“The icon lends us a sense of immediacy that perpetually grounds it in the present. It offers us a preview of the future through the form of a pregnant body on the verge of childbirth. Like the expectant body patiently awaiting the breaking of its waters, individuals too must exercise patience in fulfilling their spiritual journey.”
Author: Jahnvi Singh
The terracotta female figure measures about 1/2 inch in height and 2 1/2 inches in width, it is about 1/ inch thick and is cast in a single mould. The back is flat and the surface is fine, red polished all over. The figurine is nude and seated on the ground in a squatting position with outstretched legs, a common posture of females during childbirth. An attempt is made to show anatomical details such as bulbous breasts, navel, and the vulva, which are indicative of its blooming youth and also an indication of fertility. Her arms are on the sides holding her legs apart, exposing the genitalia. Her right foot is placed on a slightly elevated platform to meet this objective. A thick girdle encircles the waist, and she wears heavy anklets. But the figure has no head. Instead, around the neck is a necklace made of a lotus. This is intentional as it reveals the veneration of maternity as a divine principle. Usually, fertility goddesses were fashioned as headless and the primary emphasis was given to fashioning the breasts, navel and vulva region. Indologists have identified the said image as Lajja Gauri. This essay will trace the evolution of the icon mapping her journey over time.
Earthen pots, lotus heads, pregnant bellies, and garlands create the intriguing deity that is the Lajja Gauri. The presence of sculptures portraying Lajja Gauri spans the Indian subcontinent, and is particularly common in the Deccan region. Evolving over a millennium in the realm of Indian imagery, Lajja Gauri's representation transitioned from a simple aniconic vase to a fully anthropomorphic female form.
During the 1930’s, Anglo-Indian archaeologist Margaret Alice Murray categorised the ‘female fertility figures’ into three distinct groups. These types were the Universal Mother or Isis type, The Divine woman or Ishtar type, or the Personified Yoni or Baubo type. Most of the artefacts discovered in South Asia depicting female figures fall under one of these categories. Refusing the designation of Mother Goddess, Carol Radcliff Bolon established in her research that the Lajja Gauri as the fundamental origin of all life and the manifestation of all creative power.
In view of the exhibition of the vulva region, she has been categorised as the Personified Yoni type emphasising fertility and the regenerative power of nature. The spouting of vegetation from the throat impels scholars to identify her as Sakambari. Early small, roughly carved stone and moulded terracotta images from southern India portray her as a village or folk goddess, symbolizing fertility as the purna kumba or brimming pot. Marshall, however, has identified the lotus-head motif as Prithvi, while others saw an affinity with the nude folk goddess Kotavi. But to Bolon, Lajja-Gauri was the next evolution of gramadevi. As gramadevi, a local or village goddess in Hindu tradition, often worshipped by the residents of a particular village she becomes a protective deity associated with fertility rituals, childbirth, and the overall well-being of the community.
She underwent anthropomorphisation in the second century. Limbs were assimilated into the icon where the legs were spread out, with the hands either supporting the spread of the legs or held upwards as if in prayer. The goddess was slowly assimilated into Shaivism as Gauri, a specific manifestation of the goddess Parvati, Shiva's consort. It seems that the various forms of the mother goddess originally belonged to various folk cultures and indigenous social substrata. Between the first century A.D. and the tenth century A.D., these goddesses were conflated and there emerged a universal mother goddess in Indian culture. Her status ascended from a popular deity to an imperial goddess, in the third century, acquiring additional features such as breasts, a lotus head, and her arms now holding lotus buds. Contrary to previous assumptions, aniconic images of Lajja Gauri found in southern sites were predominantly made of stone rather than terracotta, challenging the notion that her images were primarily mass-produced and associated with lower social status. Notably, royal patrons, including the Mauryas and the Guptas, were known to commission sculptures of the goddess. Lajja Gauri's transition from a local village shrine to a royal temple in an urban centre blurs the boundaries between the socially high and low and also between the sacred and profane.
Lajja Gauri is a symbol of transformation and renewal, where the exposure of her genitalia signifies a process of birth and rebirth. The sculpture, in its provocative form, transcends mere aesthetic appreciation, inviting contemplation on the interconnectedness of life, birth, and renewal. The correlation of women’s reproductive and sexual cycles with the Earth’s seasonal and vegetative cycles has given yoni a cosmological significance. The yoni is a Sanskrit word that refers to the female reproductive organ, symbolising the divine feminine creative power. It is often associated with the goddess Shakti and represents the source of all life and creation.
The icon lends us a sense of immediacy that perpetually grounds it in the present. It offers us a preview of the future through the form of a pregnant body on the verge of childbirth. Like the expectant body patiently awaiting the breaking of its waters, individuals too must exercise patience in fulfilling their spiritual journey. Perhaps it is this enduring metaphor that ensured the relevance of the Lajja Gauri form.
Sexuality is often linked with fertility, and there exists a correlation between fertility rituals and sexuality, or vice versa. Among the tribes of Eastern India, there is a belief in the interconnectedness of sex and vegetative fertility. The village goddesses dedicated to fertility frequently embody a combination of attributes relating to both sexuality and fertility. A multitude of female deities representing fertility, either in anthropomorphic forms or through aniconic features, are prevalent in agricultural and tribal communities across India. Though the line between her spread-out legs carries sexual connotations, when considered alongside the symbolism of the lotus, the brimming pot, and the uttanapada pose, her figure can be understood in relation to ideas of fertility, generation, and creation.
From the eleventh century onward, worship of the Lajja Gauri declined in most regions of the subcontinent for reasons yet unknown, despite her prevalence in visual culture from the second to the eleventh century CE. Later, shifting attitudes and the influence of Victorian morality in the Indian middle class led to the desecration of numerous Lajja Gauri sculptures and the abandonment of associated ritual practices. The goddess has been variably described as the "shameless goddess" and the "displayed female" by both British and Indian surveyors. HD Sankalia translates the name Lajja Gauri in the title of his essay as “shameless woman”. However, it is known that the word lajja could imply both shamelessness and modesty in Sanskrit, reiterating the iconographic pun between a brimming pot and a pregnant womb.
In contemporary discourse, the Lajja Gauri sculpture is subject to modern descriptions such as "Goddess of Modesty" or "Fertility Goddess," reflecting the diverse interpretations and cultural perspectives surrounding the icon and the need for nuance in the perception and articulation of ancient symbols.
As we delve into the intricate details of the Lajja Gauri sculpture, we encounter a rich convergence of historical, cultural, and artistic elements that invite both scholarly inquiry and contemplation. Her provocative form and cultural significance render her a dynamic and enduring symbol within the tapestry of Indian art history. The Lajja Gauri sculpture stands as a testament to the perennial interplay between tradition and transformation, urging us to explore the nuanced complexities of cultural symbols and their profound impact on societal evolution over time.
Her journey is mapped in several phases: from her emergence as a maternity and fertility goddess to her anthropomorphization as a protective gramadevi, from her worship in village shrines to her veneration as a royal deity in urban centres. Her assimilation into Hinduism as a form of Gauri and the later imposition of lajja (shame) upon her form mark critical transitions in her iconography. The colonial era's taboo around her image eventually spurred a new curiosity, paving the way for the fertility goddess's rebirth in scholarly discourse.
This cyclical journey illustrates how artefacts transform and multiply in meaning, evolving to meet the needs of those who engage with them. Lajja Gauri’s enduring relevance and the layers of interpretation she embodies highlight the dynamic interplay between cultural legacy and contemporary understanding, ensuring her place as a profound subject of academic and artistic exploration.
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