Anantashayana Vishnu

Anantashayana Vishnu, Saranga
Anantashayana Vishnu, Saranga
Anantashayana Vishnu, Saranga = Anantashayana Vishnu, Saranga
Geography
Coordinates	20°56′00″N 85°17′00″E / 20.93333°N 85.28333°E / 20.93333; 85.28333Coordinates: 20°56′00″N 85°17′00″E / 20.93333°N 85.28333°E / 20.93333; 85.28333
Country	India
State/province	Orissa
District	Dhenkanal district
Locale	On the left bank of the Brahmani River
Elevation	61 m (200 ft)
Culture
Primary deity	Vishnu
History and governance
Date built	9th Century

Anantashayi Vishnu, also known as Anantashayana Vishnu (both literally "sleeping on the serpent Shesha"), is a large open air rock relief of the Hindu god Vishnu, carved during the early 9th Century in the Saranga village, under the Parjang police station, in Dhenkanal district of Orissa, India. It is located on the left bank of the Brahmani River. It is the largest such exposed rock cut structure in the horizontal position measuring 15.4 metres (51 ft) in length, in the whole of India,^[1]^[2] while the largest standing image is of Gomateshwara in Southern India.^[3] It is a protected monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, Bhubaneswar Circle. Worship is still offered to the four armed reclining Vishnu.^[1]

Location

The Vishnu image, located on the left bank of the river bed of the Brahmani River, is at an elevation of 200 feet (61 m). It is accessible by road over a distance of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from Saranga Village in Parajanga Tehsil of Dhenkanal district, 67 kilometres (42 mi) from Dhenkanal, 23 km from Angul and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Talcher.^[1]^[4] It is also approached from the National Highway 42 from Cuttack to Sambalpur, on branch road over distance of 3 km.^[5] The second natural rock-cut image in parent rock is at Bhimakand in Talcher subdivision of the Dhankal district.^[6]

History

The image was carved during the first quarter of the 9th century CE when the Bhaumakara Dynasty that ruled in central part of Orissa. It has been analysed on the basis of its "idiom and crown" and dated to belong to later part of the Bhaumakara reign.^[1] Historical records also indicate that the Nandodhbahav feudatory rulers, under the Bhaumakara kings, who were followers of Vaishnavism (the Hindu sect which worships Vishnu as the Supreme God), were instrumental in getting the carvings of two large rock-cut images of Vishnu - the one at Saranga and the other at Dankal, in the upper Brahmani River valley.^[7] The Bhaumakara kings asserted their association with Vaishnavism in the grants that they provided to carve the rock-cut sculptures and temples as recorded on the occasion of the celebrations of Vishuvazakranthi and Devtesvaduadasi.^[8]

It is also reported that the urge to create these carved sculptures with deep expressions of "vigour and vitality" was inspired from the expressions depicted in the rock cut temples at Ellora and Elephanta in Maharashtra, and Mahabalipuram temples in Tamil Nadu.^[9] Such carvings on entrance gates or central part of regular temple lintels have been noted in the Rajeevlochana temple at Rajim and the Lakshmana temple in Sirpur, which were forerunners for to its adoption under the Bhaumakara kingdom.^[10] Ananta sayana statue resembles and carries the similarities of the Lord Buddha in architecture and evident in several locations of Ajanta, Ellora and in the caves of Pithalkhora of Maharashtra. Bhaumakers were the Buddhist protagonists and had carved the Lord Buddha Ananta sayana Statue, with the passage of time people disfigured it with a part of Lotus sign from its Navi part of the statue. In belief is worshiped as the Lord Vishnu statue, but in reality is the Statue of Lord Buddha. Buddhism in the 9th Century of Orissa under the Bhaumaker rule had reached to China and royal exchange of gifts are evident in the history and records. No wonder Lord Buddha statues are worshiped as Lord Vishnu in many places, Padmanava Temple in Trivandrum and Vijayawada too.

