id: 142284 accession number: 1966.119 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1966.119 updated: 2020-11-04 21:05:06.932000 River Goddess Ganga, c. 600. Northern India, Mathura, Vardhama Period, 6th-7th Century. Sandstone; overall: 108 cm (42 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1966.119 title: River Goddess Ganga title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c. 600 creation date earliest: 590 creation date latest: 610 current location: 244 Indian and Southeast Asian creditline: John L. Severance Fund copyright: --- culture: Northern India, Mathura, Vardhama Period, 6th-7th Century technique: sandstone department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art collection: Indian Art type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 108 cm (42 1/2 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture opening date: 1975-09-24T04:00:00 Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: The Ganges River that runs from the Himalaya Mountains east to the Bay of Bengal is India's most sacred river. Hindu myths tell of how the god Shiva held out a lock of his hair to catch the fall of the heavenly river, identified with the Milky Way, so that it would trickle gently to earth. The river is personified as the goddess Ganga, and since she flows eternally through the hair of Shiva, the river is considered holy. Sculptures of Ganga were placed at the doorway of temples, for the image of the purifying waters symbolically cleanses those who enter the sacred space. She stands on a crocodile-like creature called makara, here shown with a fancifully foliated tail. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. page number: Reproduced: p. 231 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1966/page/n255 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. page number: Reproduced: p. 231 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1969/page/n255 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. page number: Reproduced: p. 292 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978/page/n312 --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1966.119/1966.119_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1966.119/1966.119_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1966.119/1966.119_full.tif