Representation of Vivāha Saṁskāra in the Kalyāṇsundara Sculptures

Abstract

Saṁskāras, as sacramental practices, have been an integral part of the Indian culture and they concretised the fundamental premises of ancient Indian social organisation as Āshram, Puruṣārtha and Varṇa. Encoded in the Gṛhyasūtras, Saṁskāras were elaborated in Dharmasūtras, Mahākāvya and Purāṇas. The normative structure of ritual prescriptions in Sūtra literature was disseminated through legends and narratives of Purāṇas that assigned them a divine character and enhanced their popularity and relevance for the society. Besides literary references, the Saṁskāras’ pervading influence in socio-cultural life may be surmised through their artistic projections also. This article, in particular, underlines the significance of the Vivāha Saṁskāras as a nuptial ritual that initiated the Gṛhastha Āshram or life of the householder, facilitating the acquisition of both individual and social objectives of human existence. It cites the projection of the divine marriage ceremony of Śiva and Pārvatı̄ represented as Kalyāṇsundara motif in the Rāṣṭrakūṭa art at Elephanta and Ellorā, as epitomising continuity of Saṁskāras tradition for the fulfilment of socio-religious obligations in early medieval Deccan. Further, it implies that such artistic manifestations were instrumental in the process of socialisation and cultural assimilation.