dvarapala
{{Short description|Door guardian statue}}
File:0111321 Sondhni Vijayastambha, Mandasor Victory Pillars site, Mandsaur Madhya Pradesh 041.jpg, two Dvarapalas, circa 525 CE.]]
File:Plaosan Temple Guardian.jpg, Java, Indonesia.]]
A Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka (Sanskrit, "door guard"; IAST: {{IAST|Dvārapāla}} {{IPA|sa|dʋaːɽɐpaːlɐ}}) is a door or gate guardian often portrayed as a warrior or fearsome giant, usually armed with a weapon - the most common being the gada (mace). The dvarapala statue is a widespread architectural element throughout Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina cultures, as well as in areas influenced by them like Java.
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| image1 = Sculpture of Jaya, guardian to the entrance of the sanctum of Vishnu in Chennakeshava temple at Belur.jpg
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| image2 = Sculpture of Vijaya, guardian to the entrance of the sanctum of Vishnu in Chennakeshava temple at Belur.jpg
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| footer = Jaya-Vijaya - the dvarapalas of Vishnu's abode of Vaikuntha are often depicted in his temples, guarding the doors. Here they are depicted guarding the sanctum of a famous Vishnu temple known as Chennakesava Temple.
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Names
In most Southeast Asian languages (including Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Javanese), these protective figures are referred to as dvarapala.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} Sanskrit dvāra means "gate" or "door", and pāla means "guard" or "protector".
The related name in Indonesian and Malaysia is dwarapala. Equivalent door guardians in northern Asian languages are Kongōrikishi or Niō in Japanese, menshen in Chinese, and Narayeongeumgang in Korean.
Origin and forms
Dvarapalas as an architectural feature have their origin in tutelary deities, like Yaksha, and warrior figures, such as Acala, of the local popular religion.Helena A. van Bemmel, Dvārapālas in Indonesia: temple guardians and acculturation By Helena A. van Bemmel, {{ISBN|978-90-5410-155-0}} Today some dvarapalas are even figures of policemen or soldiers standing guard.
These statues were traditionally placed outside Hindu temples or Buddhist temples, as well as other structures like royal palaces, to protect the holy places inside. A dvarapala is usually portrayed as an armed fearsome guardian looking like a demon, but at the gates of Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, dvarapalas often display average human features. In other instances, a fierce-looking nāga snake figure may perform the same function. Dvarapalas are present in almost all Hindu temples, Dvarapalas are highly important in Vaishnavism and are called Jaya-Vijaya they are the guardians or (gatekeepers) of the abode of Vishnu, known as Vaikuntha (meaning place of eternal bliss).{{cite book|title=Legends of Devi|page=16|publisher=Orient Blackswan|year=1998|author=Bhattacharji, Sukumari}}{{cite book|title=Ashtanga Yoga The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy, and Practice|page=34|publisher=New World Library|author=Gregor Maehle|year=2012}} They are present in almost all Vaishnavite temples and they are mentioned in several Hindu scriptures like Brahmanda Purana and Srimad Bagavatham. According to the Brahmanda Purana, Jaya and Vijaya were the sons of Kali, an Asura, and Kali, in turn, was one of the sons of Varuna and his wife, Stuta (Sanskrit (स्तुत, meaning 'praise').{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/BrahmandaPuranaG.V.TagarePart3|title=Brahmanda Purana – English Translation – Part 3 of 5|last=G.V.Tagare|date=1958|pages=[https://archive.org/details/BrahmandaPuranaG.V.TagarePart3/page/n77 794]}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/stuta|title=Stuta, Stutā: 5 definitions|last=www.wisdomlib.org|date=2017-10-09|website=www.wisdomlib.org|access-date=2020-01-15}}
The sculptures in Java and Bali, usually carved from andesite, portray dvarapalas as fearsome giants with rather bulky physiques in semi-kneeling positions and holding a club. The largest dvarapala stone statue in Java, a dvarapala of the Singhasari period, is {{Convert|3.7|m||abbr=}} tall. The traditional dvarapalas of Cambodia and Thailand, on the other hand, are leaner and portrayed in a standing position holding the club downward in the center.
The ancient sculpture of dvarapala in Thailand is made of high-fired stoneware clay covered with a pale, almost milky celadon glaze. Ceramic sculptures of this type were produced in Thailand, during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods, between the 14th and 16th centuries, at several kiln complexes located in northern Thailand. Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, Florida
Depending on the size and wealth of the temple, the guardians could be placed singly, in pairs, or in larger groups. Smaller structures may have had only one dvarapala. Often there was a pair placed on either side of the threshold to the shrine.{{Cite web|title=Dvarapala - Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia|url=http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Dvarapala|access-date=2020-08-12|website=www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com}} Some larger sites may have had four (lokapālas, guardians of the four cardinal directions), eight, or 12. In some cases only the fierce face or head of the guardian is represented, a figure very common in the kratons in Java.
{{gallery|mode=packed
|Image:Dvarapala Elephanta 2007.JPG|Dvarapala in Elephanta India.
||Dvarapala in Sri Kalyana Ramaswamy temple, Tamil Nadu, India.
|Image:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Beeld van een demonische tempelwachter Singosari Oost-Java TMnr 10016489.jpg|The largest dvarapala stone statue of Java, Singhasari period.
|File:Two Guardian Dvarapalas at 12th Century Preah Khan 1942.jpg|Two Gigantic Guardian Dvarapalas at 12th Century Preah Khan in Angkor, Cambodia
|File:Banteay Kdei, Angkor, Camboya, 2013-08-16, DD 15.JPG|Dvarapala at Banteay Kdei in Angkor, Cambodia
|Image:Dvarapala.JPG|Dvarapala Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, 14th and 16th centuries Thailand.
|Image:Dvarapala Dong Duong Style.jpg|Late 9th or early 10th century dvarapala from Indrapura (Dong Duong), Champa, Vietnam.
|Image:Entrée du Temple de Dalem Agung Padantegal.jpg|A pair of male and female dvarapalas guarding gate of a Hindu temple in Bali, Indonesia.
|Image:Geant Grand Palais.jpg|Dvarapala Yaksha ({{langx|th|ยักษ์}}) of the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand
|File:Bangkok wat ratchabopit 021.jpg|Contemporary soldier dvarapala as doorkeeper at Wat Ratchabophit, Bangkok
|File:Hatadage-stella(js).jpg|Dvarapala at the entrance of Hatadage, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
|File:Kraton Surakarta - Statue.jpg|Dvarapala at the Kraton of Surakarta, Indonesia
|File:Dvarapalaka.jpg|Dvarapalaka, 11th century (Chola dynasty), Tamil Nadu, India
|File:Dvarapala (door guard) statue at Hindu temple.jpg|Guardian statue at a Hindu temple in Sri Lanka.
|File:Chaturmukha basadi, Gerusoppa - Dvarapala.jpg|Pair of Dvarapala at Chaturmukha Basadi, India
|File:Pawapuri - 005 Door Guardian (9243062075).jpg|Dwaarpalas at a Jain temple
|File:Pawapuri - 006 Door Guardian (9245834130).jpg|Dwaarpalas at a Jain temple
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See also
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References
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External links
{{commonscat|Dvarapala}}
- [http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/between-worlds-guardians-in-tibet-as-agents-of-transformation/ Between Worlds: Guardians in Tibet as Agents of Transformation]
- [http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/glossary.html Glossary of Southeast Asian Art]
Category:Architectural elements