13
(P?la art); cat. no. 86, acc. no. G.387, pi. 23, etc., Jhansi Museum; S.D. Trivedi, Sculptures in the Jhansi
Museum, Jhansi 1982, fig.47 (SironKhurd, Dist. Lalitpur).
(8)Joshi,op. cit.,pi. 14 (SML H.29); KiritMankodi, op. cit.
(9) Pramod Chandra, op. cit., cat. no. 397, acc. no. AM 991, pi. CXXV (Karchan?, Dist. Allahabad).
(10)Ibid., cat. no. 388, acc. no. AM 450, pi. CXXIII (Kara,Dist. Allahabad).

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Aditi; the other twenty-one include eight Vasus, eleven Rudras and the two
Asvinikum?ras (14).The Mah?bh?rata (I, 121) (15) gives the names of all the twelve Adityas as
Dh?t?, Aryam?, Mitra, Varuna, Arhsa, Bhaga, Indra, Vivasv?n, P?s?, Tvast?, Savit? and
Visnu. The Visnu (16), Brahma (17), Agni (18),Harivamsa (19) and Samba (20) Pur?nas also
describe these twelve Adityas. According to the Visnu Pur?na (II, 10.3-18), each month of
the (Vikrama) Samvat has its separate ?ditya as itspresiding deity along with its separate rsi,
gandharva, apsar?, yaksa, sarpa and r?ksasa (21).

(n) The Agni Pur?na (Kaly?na-S?ry?nka,

Gita press,Gorakhpur, 3rd ed., VS-2054, p. 141) ordains
to form a twelve-petalled lotus medallion and every petal to have one lotus
?ditya. Twelve-petalled
medallion have been carved to represent dv?dasa Adityas, sometimes with figures (as found on the
S?rya Pah?d in Assam: Biswanarayana Shastri, 'Sun-Worship in Assam', journal of Assam Research
n.s., XXXI, 1-2, 1989-90, p. 42 and sometimes with the twelve r?sis (as is found on a stone slab
Society,
in the Hyderabad Museum, see C. Sivaramamurti, Conquests & Cultural
Archaeological Royal
Migrations inSouth India and theDeccan, Calcutta 1955, p. 25, pi. XVI.d).
(12)J.N. Banerjea, Development ofHindu Iconography,4th ed.,New Delhi 1985, p. 428.
(13) L.P. Pandey, Sun-Worship in Ancient
India, New Delhi 1971, p. 112, n. 1.
(14) R?m?yana, III, 14.14-15, Gita
Press, Gorakhpur ed.:

'Adity?rh jajnire dev?strayastrimsa-darindama //14//

ca Parantapa
?dity? Vasavo Rudr? Asvinau //15//'.
Cf. Agnipur?na, Chap. 19,Kaly?na-S?ry?nka,Gita Press, 3rd ed., Gorakhpur, VS 2054, p. 141;
S?mha Pur?na, IV, 5-6,Hindi transl.byVC. Srivastava,Indological Publications,Allahabad 1975,p. 12.
(15) Kaly?na-S?ry?nka, cit., p. 74.
(16) Visnu Pur?na, II, 10.3-18.
(17) 'Brahma Pur?na men S?rya-prasanga', Kaly?na-S?ry?nka, cit., p. 121.

(18)Ibid.,p. 140.
(19)Ibid., p. 140.
(20) S?mha Pur?na, IV, 3-6, op. cit., p. 12.
(21) Visnu Pur?na, II, 10.3-18, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, 12th ed., VS 2045, pp. 175-76:

Month ?ditya Rsi Gandharv Apsar? Yaks a Sarpa Raksasa Refei

Madhumasa Dhat? Pulastya Tumbu Rtusthal? Vasuki Heti Slokas 3-4.

Vais?kha Aryam? Pulaha Narada Punjikasthala Rathauj? Kacchavira Praheti 5-6.

Jyestha Mitra Atri H?h? Menaka Ratha: Taksaka Pauruseya

?s?dha Varuna Vasistha H?h? Sahajanya Rathacitra N?ga Ratha

Indra Aiigir? Visvavasu Pramloca Srota El?putra Sarpi

Bh?drapada Vivasvan Bhrgu Ugrasena Anumloc? Apurana Sahkhapala Vy?ghra 10.

Asvina P?s? Gautama Vasuruci Ghrta< Dha Vata

Karttika Parjanya Bharadvaja Visv?vasu Visvaci Senajita Air?vata ?pa 12.

M?rgaslrsa Amsa K?syapa Citrasena Urvasi Tarksya Mahapadma Vidyuta

Pausa Bhaga Kratu Urn?yu Purvacitti Aristanemi Karkotaka Sph?rja 14-15.

Magha Tvasta Ja agni Dhrtarastra Tilottam? Rtajit Kambala Brahmopeta 16-17.

