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File:6th century Trivikrama legend, Vishnu avatara, Badami Caves.jpg

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A Hindu legend depicted in a rock-cut cave, both deep and low reliefs

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English: Badami caves are located in Badami, Karnataka, India. Inscriptions here help date two of these caves to the 6th-century, while parts of the third cave and the most of the fourth is likely from the 7th-century. All were likely complete in 6th to 7th century, with some additions to the Jain caves likely in early 8th century.
  • The above panel shows the Vamana – Bali – Trivikrama legend of the Hindu god Vishnu.
  • Vishnu appears as Vamana to seek charity donation from a powerful king who is trying to show off his generosity. Vamana is depicted here as a dwarf with an umbrella in the lower right section. He is standing in the court of the king with his queen and officials, with an attendant welcoming him with a drink.
  • The Vamana asks for three steps of land. The king states that is too little, and promises to give the dwarf what he wants.
  • Vishnu then transforms into a giant Trivikrama. In one step, he covers the earth, the second step the heavens, with third the patala; thus, implies the legend, Vishnu covers the universe of existence.
  • The panel shows Trivikrama taking one of the giant steps. King Bali is depicted as trying to hold him off as he sits near the right leg of Trivikrama. To the right of the raised leg show the successful conquest, with the shocked and falling soldiers.
  • The panel establishes that the multi-armed armed Vishnu iconography of chakra (discus) in the right rear hand and shankha (conch) in the left rear was well established by the 6th-century. Similarly the gada (mace, Kaumodaki) is also depicted in one of his right rear hands. The jewelry and tall hat with crown is already in vogue (here tapering cylinder, these caves also show tall tapering cone style; this fashion is copied for centuries in South Asia by Deccan kings and sultans for many centuries in the future).
  • Another notable icon is the gavaksha above the Trivikrama. It shows Nataraja in his cosmic dance. This 6th-century synthesis of Vaishnavism and Shaivism iconography is repeated in Badami caves, and is seen in most major Hindu temples all over the Indian subcontinent.
Date
Source Own work
Author Ms Sarah Welch
Camera location15° 55′ 06.69″ N, 75° 41′ 03.55″ E Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMapinfo

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current13:40, 22 August 2021Thumbnail for version as of 13:40, 22 August 20212,793 × 4,029 (9.52 MB)Ms Sarah Welch (talk | contribs)Uploaded own work with UploadWizard

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