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Rock and stone were the most common subjects for the
development of art, right from the Maurya period to Harshavardhana to the
Mughals and the British. Gods formed the basis of sculpture all over
India, including Haryana. Sculptures in Haryana were concentrated around
central and northern parts and were basically religious in content.
Materials Used
Besides rock and stone, sandstone was widely used, be it green, buff,
gray or black However, the Mughals put a stop to carving idols and images
out of rock as this was against the very basis of Islam. They went a step
further, destroying temples and any such figure, which crossed their path.
Main Themes
The various incarnations of Lord Vishnu along with other Hindu gods and
goddesses provided the inspiration to sculptors to carve out beautiful
images. Besides characters from Hindu mythology, Jain images from the
Pratihara period (9th century) have also been found, all made of
sandstone. The Buddha also surfaces once in a while, like in Rohtak where
he was found seated cross-legged on a lotus pedestal and made entirely of
gray stone.
A figure of Vishnu found in Kurukshetra is a remarkable piece of art,
showing the four- armed god, gracefully reclining on the coils of
Anantnag, the many-headed snake. This stone figure was probably made in
the 10th century AD. Besides the images of Hindu gods and goddesses, Jain
images from the Pratihara period (9th century) have also been found.