INDIAN SCULPTURE & PAINTINGS

Contents

• 1 Overview
  • 1.1 Sadanga of Indian painting
  • 1.2 Genres of Indian painting
• 2 Murals
• 3 Miniature painting
  • 3.1 Eastern Indian painting
  • 3.2 Western Indian painting
  • 3.3 Malwa, Deccan and Jaunpur schools of painting
  • 3.4 Mughal painting
• 4 Rajput painting
• 5 Mysore painting
• 6 Tanjore painting
• 7 Madhubani painting
• 8 Pattachitra
• 9 Bengal school
• 10 Modern Indian Painting
• 11 Samikshavad
• 12 Gallery
• 13 Some notable Indian paintings
• 14 See also
• 15 Notes
• 16 Further reading
• 17 External links

• Overview

  

  

  Fresco from Ajanta, c 6th century.
  

  

  Raja Ravi Varma's Shakuntala

  The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre-historic times, the petroglyphs as found in places like Bhimbetka, and some of them are older than 5500 BC. Such works continued and after several millennia, in the 7th century, carved pillars of Ellora, Maharashtra state present a fine example of Indian paintings, and the colors, mostly various shades of red and orange, were derived from minerals. Thereafter, frescoes of Ajanta and Ellora Caves appeared. India’s Buddhist literature is replete with examples of texts which describe that palaces of kings and aristocratic class were embellished with paintings, but they have largely not survived. But, it is believed that some form of art painting was practiced during that time.

  Sadanga of Indian painting

  Around 1st century BC the Sadanga or Six Limbs of Indian Painting, were evolved, a series of canons laying down the main principles of the art. Vatsyayana, who lived during the third century A.D., enumerates these in his Kamasutra having extracted them from still more ancient works.

  These ‘Six Limbs’ have been translated as follows:

  1. Rupabheda The knowledge of appearances.
  2. Pramanam Correct perception, measure and structure.
  3. Bhava Action of feelings on forms.
  4. Lavanya Yojanam Infusion of grace, artistic representation.
  5. Sadrisyam Similitude.
  6. Varnikabhanga Artistic manner of using the brush and colours. (Tagore.)

  The subsequent development of painting by the Buddhists indicates that these ' Six Limbs ' were put into practice by Indian artists, and are the basic principles on which their art was founded.

  [edit]Genres of Indian painting

  Indian Paintings can be broadly classified as the murals and miniatures. Murals are huge works executed on the walls of solid structures, as in the Ajanta Caves and the Kailashnath temple. Miniature paintings are executed on a very small scale on perishable material such as paper and cloth. The Palas of Bengal were the pioneers of miniature painting in India. The art of miniature painting reached its glory during the Mughal period. The tradition of miniature paintings was carried forward by the painters of different Rajasthani schools of painting like the Bundi, Kishangarh, Jaipur, Marwar and Mewar. The Ragamala paintings also belong to this school.

  The modern Indian art has seen the rise of the Bengal School of art in 1930s followed by many forms of experimentations in European and Indian styles. In the aftermath of India's independence, many new genres of art developed by important artists like Jamini Roy, MF Husain, FN Souza, and Gaitonde. With the progress of the economy the forms and styles of art also underwent many changes. In the 1990s, Indian economy was liberalized and integrated to the world economy leading to the free flow oif cultural information within and without. This period saw the emergence of Pseudorealist Art as a new genre in contemporary Indian art. Alongside this the country saw the rise of mahny young turks in the field of art like Subodh Gupta, Atul Dodiya, Devajyoti Ray, Bose Krishnamachari and Jitish Kahllat whose works went for auction in international markets.

  
  

  Murals

  

  

  A mural painting depicting a scene from Mahajanaka Jataka, Cave 1, Ajanta

  Early examples of murals are found in the caves of Ajanta and Bagh. Fragments of mural paintings are also found in the contemporary Pitalkhora Caves. Early evidences of the tradition of mural paintings in southern India are found in the sites of Badami andSittanavasal. Evidences of mural paintings are also found in the Kailasnatha temple inEllora.

