FA 34a Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Northern Wei, Standing Buddha, Chamaecyparis Obtusa
Document Summary
The iron pillar of delhi celebrated the hindu god vishnu and served as a pillar of victory. The temple was completed under several reigns of a local kingdom. The temple"s design may have been influenced by the bhima ratha and earlier precedents. It was intended to be a replica of the gods" home in the himalayas, mount kailasa. Visitors from the 16th cent. called the temple the painted palace , suggesting that the temple was once painted. The temple has a rock cut entrance gateway, similar to many other temples (having a gateway). By the 8th century, the metaphor of the temple as a mountain had been well. In the vicinity of the temple are streams where hindus would meditate; the entire area was considered sacred. It was cast using the lost wax method. It is likely that the iconography is a metaphor of humans becoming divine. Some of the figures appear in everyday genre scenes.
