Indian Sculpture
1. Introduction
Indian sculpture—stone, bronze, stucco, terracotta & wood—spans 5,000 years. It is inseparable from religion, polity & trade; every dynasty added its own “school”. From Harappan bronze dancing-girl to 30-m high Sardar Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’ (2018), India has the world’s largest monolithic collection.
2. Chronological Landmarks
| Year / Century | Event / Monument | Place | Material | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2500 BCE | Bronze Dancing-Girl | Mohen-jo-daro | Lost-wax bronze | First metal sculpture |
| 3rd C BCE | Lion-capital, Ashokan pillars | Sarnath | Polished sandstone | India’s National Emblem |
| 2nd–1st C BCE | Great Stupa toranas | Sanchi | Stone | Earliest narrative reliefs |
| 1st C CE | Gandhara Buddhas | Peshawar valley | Grey schist | Greco-Roman drapery |
| 2nd C CE | Mathura Buddhas | Mathura | Red-spotted sandstone | First Indian Buddha image |
| 7th C | Pallava “Rathas” | Mahabalipuram | Granite | Monolithic temples |
| 8th C | Kailasa Temple | Ellora | Charanandri hill (single rock) | Largest monolithic excavation |
| 10th–11th C | Chola Bronzes | Thanjavur | Panchaloha (5-metal) | 1.2 m Nataraja icon |
| 11th C | Gangaikondacholapuram | Tamil Nadu | Stone | 4 m tall linga |
| 13th C | Sun-temple Konark | Odisha | Chlorite | 12 pairs massive stone wheels |
| 15th C | Vijayanagara “Hampi” | Karnataka | Granite | 6.7 m Gommateshwara (Sravanabelgola) |
| 2018 | Statue of Unity | Gujarat | Bronze-clad concrete | 182 m (tallest world) |
3. Major Schools & Sub-schools
| School | Period | Centre | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mauryan | 3rd C BCE | Pataliputra, Sarnath | Polished sandstone, animal capitals |
| Shunga-Satavahana | 2nd–1st C BCE | Bharhut, Sanchi, Amravati | Narrative railings, torana reliefs |
| Gandhara | 1st–5th C CE | Taxila, Peshawar | Greco-Roman folds, wavy hair, blue-grey schist |
| Mathura | 1st–6th C CE | Mathura, Govardhan | Indigenous bold features, red sandstone |
| Gupta | 4th–6th C CE | Sarnath, Ajanta | “Classical” serenity, transparent drapery, halo |
| Pallava | 6th–9th C | Mamallapuram | Rock-cut “rathas”, lion & Nandi |
| Chalukya | 7th–8th C | Badami, Pattadakal | Fusion North-South, cave sculptures |
| Rashtrakuta | 8th–10th C | Ellora, Elephanta | Massive panels—Trimurti 6 m high |
| Chola | 9th–13th C | Thanjavur, Gangaikonda | Lost-wax bronzes, high-relief icons |
| Hoysala | 11th–14th C | Belur-Halebid | Soap-stone, hyper-detailed, star-plan shrines |
| Vijayanagara | 14th–16th C | Hampi | Monolithic Lakshmi-Narasimha 6.7 m |
| Odisha/ Kalinga | 7th–13th C | Bhubaneswar, Puri, Konark | Rekha deul, lavish alasa-kanyas |
| Pala-Sena | 8th–12th C | Bihar-Bengal | Bronze & black stone, fine iconometry |
| Chandel | 10th–11th C | Khajuraho | Erotic nagara style, sandstone |
| Mughal | 16th–18th C | Agra, Fatehpur Sikri | Pietra-dura, marble inlay, floral |
| Modern | 20th–21st C | All India | Concrete, steel; eg. Ramkinkar Baij, Pilloo Pochkhanwala |
4. Material & Technique Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Steatite / Soap-stone | Soft magnesium stone, favoured by Hoysalas |
| Panchaloha | 5-metal alloy (Cu, Au, Ag, Pb, Zn) for Chola icons |
| Lost-wax (Cire-perdue) | Model in wax → clay mould → melt wax → pour bronze |
| Polishing | Mauryan mirror-like sheen by prolonged rubbing |
| Rekha deul | Curvilinear spire—Odisha temples |
| Vesara | Mixed Nagara-Dravida style (Chalukya) |
5. Iconographic Mudras & Attributes (Quick Chart)
| Mudra | Hand pose | Seen on |
|---|---|---|
| Dharmachakra | Both hands before chest | Sarnath Buddha |
| Abhaya | Right hand up | Standing Buddha |
| Varada | Hand down palm out | Bodhisattva / Lajja-Gauri |
| Tribhanga | Three-bend pose | Krishna, Chola Nataraja |
6. UNESCO World Heritage Sculptures of India (selection)
- Mahabalipuram monuments (1984)
- Khajuraho temples (1986)
- Elephanta caves (1987)
- Ellora caves (1983)
- Sun-temple Konark (1984)
- Great Living Chola temples (Brihadisvara 1987)
7. One-liner Revision Bullets
- India’s first bronze sculpture → 2500 BCE Mohen-jo-daro dancing-girl (10.8 cm).
