Through my journey at The British Museum I wandered into the India: Amaravati gallery. Where I found a sculpture called Harihara, Vishnu and Shiva combined. This sculpture is from Central India from the Chandella Dynasty around 1000 AD. The Chandella Dynasty were the builders of temples and sculptures-- such as this one-- which were placed on the outside of temples.
This sculpture represents half Vishnu and half Shiva. The G-d is shown in two parts: is right side shows characteristics of Shiva-- his trident, hair piled on top of his head and the skull in his head-dress. Where as the left side shows characteristics of of Vishnu-- with the crown and wheel in his upper hand and a conch in the lower.
After looking at this sculpture for 15 minutes I really started to recognize the detail within the sculpture. I started to understand the sculpture a little more as time passed. I realized that the sculpture combines the two most powerful Hindu G-d's in a single structure. Showing that G-d is one in the same.
- Jordyn Jaffe
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