Bull – Elephant sculpture at the famous Airavatesvara Temple in Tamil Nadu is a classic example of unimaginable heights reached by ancient Hindu sculptors. The sculptures of these ancient sculptors will give tough competition to all modern computer and software created models.
Bull – Elephant sculpture at the famous Airavatesvara Temple is also a classic example of perception paradox. It also points towards an important teaching in Hinduism that what we see is not real.
If we look at the sculpture from left to right you will see a bull and when we look at the sculpture from right to left we will see an elephant.
A similar Bull – Elephant illusion sculpture is also found in the 6th century AD Badami Cave Temples in Karnataka.
These sculptures which are 1400 years and 800 years old were carved by bare hands. Next time when you praise ancient buildings and sculptures in foreign nations, pause and think about the greatness our ancient Hindu world. When it comes to dexterity and innovation we are second to none in the ancient world.