Description

The Vishnu image, under the open sky, occupies an area measuring 15.4 metres (51 ft) in length and 7 metres (23 ft) in width with a thickness of 0.7 metres (2 ft 4 in).^[4] The image is of the Hindu god Vishnu in a reclining position (Anantashayana in Sanskrit, literally sleeping on the serpent Ananta). The image is carved out of natural rock of sandstone formation. He has four arms, holding a Chakra in the upper right hand, a Shankha in his upper left hand, a Gada and a symbolic lotus on its lower left hand. The hoods of the serpent Shesha (Ananta) covering the head of Vishnu.^[3] The Vishnu image has a sharp chin, distinctive nose and wears a crown on its head, called kiritamukuta (a tall conical crown, typically worn by Vishnu).^[4] A lotus design shown sprouting from his navel has the creator god Brahma, sitting in meditation.^[4] Another image in the same district also carved in sandstone in a reclining posture is in Khamkanaga Subdivision, in Angul district of 41.5 feet (12.6 m) length (as against the length of 15.4 metres (51 ft) image in Saranga village.^[2] The sculptor has imagined the river bank conceptually to represent the Kshirasagara (cosmic ocean) from which Brahma created the world. The shrine is regularly worshipped by local people. The Archaeological Survey of India is renovating this sculpture regularly and has kept it in a good condition. Floods in Brahmani River are the only threat to the image as this is built by sandstone in the river bed, which could erode.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Anantasayana Visnu, Saranga, Dist. – Dhenkanal" (pdf). Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts for Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
1 2 Sah, Ayodhya Prasad (1972). Life in mediaeval Orissa, cir. A.D. 600-1200. Chaukhambha Orientalia. p. 101. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
1 2 Senapati, Nilaman; Sahu, N. K. (1972). Orissa District Gazetteers: Sambalpur. Gyan Books. pp. 47,133,440. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
1 2 3 4 "Art and Architecture". Ananta Sayan. National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
↑ Orissa (India). Dept. of Tourism & Cultural Affairs (1976). Tourism directory, Orissa. Dept. of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Orissa. p. 96. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
↑ Orissa (India) (1972). Orissa District Gazetteers: Sambalpur. Superintendent, Orissa Government Press. p. 47. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
↑ P. K. Mishra (1984). Evolution of Orissa and her culture. P.K. Mishra. p. 154. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
↑ Himansu S. Patnaik; Utkal University. Post-graduate Dept. of History. DSA Programme (1996). Aspects of socio-cultural life in early and medieval Orissa. DSA Programme, Post Graduate Dept. of History, Utkal University. p. 113. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
↑ Kedarnath Mahapatra; Orissa State Museum (1982). The Orissa Historical Research Journal. Superintendent, Research and Museum, Orissa. p. 22. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
↑ The Journal of Orissan History. Orissa History Congress. 1995. p. 41. Retrieved 13 December 2012.

External links

images of Anantashayi

Hindu temples in Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Shiva temples	Aisanyesvara Siva Temple Akhadachandi Temple Astasambhu Temples Bhima Kunda Bhringesvara Siva Temple Bhrukutesvar Siva Temple Brahmeswara Temple Byamokesvara Temple Chakreshvari Siva Temple Champakesvara Siva Temple Chandrasekhara Mahadeva Temple Chintamanisvara Siva Temple Devasabha Temple Dishisvara Siva Temple Gangesvara Siva Temple Gosagaresvar Siva Temple Jaleswar Siva Temple Precinct Kalika Siva Temple Kapilesvara Siva Temple Kedareswar Temple Labesvara Siva Temple Ladu Baba Temple Lakhesvara Siva Temple Lingaraj Temple Madneswar Siva Temple Mangalesvara Siva Temple Manibhadresvara Temple - II Mukteswar Temple Nagesvara Temple, Bhubaneswar Pabaneswara Temple Papanasini Siva Temple Parsurameswar Temple Purvesvara Siva Temple Rajarani Temple Rameshwar Deula Sarvatresvara Siva Temple Siddhesvara Siva Temple Subarnesvara Siva Temple Suka Temple Sukutesvara Temple Svapnesvara Siva Temple Talesvara Siva Temple Tirthesvara Siva Temple Uttaresvara Siva Temple Vaital Deula Yameshwar Temple

