Kalyansundaram (Marriage Scene of Lord Shiva)

This sculpture represents an important moment in the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, and also in all Hindu weddings, when the groom accepts the bride by taking her right hand in his own. This is the most significant moment in the solemnization of an Indian marriage and is known as 'panigrahana' (accepting the hand). A particularly vivid description of Shiva's marriage is given in the epic Sanskrit poem Kumarasambahava by Kalidasa and in the Ramacharitamanasa of saint Tulsidas. In the annals of Indian aesthetics, this episode is known as Kalyansundaram.

Here we see Parvati standing to Shiva's right, with her right hand held by Shiva's corresponding arm. Next to them, standing on the same pedestal, is the divine pair of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi, who are not only witness to the wedding but also bless the newly wed couple by sprinkling water from the pot held in Vishnu's hand. All the four deities wear different hair styles and crowns. While Shiva has a tall crown announcing his supreme status, Parvati has a hairstyle suiting ascetics, suggesting the immense penances she underwent in order to obtain Shiva as her husband. Vishnu and Lakshmi wear crowns typical to South Indian deities. The two gods wear the conventional Indian dhoti, while the goddesses are adorned with dhotis clinging to the limbs much like a traditional sari.

Click Here to View the Reverse of This Sculpture.

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