[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2022: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 23 February 2022 – Ancient & Medieval India + Art & Culture – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: c)

Bhangas are of 4 kinds:

• Abhanga (slight flexion)
• Samabhanga (equipose)
• Atibhanga (excessive flexion)
• Tribhanga (three flexions)

Solution: a)

A salabhanjika or shalabhanjika is the sculpture of a woman, displaying stylised feminine features, standing near a tree and grasping a branch.

The name of these figures comes from the Sanskrit śālabhañjikā meaning ‘breaking a branch of a sala tree’.

Some of the most renowned shalabhanjika sculptures are to be found in the 12th-century Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura, in south-central Karnataka.

The shalabhanjika on the East gateway (Torana), is the best-known sculpture of the Sanchi Stupa near Bhopal.

According to a popular belief, Shalabhanjika was a woman whose touch caused trees to flower and bear fruit. It is likely that this was regarded as an auspicious symbol and integrated into the decoration of the stupa.

The shalabhanjika motif suggests that many people who turned to Buddhism enriched it with their own pre-Buddhist and even non-Buddhist beliefs, practices and ideas. Some of the recurrent motifs in the sculpture at Sanchi were evidently derived from these traditions.

Solution: c)

The Bharhut sculpture was an early Indian sculpture of the Shunga period (mid second century BCE). It used green schist as a medium.

The Bharhut style, despite being archaic and primitive in its conception, poses as a landmark of commencement of the tradition of Buddhist narrative relief.

Solution: b)

Nataraja Shiva is associated with the end of the cosmic world with which this dancing Position of Nataraja is associated.

In this Chola period bronze sculpture he has been shown balancing himself on his right leg and suppressing the apasmara, the demon of ignorance or forgetfulness, with the foot of the same leg. At the same time he raises his left leg in bhujangatrasita stance, which represents tirobhava, that is kicking away the veil of maya or illusion from the devotee’s mind. His four arms are outstretched and the main right hand is posed in abhaya hasta. The upper right holds the damaru his favourite musical instrument to keep on the beat tala. The upper left hand carries a flame while the main left hand is held in dola hasta and connects with the abhaya hasta of the right hand.

His hair locks fly on both the sides touching the circular jvala mala or the garland of flames which surrounds the entire dancing figuration.

Solution: b)

Among the Pallava Period bronzes of the eighth century is the icon of Shiva seated in ardhaparyanka asana (one leg kept dangling). The right hand is in the achamana mudra gesture, suggesting that he is about to drink poison.