REPRESENTATIONS OF RIVER GODDESSES IN INDIAN ART WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE TEMPLE ART OF ASSAM

The river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna are most important divinities represented in the temple art of India. Though, the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna are considered as Hindu deity, but in Buddhism and Jainism they are also identified as important deity attached with religious edifices. Mostly, the river goddesses as guardian deity are associated with the temple door. In Brahmanical art, Gupta period is marked for first depiction of river goddesses on the door-jambs of the temple. In the iconographic representations, Ganga stands upon makara (crocodile), and Yamuna stands upon kurma (tortoise). In temple art of Assam, the river goddesses occupied important place to decorate the temple doorway. The stone-built door-frame of Daparbatiya temple of Assam contains unique representations of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna. The study focuses upon the development of image forms of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna in Indian art, and the study also focuses upon the features of the representations of river goddesses in temple art of Assam.