  Eastern Indian painting

  In eastern India miniature painting developed in 10th century. These miniatures, depicting Buddhist divinities and scenes from the life of Buddha were painted on the leaves (about 2.25 by 3 inches) of the palm-leaf manuscripts as well as their wooden covers. Most common Buddhist illustrated manuscripts include the texts Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita,^[1] Pancharaksa,Karandavyuha and Kalachakrayanatantra. The earliest extant miniatures are found in a manuscript of the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita dated in the sixth regnal year of Mahipala (c. 993), presently in the possession of The Asiatic Society, Kolkata. This style disappeared from India in the late 12th century.

  Western Indian painting

  In western India between the 10th to 12th century miniature painting developed. These small paintings were part of manuscripts written at the time and illustrate the subjects of the manuscripts. These miniatures are found in some Jaina manuscripts and are of 2 to 4 inches in size.

  [
  These small paintings were part of manuscripts written at the time and illustrate the subjects of the manuscripts. These miniatures are found in some Jaina manuscripts and are of 2 to 4 inches in size.

  Earliest Jaina illustrated palm-leaf manuscripts include the texts Ogha-niryukti and Dasavaikalika-tika. Another surviving example of early illustrated Jaina palm-leaf manuscript is the Savaga-padikkamana-sutta-cunni written by Pandit Ramachandra (13th century).

  It was in the 14th century, that paper replaced the palm leaf. Most common Jaina illustrated paper manuscripts include the Kalpasutra ofBhadrabahu and the Kalakacharyakatha.^[2] The Jaina style of paintings attained a high degree of development by the late 15th and 16th century.

  In the 16th century, a number of Hindu illustrated manuscripts appeared in western India, which include the texts, the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva and the Bhagavata Purana.

  
  Malwa, Deccan and Jaunpur schools of painting

  A new trend in manuscript illustration was set by a manuscript of the Nimatnama painted at Mandu, during the reign of Nasir Shah (1500 - 1510). This represent a synthesis of the indigenous and the Persion style, though it was the latter which dominated the Mandu manuscripts. There was another style of painting known as Lodi Khuladar that flourished in the Sultanate's dominion of North India extending from Delhi to Jaunpur.

  The miniature painting style, which flourished initially in the Bahmani court and later in the courts of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golkonda is popularly known as the Deccan school of Painting. One of the earliest surviving paintings are found as the illustrations of a manuscript Tarif-i-Hussain Shahi (c.1565), which is now in Bharata Itihasa Samshodhaka Mandala, Pune. About 400 miniature paintings are found in the manuscript of Nujum-ul-Ulum (Stars of Science) (1570), kept in Chester Beatty Library, Dublin.

  [

  

  

  A 17th century Mughal painting.
  

  

  A folio from the Hamzanama
  Main article: Mughal painting

  Mughal painting is a particular style of Indian painting, generally confined to illustrations on the book and done in miniatures, and which emerged, developed and took shape during the period of the Mughal Empire 16th -19th centuries).

  
  Mughal paintings were a unique blend of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles. Because the Mughal kings wanted visual records of their deeds as hunters and conquerors, their artists accompanied them on military expeditions or missions of state, or recorded their prowess as animal slayers, or depicted them in the great dynastic ceremonies of marriages.

  
  Akbar's reign (1556-1605) ushered a new era in Indian miniature painting. After he had consolidated his political power, he built a new capital at Fatehpur Sikri where he collected artists from India and Persia. He was the first morarch who established in India an atelier under the supervision of two Persian master artists, Mir Sayyed Ali and Abdus Samad. Earlier, both of them had served under the patronage of Humayun in Kabul and accompanied him to India when he regained his throne in 1555. More than a hundred painters were employed, most of whom were Hindus from Gujarat, Gwalior and Kashmir, who gave a birth to a new school of painting, popularly known as the Mughal School of miniature Paintings.

  One of the first productions of that school of miniature painting was the Hamzanama series, which according to the court historian, Badayuni, was started in 1567 and completed in 1582. The Hamzanama, stories of Amir Hamza, an uncle of the Prophet, were illustrated by Mir Sayyid Ali. The paintings of the Hamzanama are of large size, 20 x 27" and were painted on cloth. They are in the Persian safavi style. Brilliant red, blue and green colours predominate; the pink, eroded rocks and the vegetation, planes and blossoming plum and peach trees are reminiscent of Persia. However, Indian tones appear in later work, when Indian artists were employed.