Ph?lguna Visnu Visvamitra S?ryavarca Rambh? Satyajit Asvatara Yajnopeta 18.

Cf. Samba Purana, Chap. XXI, pp. 76-78.

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 These twelve ?dityas as the presiding deities of the twelve months have also been
mentioned in the Brahma (22) and Samba (23) Pur?nas. But the names of all these twelve
?dityas have not been found in a similar serial as described in all the textsmentioned above.
Despite of their varying names and differentmonths they preside over, we do not have any
iconographic difference in the forms of the twelve?dityas.
In theVedic and Pur?nic literature, twelve ?dityas are supposed to be the twelve aspects
of S?rya, and that iswhy all of them are similar. Even one ?ditya may convert himself into
the form of the other. For example, according to the Rgveda (V, 81.4), Savitr may appear in
the form ofMitra (24).
As regard the silpa texts, we find similar description of an image of the Sun-god
(S?rya, Ravi, Arka or ?ditya). The Visnudharmottara Pur?na (III, 67.2-3), Matsya Pur?na
(261.1-4) and the Brhatsamhit? (LVII, 46-48) prescribe an image of the Sun-god to be
made in the northern attire (udicya vesa) which particularly includes breast-plate (vaksa
kavaca) (25), high boots and a typical waist-band {y?viy?hga) (26). The other features are:
the long stalked lotus (27) in both of his hands, with lotus flower shoulder high (28), the
long hanging garland (parlamba-h?ra) (29) and one-wheeled chariot drawn by seven
horses (if the god ismade riding his chariot) (30). The Agni Pur?na (31) also ordains that
the two wives of the Sun-god, R?jni and Nisprabh? should also be made standing and
holding the fly-whisk on either side of the god. However, the Visnudharmottara
Pur?na (32)mentions four wives namely R?jni, Riksubh?, Ch?y? and Surarchal? and their
identities as Bh?, Dyau, Ch?y? and Prabh?. Usually, only two wives have been carved in
most of the figures.
However, the Visvakarm?s?stra provides specific iconographic features of individual
?dityas. It describes the twelve ?dityas as four-armed deities holding lotuses in both of their
natural hands and different set of attributes in their extra hands. T.A.G. Rao (33) summarises
in a tabular form the description of these attributes as under:

(22) 'Brahma Pur?na men S?rya-prasriga', Kaly?na-S?ry?hka, p. 121.

(23) Samba Pur?na, IV, 8-20, cit., pp. 12-14.

(24) IndumatiMisra, Pratim?Vijn?na, Bhopal 1972, p. 293, n. 1.
(25) Visnudharamottara Pur?na, III, 67.3: 'Kavacen?bhisamvrtah'; Matsya Pur?na, 261.4:

'ColakacchannavapusanY; Brhatsamhit?, 57.48: 'Kancukaguptah'.

(26) Visnudharmottara Pur?na, III, 67.3. It is believed that the sun-worship was introduced in India

by theMagas fromPersia who were putting on a belt called avyahgawhich may be identifiedwith
of Avest? a belt known as Kasti Immortal
Aivyaonghen meaning presently (J.H. Dave, India, Bombay
1970, 2nd ed., p. 200).
(27)Brhatsamhit?,57.47: 'b?hubhy?mpankaje';Matsya Pur?na, 260.2: 'bhuj?bhy?mdhrtapuskararh';
Agni Pur?na, 51.1: 'dvipadmadhrka'.
(28)Matsya Pur?na, 260.3: 'skandhasthe puskare'.
(29) Brhatsamhit?, 57.47.

(30) Matsya Pur?na, 261.1: 'Rathastharh k?rayeddevam padmahastam sulocanam / Sapt?svam

caikacakram ca ratham tasya Visnudharmottara Pur?na, III, 67.11: 'ekacakve atha sapt?sve'.
prakalpayet//';
(31) 'Agni Pur?na men S?rya-prakaran?' (Hindi), Kaly?na-S?ry?nka, p. 141.
(32) Visnudharmottara Pur?na, III, 67.10, 14-15.

(33) T.A.G. Rao, Elements of Hindu Iconography, Vol. I, Part 2, p. 310, also App. C, pp. 86-87;
Pandey, op. cit., p. 272.

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 Name
S.No.of Extra Right Extra Left Natural Right Natural Left
?ditya hand hand hand
hand

Dh?t? 1. kamala-m?l? kamandalu kamala

kamala
2.
Mitra soma
s?la
3.
Aryam? cakra kaumodaki
Rudra
4. aksam?l? cakra
Varuna
5. cakrap?sa

S?rya6. kamandalu aksam?l?

