Indian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Studies

Embodied Aesthetics: Application of Sanskrit Alankāra Theory in Temple Iconography

The term of Alaṅkāra, one of the fundamental terms of Sanskrit poetics, represents the idea of the embellishment of the expression for aesthetic purposes. In the traditional sense, Alaṅkāra has been limited to literary theories, such as those present in the Kavyadarsha and Kavyalankara texts. However, it is also applicable to the realm of visual arts, which will be considered in this study as well. The notion of the temple ornamentation of India can be seen from the viewpoint of Alaṅkāra as the “visual language” associated with the aesthetic values expressed by the ornaments. The ornaments used in temples symbolically represent the ideas of different figures of speech, such as Upamā (simile), Rūpaka (metaphor), and Atiśayokti (hyperbole). With respect to this, the idea that visual representations are integrated into the aesthetic structure represented in the Natyashastra can be discussed in this context. Indeed, the use of ornaments, as well as the other aspects of temple art, can be seen as an aesthetic practice guided by the rules specified in the śilpa śāstra.