UPSC CSE Mains 2025

Q. The sculptors filled the Chandella artform with resilient vigor and breadth of life. Elucidate.

Possible Introductions 

Contextual intro

The Chandella dynasty (9th–13th century CE), ruling in Bundelkhand (present-day Madhya Pradesh), created some of the finest specimens of Indian temple architecture at Khajuraho, where sculptors imbued stone with an extraordinary sense of vitality and rhythm.

Archaeological intro

The temples of Khajuraho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are testimony to Chandella sculptors who turned hard sandstone into fluid, life-like forms, symbolizing both spiritual aspiration and worldly exuberance.

Philosophical intro

Chandella art reflects the Indian worldview of integrating dharma, artha, kama, moksha into a holistic vision of life, where sculptors captured vigor (ojas) and vitality in both divine and human expressions.

Directive Analysis

“Elucidate” → requires explanation with clarity and examples, showing how Chandella sculptures embody vigor and vitality of life.

Main Body

1. Architectural Framework

• • Khajuraho temples follow Nagara style, with lofty shikharas, mandapas, and richly carved exteriors.

  • Sandstone used allowed minute detailing, giving fluidity to figures.

2. Resilient Vigor in Sculptures

• • Sculptures show dynamic postures (tribhanga, alidhas) rather than static forms.

  • Musicians, dancers, warriors, and mithuna couples express energy, grace, and resilience.

  • Even deities are carved with expressive gestures and musculature, radiating life force.

  • Example: The vigorous depiction of apsaras wringing water from their hair, or wrestlers locked in combat, shows kinetic energy in stone.

3. Breadth of Life Represented

• • Erotic sculptures (Kama): celebrate human love, symbolizing creative energy.

  • Secular depictions: domestic scenes, agricultural work, artisans, court life.

  • Spiritual imagery (Moksha): gods, celestial beings, mythical narratives.

  • Natural motifs: animals, foliage, birds—integrating human life with nature.

Sweet Spot: Together, these convey the panchamukhi (five-fold) vision of life: religious, social, cultural, erotic, and natural.

4. Symbolism and Aesthetic Philosophy

• • Sculptures are not merely decorative but express tantric and bhakti symbolism.

  • Erotic figures on outer walls represent worldly desire left behind before entering the sanctum.

  • Unity of sacred and secular → celebration of life as a whole, not ascetic denial.

5. Critical Appreciation

• • Chandella sculptors achieved a fusion of sensuality and spirituality, rarely matched elsewhere.

  • Movement, rhythm, and vitality are so pronounced that the temples are often described as a “stone symphony.”

  • UNESCO calls Khajuraho “an exceptional testimony to the Chandella culture.”

Diagram / Table Suggestion

Possible Conclusions

Civilisational legacy

Chandella art captures the wholeness of Indian life—where vigor, rhythm, and vitality embody both sacred and secular.

Philosophical

As Ananda Coomaraswamy said, “Indian art is not an imitation of nature but a spiritual vision of life”—Chandella sculptures epitomize this philosophy.

Modern relevance

The Khajuraho sculptures remind us that art must express both resilience of human spirit and the universality of life’s experiences, making them timeless.

UNESCO-linked

Khajuraho, inscribed as a World Heritage Site, continues to inspire as a symbol of resilience and creativity of medieval Indian artisans.