7.
Bhaga s?la cakra
8.Vivasv?n m?l?
s?la
P?san
9. kamala kamala
10.
Savit? cakra
gad?
11.
Tvast? sruka homajakalik?
""
Visnu 12. cakra kamala (34)

The different attributes in extra hands, as given in the table, are the only source to
identify an individual ?ditya; and on the basis of these attributes in extra hands only two sun
figures have been identified with individual ?dityas so far.An image of Bhag?ditya (c. 9th
10th century A.D.) from Khol? village in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttar Pradesh was
discovered in 1986-87. The four-armed deity has been so identified on the basis of its
attributes - lotus in both the normal hands, spear (s?la) in extra right and wheel (cakra) in
extra lefthand - and also due to the figures ofDanda and Pingala (35).
Another figure of Dh?t? or Dh?tri, the first in the list of Dv?dasa ?dityas, from
Mahendra (Dinajpur, Bengal) and housed in the V.R.S. Museum has been published by J.N.
Banerjea (36). This six-armed figure holds full-blown lotus flowers in its natural hands while
the four additional hands show varadamudr?, aksam?l?, abhayamudr? and kamandalu. The
aksam?l? and kamandalu in extra and lotuses in natural hands mark the figure as that of
Dh?t? or Dh?tri (37).The figure belongs to the 11th centuryA.D.
But the figures of Dv?das?ditya carved collectively on panels or frames are neither four
armed nor do theyhave any specific attributes as given in the Visvakarm?s?stra.
In absence of any specific iconographic features of individual ?dityas, their separate
identification with the carved figures is not certain. These are simply taken as the figures of
the Sun-god. Therefore, the twelve separate images of the sun found on thejahgh? of the sun
temple atModhera and else where (38) or all the twelve ?dityas carved in a single panel may
collectively be identified as Dv?das?ditya. And so is the case with the panel under discussion.

(34)D.N. Shukla, Pratim?Vijn?na (Hindi), Lucknow 1956, p. 284.

(35) Girish Chandra Singh, 'Uttar?khanda ki Durlabha Bhag?ditya Pratim?', Dhy?nam, 5-6,
Lucknow 1985-86, pp. 1-7, fig. 1.
(36) Banerjea, op. at., p. 550, pi. XLVII, fig. 3.
(37) 'Daksine pauskarim?l? kare v?me kamandaluh /Padm?bhy?m sobhitakar? s? dh?tripratham?
smrt? //', Visvakaram?s?stra in Banerjea, op. cit., p. 550. describes this figure as
quoted Banerjea
one symbolisingbothDh?t? (?ditya) and Vidh?t? (Brahm?)because of aksam?la {ibid.).
syncretistic
(38)Twelve ?ditya figures standing in a rowmay be seen in theNational Museum, New Delhi
(Pandey,op. cit.,pi. 20, fig. 1).

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 -
Fig. 4 Fragmentary Dv?das?ditya Panel in the Central Musuem, Indore,
M.P., India (AUS, Negative no. 315-15).

-
Fig. 5 Line drawing ofFig. 4.

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 Dv?das?ditya figures have been carved in
human, symbolic and partly human-partly
symbolic forms. Now, so far as the carving of
figures in human form is concerned, it is found
in the following categories:
1. Twelve separate images of the sun-god.
2. Twelve figures carved together in a
single panel.
3. Eleven figures carved on a torana or
frame along with themain image, making the
number as twelve.

The panel under our discussion falls in the

category no. 2. The only other sculptures of
this category and also of category no. 3 which
came to our notice so far, are as under:
A fragmentary upper part of similar
sculpture from Hinglajgarh (39) (District
Mandsor, M.P.) is housed in the Central
Museum, Indore. Almost contemporary (c.
10th century A.D.) and most probably
belonging to the same school of art, this
fragment represents on its back slab the lotus
halo and eleven two-armed and seated cross
legged sun figures holding full-blown lotuses in
their hands. In absence of the lower part,
details of other figures on this panel cannot be
described (Figs. 4-5).
Another complete panel from Dhank (40)
-
(Gujarat) and belonging to the 13th century Fig. 6 Dv?das?ditya, Dh?nk (Gujarat), India.
A.D., represents the main figure in the
middle; and eleven small figures on the back
slab, five on either side and one at the top. All the twelve figures in this plaque are
standing and holding lotus-stalk in both of their hands. Although complete, the carving of
the sculpture is very crude and does not stand to comparison with the panel in question
(Fig. 6).
An 11th century torana,most probably to set up behind an image of S?rya, presendy kept
outside theJunagadh Museum (41) (Gujarat) also represents eleven figures of the sun-god on the

(39)American Instituteof Indian Studies,Negative no. 315-15. The figureseated on a lotus-seat in

themiddle on thepediment, however, appears to be four-armedholding a cakra-hkeobject in itsextra
righthand. The object in itsextra lefthand isbroken out.
(40)H.D. Sankalia,Archaeology ofGujarat, Bombay 1941, p. 158, fig.70, pi. XXXVII.
(41)Ibid., fig.72; Rao, op. cit.,Vol. I, Part. 2, p. 317, pi. XCV; Banerjea, op. cit.,p. 441.

