Goddess Saraswati without veena: Sculptures of Pallava, Chola era reveal an earlier iconography

At the Arthamandapam of the Gangaikondacholapuram Temple, just outside the sanctum sanctorum, stands an unusual image of Goddess Saraswati—one that is notably without the veena, the musical instrument now regarded as her defining attribute.Seated in padmasana with four arms, the deity is identified as Saraswati by the suvadi (manuscript) she holds in one hand and the akka mala (rudraksha rosary) in another. The remaining two hands hold an ankusha (goad) and a pasha (noose), iconographic features rarely associated with conventional representations of the Goddess.“She is one of the war trophies brought to Tamil Nadu following the Cholas’ northern campaign. The image originally belonged to the Pala dynasty,” according to R.

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