Dilwara, Mount Abu
Chalukya 13th century AD
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...And why aren't they here? Pictures from this dynasty are few and far between. The Chalukya Dynasty is one of several kingdoms in Southern India between the 10th and 13th century. As a result, categories like "medieval South Indian" dredge up a variety of information, of which the Western Chalukya Dynasty is but a small part. The pre-eminent stars of this era are the Cholas. Chola religious art is exceptionally delicate and finely crafted - not to mention prolific. The Chola Dynasty is also bigger and longer lasting.
Another challenge is that there are two Chalukya Dynasties - the early, Eastern Chalukya Dynasty ends around the 8th or 9th centuries and is contemporaneous with the Gupta era and the Ajanta Cave paintings. Biyari is based in the later, Western Chalukya Dynasty, from the 9th to 12th centuries. These two eras are different enough in time that clothing and jewelry have changed quite a bit. When a caption says "Chalukya" there's no telling which dynasty it is.
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So, why are you telling me this, Lakshmi? Basically as an excuse. The few Chalukya pictures I could dig up came from online images of temple sculptures. The best are what you see in this introduction. Most were not in good repair, and many of the images are low quality, making elusive details even harder to see. Not so great for the re-enactor. So, instead, I focused on a few neighboring kingdoms from the same period - the Hoysala, the Chola, Chandellas and the Kakatiyas - kingdoms that existed in the modern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and (rarely) Andhra Pradesh. The Chalukya kingdom can be seen here, while the Hoysalas are here. Notice how those pesky Cholas stay right where they are. They think they are Sooo special with their big, Southern, long lived Empire with super spiffy statuary.
Three more Chalukyan era paintings are below.
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A Pattadkal sculpture
Chalukya Era
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Mithuana (loving couple)
Alampur Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Chalukyan Period, 8th C. AD |
Miniature Painting, Chalukyan |
Pair of Ladies
Alampur Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Chalukyan Period, 8th C. AD |
