The Somaskanda sculptures: The story of the missing Ganesha - Storytrails
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The Somaskanda sculptures: The story of the missing Ganesha

What can a popular icon tell us about the religious landscape of the territories ruled by the Pallava dynasty 1400 years ago? This video explores the story of the Somaskanda, a divine family portrait that seems to be missing an important member.

The Somaskanda was a popular icon during the Pallava period. You can see it sculpted on the walls of the Atiranachanda Cave temple, the Shore temple and many other 7th-8th century monuments at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu. You can also see many spectacular Chola-period bronzes of the Somaskanda at the Egmore Museum in Chennai. The icon represents Shiva, the god of destruction, his wife Parvati, and their son, the ancient warrior god, Muruga. The picture, though, seems a little incomplete, doesn’t it? There’s someone missing from this family portrait. Why did the sculptors leave Ganesha out? 

This short video explores some possible answers as it takes you on a journey through the changing religious landscape in Pallava territories during the first 1000 years of the common era.

This video is brought to you in partnership with Tamil Nadu Tourism and Saint-Gobain

Editing credits: Venkat Krishna

Music, Sound Design, Mix & Master: Vedanth Bharadwaj

Wardrobe Sponsor – Rare Rabbit

  1. India Map – Google Earth Studio
  2. Somskanda Bronzes – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  3. 14th c. CE Somaskanda Bronze – By Art Institute of Chicago – https://www.artic.edu/artworks/25667/god-shiva-and-goddess-uma-seated-with-their-son-skanda-somaskanda, CC0,<https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73899717> 
  4. Family of Shiva – By StormChase – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37264030>
  5. Ganesha Bronze – https://www.pngwing.com/en/free-png-mwoso 
  6. Pallava Flag – By Vatasura – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36932700>
  7. Ganesha, Karpaka Vinaykar Temple – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/7th-century_Karpaka_Vinayakar_temple%2C_Pillayarpatti_Pillayar_Koil%2C_Tiruppathur_Tamil_Nadu_-_02.jpg
  8. Early Eastern Chalukyan Ganesha – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  9. Pallava Ganesha – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  10. Meyon/Vishnu – By Marshall Astor – Flickr: The Hindu deity Vishnu – Indian Art – Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, CC BY-SA 2.0,< https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15785411>
  11. Indiran – By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=108941892>
  12. Varuna – https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/72310
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  14. Muruga/Seyon – By 1. MAA. THAMIZHILPPARITHI2. M.S. ARUNKUMAR – viluppuram dt, CC0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47974985>
  15. Shiva – By Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Shiva, Art Gallery, Thanjavur (2), CC BY 2.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64005020>
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  18. Jain Tirthankara Sculpture – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  19. Gautam Buddha – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  20. Samanar Malai Jain Caves, Madhurai – By Ms Sarah Welch – Own work, CC0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100172145>
  21. Buddhist Sculptures, Ekambareshwara Temple. PC: Storytrails
  22. Hiuen Tsang – This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Alexcn at Chinese Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:Alexcn grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. – Own work, Public Domain, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=247641>
  23. Trilokyanatha Jain Temple – By Ssriram mt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50794344>
  24. Mural at Trilokyanatha Temple – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Tiruparuthikundram_%284%29.jpg
  25. Adi Shankara – By Raja Ravi Varma – adi-shankaracharya/WgFvX3x6i0ckfQ at Google Arts &amp; Culture, Public Domain, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10306665>
  26. Meerabai – By Raja Ravi Varma – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meerabai_1.jpg, Public Domain, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35110085>
  27. Nayanmar Saints – By sowrirajan s from Chennai, india – 63 Nayanmars, CC BY 2.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37357343>
  28. Bronze Sculptures of Alwars – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  29. Thiruthalinathar Shiva Temple Nayarmar sculptures – By Ms Sarah Welch – Own work, CC0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100943165>
  30. Nayanmaer Bronzes – Egmore Museum, Chennai. PC: Storytrails
  31. Tulsidas- https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goswami_Tulsidas_Awadhi_Hindi_Poet.jpg#mw-jump-to-license 
  32. Purandara dasa- By India Post, Government of India – [1] [2], CC BY-SA 3.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70733842>
  33. Chaitanya- By Rikudhar – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113919697>
  34. Meera -By Onef9day – clicked at Delhi Haat, CC BY 3.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14091812>
  35. Tukaram- https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tukaram_by_Raja_Ravi_Varma.jpg#mw-jump-to-license 
  36. Shankaracharya- By Raja Ravi Varma – adi-shankaracharya/WgFvX3x6i0ckfQ at Google Arts &amp; Culture, Public Domain, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10306665>
  37. Ramanuja- By Debanjon – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37945646>
  38. Defeat of Pulakeshin – By Dudley, Ambrose (fl. 1920s) – http://www.bridgemanart.com/asset/357950/Dudley-Ambrose-fl.-1920s/The-defeat-of-Pulikesin-II-the-Chalukhya-byMaham?search_context={%22url%22%3A%22\%2Fsearch\%2Fartist\%2FDudley-Ambrose-fl.-1920s\%2F32839%22%2C%22num_results%22%3A%2279%22%2C%22search_type%22%3A%22creator_assets%22%2C%22creator_id%22%3A%2232839%22%2C%22item_index%22%3A38}, Public Domain, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19999341>
  39. Uthrapathiswaraswamy Temple, Thiruchengattankudi – By P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar – P. V. Jagadisa Ayyar (1920). South Indian shrines: illustrated. Madras Times Printing and Pub. Co. p. 404., <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32546913>
  40. Shiva family – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Lord-shiva-1.jpg
  41. Single Ganesha – https://wellcomecollection.org/works/nekd64ff/images?id=a76bcxt5
  42. Ganesha with Riddhi Siddhi -By Raja Ravi Varma – Original source not stated by uploader, a source available here, Public Domain, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2452488>
  43. Shiva Family – https://wellcomecollection.org/works/bzbaqjqd/images?id=d2rgysp3
  44. Muruga, Batu Caves -By R Shanmuga Sundaram – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17825142>
  45. Shiva Family – By https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/obf_images/e9/0d/562bf6d91633f5aabe55859cd7f9.jpgGallery: https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/V0045047.htmlWellcome Collection gallery (2018-04-03): https://wellcomecollection.org/works/tu22hd8t CC-BY-4.0, CC BY 4.0, <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36659757>
END OF STORY

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