The ancient and medieval architecture of India: a study of Indo-Aryan civilisation

SYMBOLISM

OF THE

LOTUS

59

times, the

fruit

of

Nelumbium

speciosum,

the

sacred

lotus

of

^gypt

(fig.

22)

has

always

been

regarded

as

a

symbol of

the

throne

and

footstool

of

the

gods

; especially

that

of Brahma,

the Creator,

orthe

rising

sun.

The

rosy

petals

envelopingit

which

openedat

thefirst

flush

ofmorning

light,

weretherobes

of

Ushas,the

Dawn

Maiden,

who

flung

open the

doors

ofthe

sky. This

ideaand

the

formof

the fruit

itself

wereskilfully

adapted

bythe

craftsmen

ofwood

and

stoneto

the

supportsof

temples

and

otherbuildings.

The

profiles of

the capital

were

modelledsoas

to

suggest the

fruit

; the

petals

turneddown

on

Fig. 22.—Fruit of

theSacred

Lotus,Ne-

lumbium.

Fig.23.

—TopofaNepaleseBoxin

Repouss6

Brass,showingLotusFlowerwith

Turned-down

Petals,and

FruitusedasaHandle.

to the shaft

of the

pillar

formed the member to which

Fer-

gusson,notunderstandingthesymbolism,gavethe

meaningless

label

"

bell-shaped." InAsokan sculpture the

lotus flower is

veryfrequentlyrepresentedwith

thepetalsturneddown,soasto

disclose

the fruit or seed-vessel, which hasaspecial symbolic

significance as the hiranya-garbha, orwomb ofthe universe.

Now,

the

fruit ofthebluelotus,or,morestrictly

speaking,

water-lily

{NymphcBO),

dedicated

to the middaysun, and also

thatof thewhiteNymphcea(theflowerofthemoonlight

sky),

^

IntheMahanirvinaTantrathemysticlotusflowerofBrahma,which

contains"the

peacefulcircleofearth,"issaidtohaveitsfourpetalsturneddownwards.

"

Thethousand-

petalledlotusofknowledge

"

onthetopoftheholyMountMeru,whichisthedwelling-

placeofPara-Brahmi,is

similarlydescribed.