Sticky in Chennai

A Chola Buddha

Yes, Iris and I are going to take a night train to Thanjour Friday night to see more temples, and, far more importantly, to see first hand how the traditional artisans make Chola sculptures.  To be honest I am outright giddy with excitement. 

Chola statues, when done well, are simply stunning works of art.  The truly inspired Chola sculptures capture movement so well that you almost expect them to start dancing right before your eyes. The texture of the bronze is soothing, the expressions on their faces captivating, and the story within each piece fascinating.  

We hope to return with lots of good stories and plenty of photos of the artists at work.  Here is a website of one of the sculptors we intent to visit: http://www.sthapathi.com/

We are having a huge household debate about whether we should actually purchase or commission a piece.  On one hand we hate clutter, and we find that we end up regretting about 98% of all purchases we have ever made.  (The great exceptions being cooking utensils for Iris and musical instruments for myself.)

Furthermore there is a big debate about which subject to purchase.  We are interested in getting a Buddha, but Chola sculpture is really about Hindu folklore.  And while we love the Hindu fables, and the more we learn the more we are surprised and very delighted by what we  learn, Hinduism is simply not us.  I am sure you can all understand that inviting an idol into your home is a very personal matter.    (Oy! My Jewish ancestors and Iris’ Muslim ancestors must all be flipping out right now!)

Interestingly enough there is also a tradition of Chola Buddhas.  (See above.) But a Chola Buddha is merely a diversion from the main Chola tradition of Ganesha, Pavrati, Vishnu, Shiva and the usual cast of characters.   We’ll see…Thanjour awaits!