Standing
figure of the Jaina yaks ini Ambikā carved in a coarse white marble.
The goddess, originally four-armed, is carved in high relief against the
plain ground of the slab; the base has been given offsets and is
inscribed. The goddess wears a tiered crown of the beehive (karaṇḍa)
type with her long hair tied into a small bun on one side.
Two arms of
the goddess have been broken away; in the remaining arms, she holds an
elephant goad (aṅkuśa) and what seems to be the bottom of a noose or the
stalk of a plant. On one of the stepped faces of the base is a small
incised figure of a kneeling female donor with a inscribed label above.
The
inscription records the making of the image of Ambā by Vararuci after
he had made a goddess of speech (Vāgdevī ) and three Jinas. This
Vararuci may be identified as Dhanapāla, the author who enjoyed a
prominent place in the court of king Bhoja.
© Trustees of the British Museum
© Trustees of the British Museum
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