<p>Mysuru: Professor Rohitha Eswer said the Hoysalas created a clear identity for themselves through the art form, distinct from their predecessors and also their rival contemporary dynasties.</p><p>Eswer, a professor at the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology and Museology, Maharaja's College, University of Mysore, in Mysuru, was delivering a special lecture on ‘Analysis of Hoysala Sculptures: A Multi-Dimensional Approach’ as part of the monthly talk series hosted by the Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department in Mysuru on Thursday. Eswer is also an accomplished Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancer and a dance choreographer.</p><p>“The Hoysala sculptures are not merely a work to embellish the temple or a source of entertainment, but a source of rich Indian thoughts hidden in them,” he said.</p>.Hoysala-era temple in Mysuru to create awareness on lakes during Shivaratri.<p>“The analysis of the sculptures of the 12th century, in the 21st century, in the light of a pan-Indian text (the Natyashastra of Bharatha) of the 2nd century BC, proves that the scripture was used not only by dance artistes but also by other artisans at all times. However, the sculptor’s imagination and creativity have played a vital role, based on the fundamentals of the dance canons. The sculptures themselves stand as a model for a practical and better understanding of the intricate nuances of the shastra,” Eswer said.</p><p>He said, “The shastra seems to have enabled the preservation and transformation of knowledge for future generations through a different medium, apart from oral traditions and palm scripts, and also enabled the sculptor to express the natya sculptures in a more delicate and intricate way. The uniformity in the treatment of the sculptures, constant repetition of the shastric element occurring with minute differences, leads to the conclusion that certain parameters were discussed and kept constant by all sculptors in order to attain uniformity in execution. For example, there is uniformity in the treatment of the kati (waist) ornaments, and ornaments of the arms, feet, and fingers.”</p><p>Eswer said, “In the Hoysala dance sculptures, the treatment of the headgear and the aharya is identified according to the shastra. The type of beads used and the pith used in the head ornaments and other ornamental entities seems to be a depiction of the locally available raw material. Therefore, we understand that the treatment is according to the shastric prescriptions, but the components may be of local availability. Besides, the concern towards nature, seeing divinity in it, thus leading towards its conservation, is most observed in the Hoysala works.”</p>
<p>Mysuru: Professor Rohitha Eswer said the Hoysalas created a clear identity for themselves through the art form, distinct from their predecessors and also their rival contemporary dynasties.</p><p>Eswer, a professor at the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology and Museology, Maharaja's College, University of Mysore, in Mysuru, was delivering a special lecture on ‘Analysis of Hoysala Sculptures: A Multi-Dimensional Approach’ as part of the monthly talk series hosted by the Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department in Mysuru on Thursday. Eswer is also an accomplished Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancer and a dance choreographer.</p><p>“The Hoysala sculptures are not merely a work to embellish the temple or a source of entertainment, but a source of rich Indian thoughts hidden in them,” he said.</p>.Hoysala-era temple in Mysuru to create awareness on lakes during Shivaratri.<p>“The analysis of the sculptures of the 12th century, in the 21st century, in the light of a pan-Indian text (the Natyashastra of Bharatha) of the 2nd century BC, proves that the scripture was used not only by dance artistes but also by other artisans at all times. However, the sculptor’s imagination and creativity have played a vital role, based on the fundamentals of the dance canons. The sculptures themselves stand as a model for a practical and better understanding of the intricate nuances of the shastra,” Eswer said.</p><p>He said, “The shastra seems to have enabled the preservation and transformation of knowledge for future generations through a different medium, apart from oral traditions and palm scripts, and also enabled the sculptor to express the natya sculptures in a more delicate and intricate way. The uniformity in the treatment of the sculptures, constant repetition of the shastric element occurring with minute differences, leads to the conclusion that certain parameters were discussed and kept constant by all sculptors in order to attain uniformity in execution. For example, there is uniformity in the treatment of the kati (waist) ornaments, and ornaments of the arms, feet, and fingers.”</p><p>Eswer said, “In the Hoysala dance sculptures, the treatment of the headgear and the aharya is identified according to the shastra. The type of beads used and the pith used in the head ornaments and other ornamental entities seems to be a depiction of the locally available raw material. Therefore, we understand that the treatment is according to the shastric prescriptions, but the components may be of local availability. Besides, the concern towards nature, seeing divinity in it, thus leading towards its conservation, is most observed in the Hoysala works.”</p>