India, Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan state
Durga slaying the titan ( Mahisha
Durga Mahishasuramardini) c 900s
red sandstone, 140 cm
Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 1999
163.1999

Hindu art

From its ancient origins in the Indus Valley civilisations of the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, Hinduism has developed countless sects, cults and an inexhaustible panorama of gods and deities. The principal deities are Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), Shiva (the Destroyer), and the Great Goddess, who, in her various manifestations is the embodiment of power and energy (shakti). While Brahma is a single being, Vishnu has manifold incarnations, the most familiar being Rama and Krishna, heroes of the great folkloric epics the Ramayana and the Mahabarata respectively. In the cult of Shiva the principal figures are his vehicle, the sacred bull Nandi; his incarnation as the Cosmic Dancer, Nataraja; his consort Parvati; Durga the goddess of battle; and Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvati.

The dynamic power of the Great Goddess is epitomised in an early Rajasthani sculpture of the goddess Durga, who is endowed with the combined powers of the gods. She is depicted in her moment of triumph, slaying the buffalo-headed titan Mahishasura.
In contrast, the figure of Vishnu is depicted in a classic and intricately sculpted Central Indian stele which conveys the regal attitude of this god. This upright figure of Vishnu is surrounded by smaller images of his ten avatars, or earthly manifestations, including Krishna shown holding up Mount Goverdhana. The awesome figure of Shiva is represented in the gallery by two Southeast Asian sculptures: an important figurative image from Ancient Champa (Central Vietnam), pictured left, and a linga, the abstract or aniconic sign of Shiva, from the Khmer culture.

Hindu images made for the purpose of worship conform to an accepted iconography, but within this standard the scope for stylistic innovation was vast. Indianised Southeast Asian cultures in particular developed distinctive iconographic forms of the gods. From its introduction into the trading ports of Southeast Asia by Indian merchants as early as the 5th century, Hinduism, along with Buddhism, was soon adapted to conform to local cultural conventions and systems of belief. This adaptability is an important feature of Hinduism and one that has ensured it a place as one of the world's enduring faiths.

 
INDIA Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho
Chandella dynasty (c831-1308)
Vishnu and his avatars
11th century
sandstone 110cm
Gift of the Margaret Hannah Olley Trust in memory of Stewart Giles 1991
268.1991
 
Vishnu is worshipped as the protector of the universe and is depicted as a regal figure, holding his distinguishing attributes - the conch, symbolising sound, the origin of Creation; the wheel (cakra), symbolising the cosmic law; and the mace, symbolising the power of the cosmic law. Vishnu is regarded as a compassionate deity who descends to earth as an avatar to assist in times of spiritual or political crisis.

 
Central VIETNAM (Ancient Champa)
Seated Shiva 9th-10th centuries
buff sandstone 90 cm
Purchased 2002
279.2002
 
The ancient land of Champa, now part of Vietnam, was one of the earliest Indianised cultures in Southeast Asia. The Chams adopted Shiva as the founder, protector and patron deity of their kingdom. This exceptional sculpture of a seated Shiva is distinctly Cham in its stylisation. The deity being depicted with a broad, moustached face and naturalistic body. Shiva is accompanied by his trusted animal vehicle the bull, Nandi (The Happy One, the symbol of loyalty and friendship).

 
INDONESIA Central Java
Ganesha 10th century
volcanic stone 67 cm
Anonymous gift 1985
178.1995
 
The elephant-headed deity Ganesha is the god of wisdom, success and the remover of obstacles. He is worshipped at the commencement of any undertaking. In Hinduised Indonesia, Ganesha, the son of Shiva and the lord of his troops, was considered an important deity. In this sculpture Ganesha's affiliation with Shiva is indicated by the vertical third-eye at the centre of the forehead as well as by the headdress adorned with a skull and crescent moon.