  
  After him, Jahangir encouraged artists to paint portraits and durbar scenes. His most talented portrait painters were Ustad Mansur, Abul Hasan and Bishandas.

  Shah Jahan (1627-1658) continued the patronage of painting. Some of the famous artists of the period were Mohammad Faqirullah Khan, Mir Hashim, Muhammad Nadir, Bichitr, Chitarman, Anupchhatar, Manohar and Honhar.

  Aurangzeb had no taste for fine arts. Due to lack of patronage artists migrated to Hyderabad in the Deccan and to the Hindu states of Rajasthan in search of new patrons.

  
  Rajput painting

  

  

  An 18th century Rajput painting by the artist Nihâl Chand.
  Main article: Rajput painting

  Rajput painting, a style of Indian painting, evolved and flourished, during the 18th century, in the royal courts of Rajputana, India. Each Rajput kingdom evolved a distinct style, but with certain common features. Rajput paintings depict a number of themes, events of epics like the Ramayana and theMahabharata, Krishna’s life, beautiful landscapes, and humans. Miniatures were the preferred medium of Rajput painting, but several manuscripts also contain Rajput paintings, and paintings were even done on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelies, particularly, the havelis of Shekhawati.

  The colours extracted from certain minerals, plant sources, conch shells, and were even derived by processing precious stones, gold and silver were used. The preparation of desired colours was a lengthy process, sometimes taking weeks. Brushes used were very fine.

  ]Mysore painting

  Main article: Mysore painting
  

  

  A painting of Laxmi

  Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the town ofMysore in Karnataka. These paintings are known for their elegance, muted colours, and attention to detail. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. In modern times, these paintings have become a much sought after souvenir during festive occasions in South India.

  The process of making a Mysore painting involves many stages. The first stage involves the making of the preliminary sketch of the image on the base. The base consists of cartridge paper pasted on a wooden base. A paste made of Zinc oxide and Arabic gum is made called "gesso paste". With the help of a thin brush all the jewellery and parts of throne or the arch which have some relief are painted over to give a slightly raised effect of carving. This is allowed to dry. On this thin gold foil is pasted. The rest of the drawing is then painted using watercolours. Only muted colours are used.

  

  

  Tanjore style painting depicting the tenSikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.

  [edit]Tanjore painting

  Main article: Tanjore painting

  Tanjore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Tanjore inTamil Nadu. The art form dates back to the early 9th century, a period dominated by the Chola rulers, who encouraged art and literature. These paintings are known for their elegance, rich colours, and attention to detail. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. In modern times, these paintings have become a much sought after souvenir during festive occasions in South India.

  The process of making a Tanjore painting involves many stages. The first stage involves the making of the preliminary sketch of the image on the base. The base consists of a cloth pasted over a wooden base. Then chalk powder or zinc oxide is mixed with water-soluble adhesive and applied on the base. To make the base smoother, a mild abrasive is sometimes used. After the drawing is made, decoration of the jewellery and the apparels in the image is done with semi-precious stones. Laces or threads are also used to decorate the jewellery. On top of this, the gold foils are pasted. Finally, dyes are used to add colours to the figures in the paintings.

  
  Madhubani painting

  Main article: Madhubani painting

  Madhubani painting is a style of uttradi mutt painting, practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar state, India. The origins of Madhubani painting are shrouded in antiquity, and a tradition states that this style of painting originated at the time of the Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to do paintings at the time of marriage of his daughter, Sita, with Sri Rama who is considered to be an incarnation of the Hindu god lordVishnu.