- Only Ashokan pillar retaining its animal capital in situ → Lauriya Nandangarh (Bihar).
- Sanchi stupas commissioned by Ashoka but toranas added by Satavahanas.
- Gandhara Buddhas show Apollo-like hair & wavy drapery; Mathura Buddhas show transparent sangati.
- Gupta period = “classical age” of Indian sculpture; Sarnath Buddha = hallmark.
- Largest monolithic rock-cut temple → Kailasa, Ellora; carved top-to-down, 7th C.
- Pallava “Arjuna’s Penance” relief → 29 × 13 m, Mahabalipuram.
- Chola lost-wax Nataraja → symbol of CERN, Geneva.
- Hoysala temples mounted on jagati (platform) with 16,000 sculptures (Belur).
- Konark wheel → 12 pairs, 3 m diameter, serve as sundials.
- Khajuraho built by Chandela king Yashovarman; originally 85, now 25 survive.
- Gangaikondacholapuram lingam → 4 m, water poured from 8 elephants to reach top.
- Statue of Unity → 182 m; designed by Ram V. Sutar; bronze coating 1,700 t.
- India’s first sculptural park inside metro → MG Road, Gurgaon (2017).
8. Quick Reference Table – Rulers & Their Signature Sculptures
| Dynasty / Ruler | Work | Place | Present Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashoka | Lion-capital | Sarnath | National Emblem |
| Pushyamitra Shunga | Bharhut stupa railings | Madhya Pradesh | Indian Museum Kolkata |
| Rudradaman (Saka) | Sudarshan lake inscription | Junagadh | Rock edict |
| Narasimhavarman-I | Pancha Rathas | Mahabalipuram | UNESCO site |
| Raja Raja Chola | Brihadisvara temple & 80 kg Nataraja | Thanjavur | UNESCO site |
| Vishnuvardhana Hoysala | Chennakeshava temple | Belur | Protected ASI |
| Narasimhadeva-I | Konark Sun-temple | Odisha | UNESCO site |
| Chandella Yashovarman | Lakshmana temple | Khajuraho | UNESCO site |
9. MCQs for Railway Exams
Q1. The dancing-girl bronze of Indus valley was found at
a) Harappa b) Lothal c) Mohen-jo-daro d) Kalibangan
Ans. c
Q2. India’s National Emem is taken from which pillar?
a) Sanchi b) Lauriya Nandangarh c) Rampurva d) Sarnath
Ans. d
Q3. Which dynasty added stone toranas to Sanchi stupa?
a) Maurya b) Shunga c) Gupta d) Satavahana
Ans. d
Q4. Gandhara school primarily used which stone?
a) Marble b) Red sandstone c) Grey schist d) Basalt
Ans. c
Q5. The first images of Buddha in human form appeared in
a) 3rd C BCE b) 1st–2nd C CE c) 5th C CE d) 7th C CE
Ans. b
Q6. “Sarnath school” is associated with
a) Mauryas b) Guptas c) Cholas d) Pallavas
Ans. b
Q7. Kailasa temple at Ellora was built under
a) Chalukya b) Rashtrakuta c) Pallava d) Chola
Ans. b
Q8. Which Chola king built Brihadisvara temple?
a) Raja Raja I b) Rajendra I c) Karikala d) Kulottunga
Ans. a
Q9. Konark Sun-temple was constructed by
a) Kapilendra b) Narasimhadeva-I c) Prataparudra d) Anantavarman
Ans. b
Q10. Famous erotic sculptures are found at
a) Halebid b) Khajuraho c) Bhubaneswar d) Aihole
Ans. b
Q11. The monolithic Gommateshwara statue is at
a) Karkala b) Sravanabelgola c) Badami d) Aihole
Ans. b
Q12. Height of Statue of Unity is
a) 120 m b) 153 m c) 182 m d) 208 m
Ans. c
Q13. Panchaloha icons are mainly associated with
a) Pala b) Chola c) Vijayanagara d) Chalukya
Ans. b
Q14. Which technique is used for Chola bronzes?
a) Hammering b) Lost-wax c) Carving d) Terracotta baking
Ans. b
Q15. Largest relief sculpture in India (Arjuna’s Penance) is at
a) Elephanta b) Mahabalipuram c) Ellora d) Ajanta
Ans. b
Q16. “Trimurti” three-faced bust is located in
a) Ajanta b) Ellora c) Elephanta d) Kanheri
Ans. c
Q17. Which material is NOT used in Gandhara sculptures?
a) Stucco b) Grey schist c) Red sandstone d) Terracotta
Ans. c
Q18. Hoysala temples are built mainly of
a) Granite b) Soap-stone c) Marble d) Basalt
Ans. b
Q19. Who built Gangaikondacholapuram temple?
a) Raja Raja I b) Rajendra I c) Aditya I d) Kulottunga I
Ans. b
Q20. In which state is the Ranakpur Jain sculpture complex?
a) Gujarat b) Rajasthan c) Madhya Pradesh d) Maharashtra
Ans. b
Keep revisiting the one-liner bullets & tables for last-day cramming; they cover 80 % of RRB G.K. questions asked since 2016.
BETA
