Noteworthy bracket figures

Popularly known as Shuka Bhashini, this madanike appears to be talking to her pet parrot while her three friends/assistants, who are holding what appears to be corn cobs, are watching her talk. In Kannada, shuka means parrot, and bhashini means lady who talks.As you can see from the image, the Shuka Bhashini has gracefully bent her body to give her an elegant stance and held her left hand precisely at the chest level so that the parrot can stand on the back of her palm and look at her.In the Navaraga Layout, Shuka Bhasini is figure number 2, i.e., mounted on the leftmost pillar on the facade of the main entrance.

Here a monkey is pulling the dress of a beautiful lady who is trying to chase it with a small tree branch. Her facial expression shows annoyance at being harassed by the monkey.As with the other bracket figures, the background is a finely carved creeper. The base on which the dancer stands has an inscription describing the sculptor – inscribed most likely by the sculptor himself.This madanike is figure number 5, i.e., mounted on a pillar on the third section (S3) of the exterior wall.

Popularly known as Kesha Sundari, this gorgeous madanike is styling her long hair, helped by two lady assistants at the bottom, who are holding objects that are likely part of the hair-styling kit available in that era. Note: In Kannada, kesha means hair, and sundari means beautiful lady.As you can see, Kesha Sundari and her accomplices are standing on a disc-like base mounted on a lotus pedestal. Engraved into this base is an inscription, written in the Halegannada (Old Kannada), likely inscribed by the sculptor to describe himself and his work.In the Navaranga Layout, Kesha Sundari is figure number 7, i.e., mounted on the corner pillar located at the junction of the third and fourth sections of the south exterior wall.

Here the dancer has elegantly curved her body by bending her knee, waist, and the neck to give her a beautiful S-shape- popularly known as Tribhanga (tri-bent pose). The sculptor has captured this dance pose perfectly with great details. This exquisitely carved sculpture captures the details of a complicated dance move, known as Tribhanga, commonly performed in the Indian classical dances, such as the Odissi, Bharatanātyam, and Kathakali. Described in the Nātya Shāstra (ancient Indian text on dance) and Shilpa Shāstras (ancient Indian texts on crafts), Tribhanga refers to a pose with three bends in the body (typically, knee, waist, and neck). Because of this dance move, the popular name for this stunningly beautiful sculpture is Tribhangi.

Here the dancer is also playing on the drums (davane,) that is held gracefully above her head. She is beating the drum-head with her right hand while holding the davane steady with the left. As part of the dance move, she has bent and twisted her well-proportioned body and gracefully lifted her left leg.

In the Navaranga Layout, Tribhangi is figure number 8, i.e., mounted on the middle pillar attached to the fourth section (S4) on the exterior wall.

This exquisitely carved madanike appeares to be dancing while also playing drums, hung by a thin rope from her left shoulder (part of the rope is missing). Using a curved stick, she is beating the drum-head with her right hand while holding the drums steady by inserting her left hand inside the net formed by the strings connecting the drum-heads.

Accompanying this madanike are two male musicians, each beating a dolu, a two-sided drum-like instrument, but played with hands. All these sculptures are standing on a disc-like base mounted on a lotus pedestal. Engraved into this base is an inscription, written in Halegannada (Old Kannada), likely inscribed by the sculptor to describe himself and his work.

This madanike is mounted on the middle pillar of the fifth section (S5) of the south-side exterior wall. She is figure number 10 in the Navaranga Layout.

The huntress in the sculpture here has a bow on her left shoulder and an arrow (only a small piece remains) in her right hand. She seems to have finished a successful hunt, indicated by the kill, what appears to be a deer, carried by the lady, standing at the bottom right, on her shoulder. The lady on the bottom left, who likely helped the hunt, is seen carrying a sword-like object. Sitting next to this lady is a small mysterious figure, most likely a man, with a puzzled facial expression.This bracket figure is finely carved with amazing details. Betegārthi’s majestic stance and facial expression show her pride after a successful hunt. Her left toe, which is slightly upwards indicate that she is about to move.Betegārthi is mounted on the right most pillar located at the north entrance of the temple. She is figure number 23 in the Navaranga Layout.