  ]Pattachitra

  Main article: Pattachitra
  

  

  Gita Govinda depicted in Pattachitra

  Pattachitra refers to the folk painting of the state of Orissa, in the eastern region of India.'Patta' inSanskrit means 'Vastra' or 'clothings' and 'chitra' means paintings.The tradition of Pattachitra is closely linked with the worship of Lord Jagannath. Apart from the fragmentary evidence of paintings on the caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri and Sitabhinji murals of the Sixth century A.D., the earliest indigenous paintings from Odisha are the Pattachitra done by the Chitrakars (the painters are called Chitrakars).^[3] The theme of Odishan painting centres round the Vaishnava cult. Since beginning of Pattachitra culture Lord Jagannath who was an incarnation of Lord Krishna was the major source of inspiration. The subject matter of Patta Chitra is mostly mythological, religious stories and folk lore. Themes are chiefly on Lord Jagannath and Radha-Krishna, different "Vesas" of Jagannath, Balabhadraand Subhadra, temple activities, the ten incarnations of Vishnu basing on the 'Gita Govinda' of Jayadev, Kama Kujara Naba Gunjara, Ramayana, Mahabharata. The individual paintings of gods and goddesses are also being painted.The painters use vegetable and mineral colours without going for factory made poster colours. They prepare their own colours. White colour is made from the conch-shells by powdering, boiling and filtering in a very hazardous process. It requires a lot of patience. But this process gives brilliance and premanence to the hue. 'Hingula', a mineral colour, is used for red. 'Haritala', king of stone ingredients for yellow, 'Ramaraja' a sort of indigo for blue are being used. Pure lamp-black or black prepared from the burning of cocoanut shells are used.The brushes that are used by these 'Chitrakaras' are also indigenous and are made of hair of domestic animals. A bunch of hair tied to the end of a bamboo stick make the brush. It is really a matter of wonder as to how these painters bring out lines of such precision and finish with the help of these crude brushes. That old tradition of Odishan painting still survives to-day in the skilled hands of Chitrakaras (traditional painters) in Puri,Raghurajpur, Paralakhemundi, Chikiti and Sonepur.

  

  

  Various Hindu Gods are shown in Pattachitra

  [Bengal school

  

  

  Bharat Mata byAbanindranath Tagore, 1905, a pioneer of the Bengal School
  Main article: Bengal school of art

  The Bengal School of Art was an influential style of art that flourished in India during the British Raj in the early 20th century. It was associated with Indian nationalism, but was also promoted and supported by many British arts administrators.

  The Bengal school arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the academic art styles previously promoted in India, both by Indian artists such as Ravi Varma and in British art schools. Following the widespread influence of Indian spiritual ideas in the West, the British art teacher Ernest Binfield Havel attempted to reform the teaching methods at the Calcutta School of Art by encouraging students to imitate Mughal miniatures. This caused immense controversy, leading to a strike by students and complaints from the local press, including from nationalists who considered it to be a retrogressive move. Havel was supported by the artist Abanindranath Tagore, a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore painted a number of works influenced by Mughal art, a style that he and Havel believed to be expressive of India's distinct spiritual qualities, as opposed to the "materialism" of the West. Tagore's best-known painting, Bharat Mata (Mother India), depicted a young woman, portrayed with four arms in the manner of Hindu deities, holding objects symbolic of India's national aspirations. Tagore later attempted to develop links with Japanese artists as part of an aspiration to construct a pan-Asianist model of art.

  The Bengal school's influence in India declined with the spread of modernist ideas in the 1920s.

  ]Modern Indian Painting

  

  

  Three Girls, by Amrita Sher-Gil, 1935, now at the National Gallery of Modern Art inNew Delhi

  During the colonial era, Western influences started to make an impact on Indian art. Some artists developed a style that used Western ideas of composition, perspective and realism to illustrate Indian themes. Others, like Jamini Roy, consciously drew inspiration from folk art.

  By the time of Independence in 1947, several schools of art in India provided access to modern techniques and ideas. Galleries were established to showcase these artists. Modern Indian art typically shows the influence of Western styles, but is often inspired by Indian themes and images. Major artists are beginning to gain international recognition, initially among the Indian diaspora, but also among non-Indian audiences.

