Valiant Women
March 8 – Women’s Day

S Balakrishnan *

Ancient Udayagiri panel

This is not about heroic women from the history, the usual stuff on Women’s Day, but women springing up from stone images to valiantly fight against elephants. Though they are from two different parts of India belonging to two different ages (as ancient as 2nd century B.C and as modern as 20th century), they convey the same action scene – women boldly fighting against elephants.

The similarity of idea of the two artisans is really surprising despite a gap of 2200 years!

Let us first visit the Udayagiri Jain Caves near Bhubaneswar in Odisha to view the ancient stone sculpture. The twin hills – Udayagiri and Khandagiri – have rock-cut caves that served as shelters for Jain monks since early 2nd century B.C. or even earlier. Though the sandstone hills were easy to excavate, the brittle nature gave way to weather conditions leading to damage and defacing.

However, those sculptures inside the caves have largely escaped the onslaught of weather and have a story each to tell to the discerning visitor. One such bass relief in the main wing in Udayagiri Hills depicts an animated scene taking place in a forest which is indicated by a flowering tree on the right extreme.

The story the stone carving conveys could be that of a bevy of girls visiting a lotus pond/lake in the forest for sporting. But instead of fun & frolic the women were forced to fight three elephants whose favourite watering hole could be that pond/lake. Wave-like curved lines indicate rippling water of the lotus pond/lake.

Modern ceramic panel

The reaction of the panicked eleven-member women group is shown in various moods – one is trying to chase the elephants by throwing a ring-like object (could be her anklet), with her hair completely disheveled; a few such rings (anklets?) are already seen near the elephants, thrown by the group.

Another is holding a thick stick, while the third one is aiming some other object towards the herd of elephants. While these three are attacking the wild elephants, two others are helping their two friends who have fallen down in the pell-mell. A group of three ladies stand together with their arms around each other’s neck.

One more lady is extending her support by holding the hand of the first woman throwing anklet and by holding the hip of another who is aiming some object towards the elephants. A twelfth figure that stands very close to the elephants could be a man, helping these women in repulsing the attack of the elephant herd. It is not clear if the elephant is holding something in its trunk or being attacked by the pet dog of the ladies.

Let us hope the partying girls returned safely and, at the same time, without harming much the wild elephants. Thus, the more than 2000 year old Udayagiri-Khandagiri Jain caves play an important role in understanding both art and religion.

With the help of a guide book published by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), I explored these artistic caves almost for a whole day in 1982. I pointed out this and other stone stories to my family members during our 2018 visit.

To my surprise I found a ceramic panel with a similar action scene in my wife’s collections. Bought by her for 10 or 15 rupees in 1980 or thereof, the foot-long small panel depicts a scene of a caparisoned elephant (a royal / temple elephant) tearing apart a lady’s limbs. This mould panel is scarier than the Udayagiri bass relief panel, though!

Two of the victim’s companions are trying to save her by attacking the majestic elephant with sticks; another is saving a fallen companion by dragging her away by holding her plaited her. This ceramic art piece is by TACEL (Tamil Nadu Ceramics Ltd., a State Government enterprise of the past). I wonder what inspired the artisan to create such a violent scene, while the Udayagiri scene could be from the Kalinga royal chronicle.

I am amazed by the similarity of theme despite a time span of 2000 years – women bravely fighting majestic elephants! I must also thank my graying memory for reminding me to write on this International Women’s Day about these valiant sculpture women. …