Inktober - Week 3 & 4 - Temple Sculptures

Inktober has reached mid-way and I am lagging 5 days as I had to travel to Dubai, just 3 days; the fourth day we were travelling back before my visa expired. By the time I got back, I was down with fever and severe allergies! But I lost one day because of my health but tried to go with it even though my posting time got delayed. So here's Week 3 and 4... (In case you haven't seen...Week1&Week2 )

I first sketch it out on an ordinary A5 size paper and when I feel it's right I transfer it onto my A5 Sketchbook and then colour it with my Winsor & Newton or Liquitex inks. I am doing monochromes in this series.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments here, in FB and on Instagram. It really inspires to do more! Love you all!

 Day 13 - “Kaliya Daman” 

- Taming of Kaliya (many hooded venomous snake) by Lord Krishna. 

 Day 14 - it’s a sculpture from Pala, Bihar. 

Looks like a scene from the war front. There’s something in here that I like it a lot; must be how one form fuses into the other particularly in the vertical format! 

 Day 15 - “Shiva-Parvathy Kalyanam” 

(Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy)

{*Aside - "I find working with purple and pink inks difficult in this series...they have a mind of their own!"}

 Day 16 - "Naga-Nagini" 

(mating snake couple) from Belur. 

Belur and Halebidu are twin cities in Hassan district of Karnataka known for the exquisite and intricate temples carvings which are UNESCO world heritage sites. They were built by Amarashilpi (‘immortal’ architect) Jakkanna Acharya under the Hoysala Dynasty.

One of my personal favourites!

 Day 17 - "Varaha" 

(the boar avatar of Lord Vishnu) with Bhudevi (Mother Earth). 

This avatar, according to mythology, was adorned to save Mother Earth from Hiranyaksha, the fierce demon. This sculpture is supposed to be from the 8th or 9th century!

 Day 18 - “Yogini” 

- from Uttar Pradesh, 8th Century. 

 Day 19 - “Avalokitesvara” 

(earthly manifestation of the self-born eternal Buddha Amitabha; the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas). The bodhisattva is depicted in different cultures as either male or female. This is referred from a photo of a 10C sculpture found in Pala, Bihar.

 Day 20 - “Vrishabha” 

(bull, here the female counterpart of Nandi - the gate-guardian if Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva and the vehicle of the Lord), Yogini temple, Khajuraho, 10c.

Day 21 - "Mahishasuramardini"

Goddess Durga slaying the buffalo-headed demon, Mahishasura.

Just 10 more to for me while only a week is left for the Inktober to be officially over. I am going to finish it but maybe I will run a little into the first week of November. But that's ok, right! The important thing is to finish a body of work! 

"So how's your Inktober going??"