  The Progressive Artists' Group, established shortly after India became independent in 1947, was intended to establish new ways of expressing India in the post-colonial era. The founders were six eminent artists - K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre, H. A. Gade, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza and F. N. Souza, though the group was dissolved in 1956, it was profoundly influential in changing the idiom of Indian art. Almost all India's major artists in the 1950s were associated with the group. Some of those who are well-known today are Bal Chabda, Om Swami, V. S. Gaitonde, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, andAkbar Padamsee. Other famous painters like Jahar Dasgupta, Prokash Karmakar, and Bijon Choudhuri enriched the art culture of India. They have become the icon of modern Indian art. Art historians like Prof. Rai Anand Krishna have also referred to those works of modern artistes that reflect Indian ethos. Some of the new artists like Geeta Vadhera have had acclaim in translating complex, Indian spiritual themes into the canvas - Sufi thought [1], Upanishads and the Bhagwad Geeta, for example. From 1990 to till 2009 the Indian art is growing with powerful expression. one of them is Raj mehta working in lucknow, recent work on women the silent feature of women mind.the city of nawabs. it has the great history, ruled many kings and the loving place of all emperial power. Raj mehta work in painting and mural. kriti art gallery in varanasi explore his work in India.

  Indian Art got a boost with the economic liberalization of the country since early 1990s. Artists from various fields now started bringing in varied styles of work. Post liberalization Indian art thus works not only within the confines of academic traditions but also outside it. Artists like Chittrobhanu Majumdar have introduced newer mediums in art. Devajyoti Ray has introduced a the new genre of Pseudorealism. Anish Kapoor has brought in sheer dimensions as an important aspect of art.

  [Samikshavad

  Main article: Samikshavad
  

  

  Ring Master by Ram Chandra Shukla

  Samikshavad is the first indigenous movement of art in modern India, which started in north India in 1974. It has a different identity from the western movements of art. It is neither affected or inspired by the top western art. Its main source of inspiration are the present social, political, cultural and economical conditions. Its aim is to make the Art free from personalized obligations and to socialize it, to change the art from mystery to something having special aim. Prof. Ram Chandra Shukla, professor and head of the department, of Painting at Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi, at that time, was the initiator and the main source of inspiration for this movement. A few of the artists who were inspired by this movement were Ravindra Nath Mishra, Hridya Narayan Mishra, Harpreet Singh, Santosh Kumar Singh, Virendra Prasad Singh, Ram Shabd Singh, Raghuvir Sen Dhir, Ved Prakash Mishra, Gopal Madhukar Chaturvedi, Bala Dutt Pandey etc.

  [Gallery

  Sculpture in India

  
  

  
  The first sculptures in India date back to the Indus Valley civilization, where stone and bronze carvings have been discovered. This is one of the earliest instances of sculpture in the world. Later, as Hinduism, Buddhismand Jainism developed further, India produced some of the most intricate bronzes in the world, as well as unrivaled temple carvings. Some huge shrines, such as the one at Ellora were not actually constructed using blocks, but instead carved out of rock, making them perhaps the largest and most intricate sculptures in the world.

  

  A sculpture of Siddhārtha Gautama the founder of Buddhism

  During the 2nd to 1st century BCE in far northern India, in what is now southern Afghanistan and northernPakistan, sculptures became more explicit, representing episodes of the Buddha’s life and teachings. Although India had a long sculptural tradition and a mastery of rich iconography, the Buddha was never represented in human form before this time, but only through some of his symbols. This may be becauseGandharan Buddhist sculpture in modern Afghanistan displays Greek and Persian artistic influence. Artistically, the Gandharan school of sculpture is said to have contributed wavy hair, drapery covering both shoulders, shoes and sandals, acanthus leaf decorations, etc.

  The pink sandstone sculptures of Mathura evolved during the Gupta period (4th to 6th century) to reach a very high fineness of execution and delicacy in the modeling. Newer sculptures in Afghanistan, in stucco, schist or clay, display very strong blending of Indian post-Gupta mannerism and Classical influence, Hellenistic or possibly even Greco-Roman. Meanwhile, elsewhere in India, less anatomically accurate styles of human representation evolved, leading to the classical art that the world is now familiar with, and contributing to Buddhist and Hindu sculpture throughout Asia.

