Dvarapala

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Dvarapala at the Plaosan Temple near Prambanan in Indonesia (11th century)

Dvarapalas (Sanskrit: 'door guards') - sometimes also called pratiharas in parts of India - are mostly armed guardian figures on both sides of gates and doors on palace buildings or Buddhist and Hindu temples in South Asia (India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia ) and East Asia (Tibet, China, Korea, Japan). But they can also be found at some village entrances in South India - as large clay figures and mostly free-standing.

Names

While the designation Dvarapala has largely established itself in all of South Asia, in East Asia they are also known as Lishi or Menshen (China), Narayeonggeumgang (Korea) or Kongorikishi or Nio (Japan), depending on the language of the country or region. designated.

Origin and development

Draupadi-Ratha (7th century)

The origin of the countless Dvarapala representations in real door guards is likely to be found primarily in royal palaces or - when there is a large number of pilgrims - also in temple buildings. In a religious sense, their origin can also be traced back to demons and other anti-gods ( asuras ) who were subjugated and made servants by the Aryan high gods. Other natural deities (e.g. Yakshas or Nagas ) , deeply anchored in popular belief, can also be considered as early forerunners of the dvarapalas . In the sculpture of the Pallava they lose their deterrent nature and appear for the first time in (super) human form, whereby female figures can also appear (e.g. in the Draupadi-Ratha in Mamallapuram ). In northern India, the two river deities Ganga and Yamuna usually take on the role of door guards.

function

Dvarapalas always have a disaster-warding ( apotropaic ) function. At the same time, they discipline the visitors - through their weapons and / or their terrifying appearance, or simply through their presence - and demand their respect. On both sides of the palace gates and doors they guard and protect the ruler, in temples the cult image or the lingam , in which, according to Indian ideas, the deity himself is present.

iconography

Appearance

The representations of the - mostly occurring in pairs - Dvarapalas are very different: there are large and slim (India, Thailand) as well as small and thick (Indonesia) representations; their facial expression is - comparable to demons and bhairava representations - often terrifying (large eyes, raised eyebrows, open mouth with protruding long canine teeth). In the classical art of India and Nepal, but also in Thailand and Cambodia, they are often depicted standing - and less frightening - whereas in Indonesia they are usually crouching or kneeling.

In contrast to the Hindu or Tantric figures of gods, which are usually shown with four or more arms, the Dvarapalas always have only two arms, which illustrates their lower rank. Their often dwarfish form - compared to the gods - also makes their inferior rank clear.

Attributes

Dvarapalas usually carry simple archaic weapons (clubs, lances, spears, as well as bows and arrows), which makes their rather wild or primitive origin clear. Iron or more complicated, d. H. Ultimately, however, more modern weapons (swords, throwing discs) are reserved for the gods.

In East Asia, Dvarapalas are sometimes shown with a lion's head or replaced entirely by lions. In such cases, they usually no longer carry weapons.

See also

literature

  • Anneliese and Peter Keilhauer: The Imagery of Hinduism. The Indian world of gods and their symbolism DuMont, Cologne 1983 ISBN 3-7701-1347-0 .
  • Helena A. van Bemmel: Dvarapalas in Indonesia: temple guardians and acculturation. Rotterdam 1994, ISBN 90-5410-155-5 .

Web links

Commons : Dvarapala  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files