Online Museum Tour
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Museum Tour
My participation in an online tour to the National Museum, New Delhi, in India, was not only enjoyable but also educational. One of the artifacts that I found interesting during the online museum tour was the Kaliyadamana that shows God Krishna Dancing on the head of the five-headed and hooded snake demon Kaliya while holding its tail with his left hand while making the Abhaya mudra gesture with his right. I learned that the structure originates from Tamil Nadu, India, during the Vijayanagar period in the 14th Century and dates 1301-1400. Additionally, it has a bronze material with Kate S.Buckigham Fund as its medium. I learned that the represents the narration of how Krishna protected the cowherd community after learning that there was poison in the Kalindi river, which affected cattle by subjugating the giant snake and dancing on its hood until it begged for forgiveness. The Abhaya mudra sign shows protection to all, which I interpreted as selflessness in protecting both humans and animals in th society. Similarly, the hand holding the serpent’s tail has his hands showing Anjali-Mundra gesture that signifies respect and worship, and I understood it as an inspiration for religious followers to be true to their religions and have courage. People ought fo follow Lord Krishna’s example.
The other exciting artifact I came across was Nataraja, the Lord of dance, who represents the crucial components of Shiva grace, destruction, preservation, and creation. The bronze structure’s origin is also Tamil Nadu in the 12th century AD, during the Chola Dynasty. In the image, Shiva has four arms, where he front right-hand makes Abhaya-Mundra gesture showing protection, ear right carries a drum symbolizing creation sound, the left hand has fire flames representing destruction and the rear left is crossing his chest and points to his feet where he tramples apasmarapurusha/ignorance, a dwarf demon. Through mu tour and additional research learned that Nataraja means the ‘King of Dancers’ and that the actions from the image are the Ananda-Tandava ecstatic dance. In this artifact, the Shiva performs his destruction roles ith light because it is a forerunner of creation, whose interpretation I thought to be that people should accept the challenging decisions and tasks that they have to perform in their lines of duty.
Antique Chola Style Hindu Bronze Krishna Dancing On Kaliya Nag Serpent 18H. (2020). Retrieved 5 May 2020, from https://www.buddhamuseum.com/krishna-dancing-on-kaliya-nag_77.html
New Delhi, N. (2020). National Museum, New Delhi. Retrieved 5 May 2020, from http://nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/prodCollections.asp?pid=27&id=2&lk=dp2