  [Gallery

  Vinatu nrityashastrena citrasutram sudurvidam Without the knowledge of dance the knowledge of sculptural art cannot be known This is a well known line from the Vishnudharmottara Purana, a Sanskrit text which describes techniques of painting and sculpture. So why would a book on sculpture have a line which gives so much merit to dance. This is because Indian dance and sculpture have shared a common vocabulary through out history. The idea is best illustrated through examples and what better example than the famous icon of Nataraja. Nataraja - translated either as the 'dancing king' or the 'king of dancers', is the deity Shiva represented as a dancing icon. This image was a contribution of philosophers and sculptors in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Let me begin with the myth of the Nataraja image. Once upon a time in the Daruka forest a group of very enlightened sages lived with their wives. Over a period of time they became very arrogant and were filled with pride about their powers. They became so arrogant that they considered themselves more powerful than the gods and everyone else in the Universe. In order to curb their pride, Shiva decided to play a small trick on them along with his friend, god Vishnu. Disguised as an enchanting couple, they both entered the forest. Shiva was in the guise of a young man, and Vishnu in the guise of a beautiful women. The sages were captivated by the beauty of Vishnu and their wives were attracted to the handsome young man. Soon the sages realised that they were being fooled, and this enraged them. They decided to destroy the young upstart not realising that it was lord Shiva. They built a sacrificial fire and chanting hymns they invoked various beings to destroy Shiva. They brought forth a tiger. Shiva smilingly killed the tiger and wore the skin as a trophy. In the very end they sent forth a fierce demon. Shiva crushed the demon under his foot and began dancing his joyous dance of victory - ananda tandava. Thus ending the pride and ignorance of the sages. There are many such myths of the dancing lord. In many texts on dance Shiva is considered as the one who taught the art of dance to mankind. To this day the figure of Nataraja is held in high regard by all classical Indian dancers. This image has been used countless times all over the world to represent Indian culture. What is this image? Does it have any meaning besides being a beautiful depiction of movement? Let us look at the philosophical significance of this image. The left leg is lifted across the body and this foot is said to represent 'refuge for the devotee'. Very often in songs this foot is described, for e.g. the famous Tamil song by Papanasam Sivan idadu padam tuki adum Natarajan adi panivaye which means, the One who dances lifting his left leg (to that) Nataraja's feet I salute The right leg is planted firmly on a small demon who is called apasmara purusha. Apasmara purusha is the personification of ignorance. So the dance of Shiva is the dance that stamps on and destroys ignorance. The four hands are in different positions. The front right hand is in the blessing gesture or one which bestows boons. The left hand is crossed across the chest and it points to the uplifted left leg. This again indicates that a true devotee attains bliss at the feet of dancing Shiva. The two upper hands which frame the figure are shown carrying fire and a drum. The fire represents the power of destruction and the drum represents the birth of sound which represents the sound of creation. So in his dance Nataraja balances the creative and the destructive powers of the Universe. If one can trace the dynamic position of the hands the geometry of the figure becomes apparent. These points are said to represent a sacred mystical diagram. The home of the dancing lord is the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu state of Southern India). Here Nataraja is installed in the sanctum and in recent years an annual dance festival called 'Natyanjali' is held at Chidambaram. It is interesting that the priests often ask the worshippers to peer at the space behind the idol, through a perforated window and ask the worshippers to see what they call' Chidambara rahasya' or the 'secret of Chidambara'. This I feel is partly an exercise designed to make the worshipper see beyond the obvious i.e. see beyond the mere worship of an idol. It attempts to make the worshipper see the Nataraja image as a symbol of something rather than an end in itself. The Nataraja image thus fully embodies everything that is common to Indian dance and sculpture: myth, symbolism, movement and mysticism. Temples have been the repositories of art in India throughout history. Even to a casual tourist it is obvious that many sculptures adorn the temples. Many of them are in positions that are very common to classical Indian dance and even folk dances. Temples are adorned with sculptures and there are many different types of sculptures. Here's a picture of dance sculpture at Belur. The sculpture is often described as darpana sundari- the beauty who looks at the mirror. This is represented in dance as seen in this picture. For e.g. this high relief from Halebidu shows the deity Ganesha dancing and another shows a male dancing with a group of musicians etc. Uniquely in Chidambaram , in the Sarangapani temple in Kumbakonam and in the Shiva temple at Tanjore karanas are sculpted in relief . For further reference to karanas refer to a complete section on the front page of this website. There are many paintings also devoted to dancing themes. Here I must point out that not only temples but even Jaina chaityas and buddhist stupas and monuments have dance sculptures. For example this pair of dancers with sticks is from a Jaina matha in Karnataka.