Q1.
In the painting Fig. 4.14, can you make out who is the king and who is the guru?
Answer
Yes — the crowned figure on the right is the king; the bearded figure on the left is the guru. The painter has given each of them a different set of signs, and you can read them off the wall painting one by one.
| What you can see | Left figure — the guru | Right figure — the king |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Hair piled up in a coiled knot of matted locks (jaṭā), the mark of an ascetic | A tall, elaborate crown of stacked bands and a fan-like top — a makuṭa, worn only by royalty and by gods |
| Face | Older, with a beard, cheeks lined; the eyes are half-closed and turned downward, as in meditation | Young and beardless, eyes wide open and looking outward, a faint smile |
| Ornaments | Very few — a plain string at the neck | Heavy hanging earrings, several necklaces, bands across the chest |
| Placement | Placed in front, lower down and closer to the viewer — the position of honour | Stands a little behind and to the side, turned towards the guru |
Why a painter needed these signs: a wall painting has no caption. Indian painters therefore used a fixed visual language — matted hair, beard and bare body mean a renouncer; crown, earrings and jewels mean a ruler. Anyone entering the temple could identify the two figures at a glance, which is exactly what you have just done.
Where it is: the painting is on a wall of the Bṛihadīśhvara temple at Thanjavur — the temple built by Rājendra’s father, Rājarāja. Much of the surface has flaked and stained over a thousand years, so read the outlines rather than the colours.