Mysterious Image of Shiva from Parel: The Iconography of the Hindu Deity of the ‘Seven Notes

At the conclusion of the Ancient Age in India (5th–6th AD), the period of active formation of Hindu iconography was characterised by the emergence of complexly composed sculptural images. The explanations of these images cannot be found in written sources, and no similar images have been identified either. One of these monuments is a stele with the image of Shiva, crafted from white granite, which was discovered in a location known as Parel (presently within the boundaries of the metropolis of Mumbai, the capital of the state of Maharashtra). This high relief is still a mystery for researchers, not only its iconography, but also the dating and the purpose of the relief itself are unclear, because of which it has changed its name several times: in the suburb of Parel, this image still bears the name Saptasvaramurti (‘Lord of the Seven Notes’), but in all studies of recent years it is already mentioned as Heptad. What is the most probable dating of the monument? Did this iconography develop in the medieval period and what is its significance? This article makes an attempt at clarifying these questions. The iconographic analysis of the image and its comparison with monuments close in time of origin are carried out. As a result, the author concludes that the stele was not the main object of worship, it was (or should have been) located to the right of the object of worship, i.e. the lingam. An assumption is made that in this iconography through the images of Shiva Saptasvaramaya and five gana musicians, the concept of ‘divine music’ is visualized: in the images of 12 characters of the stele, one can see the embodiment of the Indian musical system consisting of 12 svaras. This iconography is not repeated in the history of Indian art, but the image of Shiva the musician is enshrined in another iconography, namely, Shiva Vinadharadakshinamurti, the Great Teacher of Music, who also displays aspects of asceticism and is often depicted on the right side of the object of worship.