Vishnu temples	Ananta Vasudeva Temple Bharati Matha Gandhi Garabadu Precinct Vishnu Temple Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar Vishnu Temple, Bhubaneswar

Shakti temples	Chausathi Jogini Temple Parvati Temple, Odisha

Other temples	Brahma Temple, Bindusagar Hanuman Temple, Kedara-Gouri Sivatirtha Matha

Cuttack district

Shiva temples	Chateshwar Temple Dhabaleswar Simhanath Temple

Vishnu temples	Madhava Temple

Shakti temples	Bhattarika Temple Charchika Temple Cuttack Chandi Temple Durga Temple, Baideshwar Durga Temple, Motia

Other temples	Brahma Temple, Niali

Puri district

Shiva temples	Beleswar Temple Lokanatha Temple Markandeshwar Temple

Vishnu temples	Alarnatha Mandira Chakra Narasimha Temple Gundicha Temple Jagannath Temple, Puri Narasimha Temple, Puri Sakshigopal Temple

Shakti temples	Bata Mangala Temple Kakatpur Mangala Temple Mausi Maa Temple Ramachandi Temple Varahi Deula, Chaurasi Vimala Temple

Sun temples	Konark Sun Temple

Other temples	Govardhana matha Emar Matha

Western Odisha

Shiva temples	Kosaleswara temple Leaning Temple of Huma

Vishnu temples	Nrusinghanath Temple Patali Srikhetra

Shakti temples	Lankeswari Temple Samaleswari Temple Sureswari temple

Other temples	Harishankar Temple Sasisena Temple

Rayagada district

Shiva temples	Bhimashankar Chatikona Nilakantheswar Temple Pataleswar

Vishnu temples	Jagannath Temple, Gunupur Jagannath Temple, Rayagada Laxminarayan temple, Therubali

Shakti temples	Maa Markama Temple Majhighariani Temple

Other

Shiva temples	Ajaikapada Bhairava Temple Akhandalamani Temple Annakoteshvara Temple Bhuvaneshwar Temple, Boudh Chandaneswar Gupteswar Cave Godhaneswar temple Indralath Temple Kapilash Temple Murga Mahadeva Shrine Nilakantheswar Temple Panchalingeshwar Sekhareswar Temple

Vishnu temples	Anantasaayi Vishnu Temple Ananta Shayana Anantashayana Vishnu Baladevjew Temple Chhatia Bata Jagannath Temple, Baripada Jagannath Temple, Dharakote Jagannath Temple, Koraput Jagannath Temple, Nayagarh Khirachora Gopinatha Temple Lakhmi Varaha Temple Narayana Gosain Temple Nilamadhav Temple Odogaon Raghunath Temple Varahanatha Temple

Shakti temples	Bhadrakali Temple, Aharapada Bhagabati Temple, Banapur Biraja Temple Ghanteswari Temple Goddess Maheshwari Kalijai Kanaka Durga, Raulapalli Kichakeshwari Temple Maa Barunei Temple Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatgaon Maa Ugra Tara Maa Markama Temple Mahishamardini Temple Majhighariani Temple Manikeshwari Temple Marichi temple Mausimaa Temple Metakani Temple Narayani Temple Saptamatruka Temple Sarala Temple Siddha Bhairavi Taratarini Temple Upper Bagh Devi Temple

Sun temples	Biranchinarayan Temple, Buguda Biranchinarayan Temple, Palia

Ganesha temples	Budha Ganesha Temple Mahavinayak Temple Siddha Vinayaka

Other temples	Bhandara Ghara Shrine Hanuman Vatika Harihara Deula Joranda Gadhi

Shakti temples in Odisha
Shiva temples in Odisha
Temples in Bhubaneswar

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