The Dasavatara shrine is a miniature

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

displaying the ten incarnations of the Hindu deity

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

, carved in ivory and wood. The Dasavatara shrine was made in the late 18th century CE in

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

. It is presently displayed in the

National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

. The term

Dashavatara The Dashavatara (, ) are the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, a principal Hindus, Hindu god. Vishnu is said to descend in the form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. The word ''Dashavatara'' derives from , meaning "ten", and , roughly equi ...

refers to the ten main

incarnations Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It is the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or an anthropomorphic form of a god. It is used to mean a god, deity, or Divine Being i ...

of Vishnu, generally displayed together in panels and reliefs.

Description

According to the National Museum's curator, Anamika Pathak, the Dasavatara shrine is decorated with black paint, and the screen and the base of the shrine shows the signature style of craftsmanship of the Mysore school of ivory painting. All the images are fixed on a painted stepped base made of sandalwood. The base, covered completely with ivory sheet, has the traditional South Indian design of flowers, and is decorated with several knobs fixed at the bottom step. Two pillars support the fence in the background on both sides. The backdrop of the shrine is decorated with perforated ivory screen. These lattice work screens are divided into three parts by two small European style columns. An ivory strip on the wooden edges of the steps and base of the shrine depicts a foliage pattern.

Iconography

There are a total of ten images featured in the Dasavatara shrine, standing upon a total of four steps, each depicting an incarnation of Vishnu. Dashavtar_closeup_national_museum_india

The first step features the

Matsya Matsya () is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's Dashavatara, ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu (Hinduism), Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be dep ...

avatar. The second step features the

Kurma Kurma (), is the second avatar of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. Originating in Vedic literature such as the Yajurveda as being synonymous with the Saptarishi called Kashyapa, Kurma is most commonly associated in post-Vedic literature suc ...

and

Varaha Varaha (, , "boar") is the avatar of the Hinduism, Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a wild boar, boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. In legend, when the demon Hiranyaksha steals ...

avatars. The third step features the

Narasimha Narasimha (, , or , ), is the fourth avatara of the Hindu god Vishnu in the Satya Yuga. He incarnated as a part-lion, part-man and killed Hiranyakashipu, ended religious persecution and calamity on earth, and restored dharma. Narasimha has th ...

Vamana Vamana (, ) also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (, ), and Balibandhana (), is an Dashavatara, avatar of the Hinduism, Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu and the first Dashavatara in the Treta ...

, and

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...

avatars. The fourth step features the

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

Balarama Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

, and

Kalki Kalki (), also called Kalkin, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hinduism, Hindu god Vishnu. According to Vaishnavism, Vaishnava cosmology, Kalki is destined to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga, the last of the four ages i ...

avatars. The Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha and Kalki images are depicted as four-armed, which conveys the idea of Vishnu's supremacy. All of them hold Vishnu's attributes of the

shankha A Turbinella pyrum, shankha () has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. In Hinduism, the shankha called panchajanya is a sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu. It is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was us ...

and

chakra A chakra (; ; ) is one of the various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, part of the inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of the chakra arose in Hinduism. B ...

in their two hands. Their other two hands express the

abhayamudra The abhayamudra () is a mudra (gesture) that is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Indian religions. The right hand is raised to shoulder height, wit ...

and

varadamudra The Varadamudra () or Abheeshta Mudra is a ''mudra'', a symbolic gesture featured in the iconography of Indian religions. It indicates a gesture by the hand and symbolises dispensing of boons. It is represented by the palm held outward, with the ...

; Kalki is the exception, holding a sword and a shield. The Vamana, Parshurama, Rama, Balarama, and Krishna images are portrayed as two-armed, and hold different attributes. Vamana holds an

umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used when protec ...

and a kamandalam, while Parashurama carries an axe and a bow. Rama holds a bow-and-arrow, while Balarama carries a mace, his other hand expressing the abhayamudra. Krishna carries a flute and a shankha. All the incarnations are depicted wearing a

dhoti The dhoti is an ankle-length breechcloth, wrapped around the waist and the legs, in resemblance to the shape of trousers. The dhoti is a garment of ethnic wear for men in the Indian subcontinent. The dhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular p ...

as a lower garment, and are adorned with items of jewellery such as necklaces, bangles, armlets, and the

kiritamukuta The Kiritamukuta () is a crown generally attributed to Vishnu in Hindu iconography. It is also depicted to be worn by the Avatar, avatars of Vishnu, such as Rama. Vishnu is depicted with the Kiritamukuta in some of his earliest icons, identified ...

, a crown worn by Vishnu. Vamana is depicted without a crown.

References

Indian sculpture National Museum, New Delhi Ivory works of art Hindu art {{DEFAULTSORT:Dasavatara shrine