Chennai Government Museum - Bronzes of Hindu Gods & Goddesses

Hindu Religion has three primary deities: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer . They are termed as Trimurthis. Similarly their respective consorts or Goddesses are Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati ( Durga, Kali, Shakti).

Nataraja (Lord of Dance) is a depiction of Shiva as the Cosmic Dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for God Brahma to start the process of Creation. Chennai Museum has a fantastic collection of bronzes which I was fortunate to be able to photograph and some of these are presented below for your viewing:

1. Shiva & his consort Shakti (Parvati)
2. Sukhasana (Shiva) (Thanjavur - 10 Century AD)3. Adhikara Nandi
4. Can you identify this bronze?
5. Durgai (a form of Shakthi)6. Maheswari ( another form of Shakthi)7. Somaskandar ( Siva,Parvati & Little Muruga)
8. Mahisasamardini
9. Maheswari (Velankanni - 11th Century AD)
10. Ardhanareeswarar - Half Shiva (left) & Half Parvati (right)
11. Chandikeswarar ( the accountant of the Gods)
12. Vishapaharanar (Shiva) - 9th Century AD
13. Tripurantaka - 11th Century AD
14. Natesa or Nataraja (a dancing form of Shiva)
15. Nataraja16. Parvati or Shakthi - consort of Shiva17. Figurines of Parvathi
18.Sivakamasundari or Parvati19. Parvati - 14 Century AD20. Kali21.Kali
22. Bhadrakali (popular form of Goddess Parvati worshipped in kerala)23. Trisoolam - Kali's weapon of destruction24. Tirugnanasambandar - The famous saint who has sung praises of the Lord Shiva25. Ayyanar on elephant back
26. Tirugnanasambandhar27. Can you identify this figure?28.Can you identify this figure ?29. Chandikeswarar - 15 century30. Appar - another famous saint
31. Trisulam32. Trisulam33. Ardhanareeswarar34.Trisulam
35.Can you identify this figurine ?

There will be more bronzes to follow in the next series which will focus mainly on Nataraja.

Chennai Goverment Museum - First Series of Exhibits

1. The grand building which originally housed exhibits in the museum. This building is now structurally unsafe and hence now kept locked.
2.A potter at work

3.Clay Figurines of buffalo, dog & peacock

4. Ancient copper boiler

5.Wooden carvings of dancing goddesses

6.A Victoria or horse drawn carriage from 18th century British India

7.A replica of a bullock cart carrying grains

8. Stone figurines of celestial beings

9. Stone Age tools & implements

10. Painting of a Moghul King

11.Tanjore painting depicting Lord Krishna as an infant

12. Painting of mother & child ( A Raja Ravi Varma painting ??)

13. A Moghul Queen

14. Lady in deep thought ( Another Raja Ravi Varma painting??)

15. A farmer couple - separating the rice from the chaff

16. A Rajput princess ( or perhaps Kamala Nehru??)17. Rajendra Chola bringing Ganga (Ganges) water to Thanjavur - He later built his new capital at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Some of the photographs may lack sufficient clarity since use of flash was not permitted inside the museum.

Loyalty Blog Award

Rhapsody Phoenix http://rappingonamelody.blogspot.in/ has honored me with The Loyalty Blog Award. Thank you sir for this wonderful gesture. This is the second Award I have received this month so I am feeling quite flattered. I am not sure if I am really deserving of such lofty Awards. Thank you nevertheless.

Cannons at Chennai

Recently I was at Chennai and visited the Government Museum at Egmore. I spent close to fours there and took loads of photographs. Here are some initial glimpses of the building & the serene surroundings. There are three majestic cannons standing guard outside the museum theater.
1.Museum Theater where films are screened periodically
2.Entrance to the museum complex3.Tippu Sultans Cannon used in the Battle of Srirangapattinam in 1799. In the 4th Anglo Mysore War the combined forces of the British East India Company and theNizam of Hyderabad defeated Tipu and he was killed on 4 May 1799, defending the fort of Seringapatam( now known as Srirangapattinam). For more details see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tippu_Sultan4.Cannon taken at the fall of Tranquebar in 1845. Tranquebar was founded by the Danish East India Company & sold to the British in 1845. Tranquebar's present name is Tharangampadi. You can get more details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharangambadi5.Cannon taken by Draper at Manila in 1762. More details at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manila_%281762%29More pics from the glorious collection at the museum will follow in a series !

Liebster Blog Award

RAJI MUTHUKRISHNAN has honoured me with this wonderful Award. Thanks Raji, I appreciate this wonderful gesture and truly value it.
I believe Liebster in German means "Favourite".
As per custom I am supposed to pass on this award to other deserving bloggers. I am presently a bit preoccupied and away from Coimbatore. On my return I shall certainly pass on the honours to bloggers whom I consider truly deserving.

Cheers
Ramakrishnan