Surya

Surya

You will find this Surya in the gallery of many Suryas. He is the largest and one of the most elegant sculptures in the museum.

The Sun, and its influence on our lives, has been recognized from prehistoric times, and has made the sun, in particular, an object of worship in many cultures.

From Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, through Ancient Greece and Rome, to the Persian Empire, and the great sun disk of the Aztecs in Mexico, worship of the sun has inspired great works of art. [Narrator should pause after enunciating each location so that the web designer can show each image and the voice-over identifying the location, before moving to the next]

There are more sculptures of Surya, the sun god, than of any other Hindu or Buddhist deity in this museum. We want to look very carefully at the extraordinary details of two of the most beautifully carved images of Surya in the Varendra Research Museum. At first glance these two Surya images may look the same.  But carefully examine both sculptures and match each detail with its respective image of Surya.

On close inspection, you can marvel at how each sculptor succeeded in making their sculpture unique. Imagine you are the curator here at the Varendra and can only display one of these two Suryas.

Which will you display?

As you have carefully explored the rich details and remarkable craftsmanship in the creation of these stone images of Surya, and compared them with images of Sun Gods from other cultures, You can now say that you have learned to look carefully, and have has the rare opportunity of exploring two extraordinary examples of your cultural heritage. 

Last updated by admin at 11 September, 2020