Dudhai’s Narasimha: An ancient marvel lost to time

One icon lies deep in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh. From the district headquarters, a visitor drives to a village called Deogarh, also home to some great heritage. And from Deogarh, a forest range road takes a person to little-visited Dudhai. The road was originally built by the British, as per locals. And going by the bumpy nature of the drive, it could do with more post-monsoon maintenance. The forest around is dense and during the drive, one may go past the occasional person carrying off a bundle of sticks.

The destination lies just outside the inhabited area of Dudhai, at the edge of the forest. The vehicle has to be left at a little distance and the last patch covered on foot. The destination that the visitor is heading for is described on the website of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a ‘Rock-cut Narasimha’. Full marks to the ASI for downplaying one of India’s most magnificent sites! Nothing prepares a visitor for what he sees in this remote part of the country.

Built on a hill wall outside Dudhai is a striking visual representation of a mythological story. As a visitor looks up, an immense icon with an angry expression on its face stares back. The Narasimha is one of the strangest concepts of Hinduism and if one were to try and apply the belief that each of the ten ‘avatars’ or incarnations of Vishnu are representative of a human state and taken together represent the cycle of human evolution, then the case of Narasimha becomes a bit more puzzling.

The earliest incarnation is that of the ‘Matsya’ which - as a creature that lives in the water - ties in perfectly with the theory of life evolving in the water. The final manifestation is supposed to be an apocalyptic figure called ‘Kalki’ who is spoken of as coming at the end of an ‘age of darkness’. Also said to be logically correct from a certain viewpoint. But my (limited) understanding of the links between religion and mythology could find no logic to support a being that is half-man and half-lion, that kills its enemy neither on land nor in the air, neither inside nor outside and most significantly is a protector to some and destroyer for others.

The Narasimha at Dudhai stands nearly forty feet in height and in the true spirit of the mythological story it represents, it has across its thighs the figure of the evil demon Hiranyakashipu being torn apart. It is not beautiful but then this incarnation of Vishnu was never meant to be so. The icon is exceptionally detailed. The lines of rock have been drawn to a fine point and some articles of clothing and a necklace stand out. The ferocity of the Narasimha-avatar is typified by the teeth drawn back in a snarl. The statue, created out of the rock it stands in, has perfect camouflage and is nearly invisible unless seen from a relatively close distance.

Research on the statue yielded little, given the complete absence of documented material on this site. Most shrines dedicated to Narasimha are in South India while historic sites in north and central parts occasionally see a Narasimha depicted as one of several icons. If there were temples dedicated to Narasimha in North India in ancient times, they have been swept away centuries ago. Perhaps it is isolation that helped the Dudhai icon survive. Even now, a person visiting it feels as if he is discovering something afresh.

Without archaeological research on the site, it is difficult to put a date to the Narasimha. Not far from this site are two other places that have icons from the Dashavatara – a zoomorphic Varaha at Eran and an anthropomorphic Varaha at Udayagiri. Thanks to inscriptions found at these sites, both icons have been precisely dated to the Gupta period. However, no inscription has been found at Dudhai’s Narasimha – not yet, anyway. But experts who have seen pictures of the icon tend to believe that it could be from the Chandella period of the 10th – 11th century CE. The basis for this is the similarity in iconography and detailing. Even that dating puts it to being a thousand plus years old!

Beyond the Narasimha, Dudhai has more to excite a history buff. In its prime, it must have been a place of considerable significance, going by the number of temples and the grandeur of their architecture. The most significant site comprises a set of Hindu and Jain shrines with brilliant detailing. An impressive Varaha stands in the middle of the site as if on guard against any interloper. These temples conform to the pattern of Chandella art. There is a depression next to them which could have been a Chandella water reservoir - something that dynasty usually built next to temples. The depression is now a cultivated area. A short walk away is a Yogini temple. This shrine would originally have been circular shaped, like Yogini temples elsewhere, but is largely ruined now.

Narasimha is an incredible survivor of history and must be preserved. And not merely by planting an ASI protection board next to it. This is a region where quarrying happens, not all of it legally.

The author is a heritage explorer with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.