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- this panel due to the affinityof its carving
Fig. 7 Dv?das?ditya (torand)yJunagarhMuseum
(Gujarat), India.
This paper is published only to make art connoisseurs acquainted with this rare
representation ofDv?das?ditya and itshitherto unknown iconographic details.
sides and the pediment. These eleven (42)
Adityas together with the missing central
(main) image of S?rya enshrined in a temple
under this torana would make up the
requisite number of twelve.Although the lay
out of the twelve?ditya figures is similar,yet
it is different as themain figure was carved
separately (Fig. 7).
To sum up, the Hinglajgarh panel,
though similar in art-style and arrangement
of figures, is a fragmentary one. The
Dhank
panel is complete and similar in
layout, but its carving is crude and cannot
be reckoned on the same standard. The
Junagadh example does not represent all
the twelve figures of the sun-god and falls
under a separate category no. 3. As such
the panel under discussion displays quite
rare representation of Dv?das?ditya, totally
complete and with magnificent carving.
Hinglajgarh or another nearby place of the
same M?lw? region of Madhya Pradesh
seems to be the probable provenance of
and modelling of figures with that of the
fragmentary panel fromHinglajgarh, now
in the Central Museum, Indore, describe
above (43).

(42)Rao, Banerjea and Sankalia notice only eleven figuresof the sun-god on this torana.But we
find twelvefigurescarved on it.All the ten figures,six on the side pillars and fouron thepediment, are
in standing posture while the eleventh figure in the middle niche of the pediment is seated in
utkutik?sana in a chariotdrawn by seven horses. Justover thisniche there is another smallniche having
another small seated sun figureholding lotus stalk in both of his hands like other figures.This makes
the totalof twelveS?rya figureson the torana itself.
(43)Dr N.P. Joshi draws out attentionto theSkanda Pur?na (Rev?khanda in theAvantikhanda, 191,
7-14,Mor. Ed., p. 1031)which narrates theoriginofDv?das?ditya. According to theSkanda Pur?na, once
all the twelve?dityas practised penance at Siddhesvara on thebank ofNarmad? with a desire to obtain
thepost of Bh?skara andwith a part fromeach of themmade an imageofDiv?kara and installedthere.
Since itwas made of the parts of twelve?dityas, itwas called Dv?das?ditya. Dr Joshi describes this
passage of the Skanda Pur?na in the context of the fragmentary panel fromHinglajgarh, now in the
CentralMuseum, Indore. Since theplace of originofDv?das?ditya as described in theSkanda Pur?na lies
in thevicinityofHinglajgarh,Dr Joshi surmises: 'Nowonder ifthepassage refersto an imageof the type
justdescribed' ('RegionalTrends in Some of theMedieval Brahmanical Sculptures ofM?lw?', Journalof
theIndian SocietyofOrientalArt,XV, 1985-86,p. 43; Id.,M?lw? throughtheAges, Bhopal 1981).

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Postscript
After this article was prepared, a photostat copy of the catalogue page pertaining to item
no. 202 was received from Sotheby's, London. This page contains the photograph and some
details of the stele in question. Although this photostat copy of the original photograph is in
no way better than the one published in the Frontline magazine (January 26-February 8,
1985), it shows the panel in reverse position i.e. the left side in the right and the right in the
left. It certainly affects our observation on the positions of Danda and Pirigala which
according to it is usual and in consonance with the silpa textswhile the photo-print in the
Frontline shows their positions reverse, unusual and against the norms. Supposing that the
photo printed in Sotheby's catalogue is correct the noteworthy feature no. 2 described in the
article and the footnote no. 7 to that effect are to be treated as deleted. Similarly, the lotus
stalk described in the left hand of the Sun-god (main figure) is to be taken as in his right
hand. The Sotheby's catalogue page gives the height of the panel as 1.43 m; 56V4 inches.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In order to have a good photograph and measurements of the stele in question, and also to know
the name and address of the US buyer for the same purpose, we contacted both the editor, Frontline,

Chennai, and themanaging director,Sotheby's,London. But theycould not oblige us by providing a

good photograph of thepanel. However, we are thankfulto both of them for theirkindly attending to
-
correspondance the editor, Frontline for giving the address of the Sotheby's, London and the latter
forproviding the photostat copy of the relevantpage of their catalogue (itemno. 202) containing the
photograph and details of thepanel inquestion.
Our sincere thanks are also due to the Director, American Institute for Indian Studies, Gurgaon

India, for illustration no. 4 and to Dr R.T. Savalia, B.J. Institute of Learning and Research,
(Haryana),
Ahmedabad, India, for illustration nos. 6 and 7.

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