Sculpture of Elephanta Caves
The emphasis on sculptures was on the movement away from relief (as in the case of Ajanta and Ellora) towards chamber-like environments. Large figures of Dvarapalas and Bodhisattvas find their counterparts at Elephanta. So many sculptures arranged in panels running along the circumambulatory path had never been carved at one place before, creating a sacred environment. The figures tend to move towards one another, while at the same time maintaining their independence from one another. In all the panels the images are depicted with plain and unadorned surfaces.
There are 9 great sculpture panels inside the cave forming a series, describing the mysterious nature of Siva. The sculptures are divided into 4 groups: The panels facing each other at the North, East and West entrances and three panels along the south wall.
The North opening (facing the sea) is flanked by images of the Lord of yogis to the left and Siva dancing to the right, the most vividly contrasting images of Siva ever to have been created by Indian artists. Here, the God is inward, silent and still as the yogi and also outward, noisy and dynamic as the dancer.
A group of sages were living in the forest with their wives, to demonstrate to them that they had not yet subdued their lust and anger. Siva came to the forest in the form of a handsome beggar, naked and with an erect phallus. He danced with the sages’ wives and excited them, blind with rage the sages cursed Siva to be castrated. His phallus fell on the ground like a bolt of lightning, plunging the universe into darkness. The sages then realized who he was, and what they had done, and begged him to forgive them. He did so on a condition that they worship his phallus (linga) forever.
The lord of yogis is Siva in his ascetic aspect. It represents both the cosmic power and the ideal form of the human yogi. Siva is a solitary god who withdraws into his mountain fastness on Kailash for countless years until the gods must interrupt his trance. But by meditating he stores up and enhances all those powers that make it possible for him to kill the demons and dance the world alive.
