Parmara Sculpture in the British Museum-Vagdevi or Yakshi Ambika

Summary

Around 1880 the British Museum acquired an inscribed stone sculpture of a seated goddess from the ruins of the Paramara capital of Dhara in central India. Early scholars, notably O. C. Gangoly and K. N. Dikshit, identified the image as Vagadevi (Sarasvati), citing an inscription that mentions King Bhoja and refers to the goddess by that name. This article reassesses the identification by examining the damaged inscription, the iconography of the figure and related sculptures. The author notes that the inscription’s reading is uncertain and that the goddess holds attributes—such as a citron and a child—that are more typical of the Jain yakshi Ambika than of Sarasvati. Comparative analysis of sculptural motifs from other Paramara sites supports this re‑identification. The article also surveys medieval Jain texts and reliefs depicting Ambika and discusses how Jain artistic conventions sometimes blended with Brahmanical imagery. By placing the sculpture within the broader context of Paramara art and religious patronage, the study highlights the fluidity of goddess iconography and the need for caution in assigning names. The author argues that the piece should be re‑catalogued as a Jain yakshi, which has implications for how museum collections represent Indian religious art. The article concludes by calling for more interdisciplinary collaboration between epigraphists, art historians and museum curators to ensure accurate attributions.