Shalabhanjika

Mandapa, Phnom Rung

Behind the naga railing, this pilaster is carved with a female figure who is grasping the branch of a tree, in the time-honored pose (shalabhanjika) familiar from many such representations in India. In front of her, a kneeling male figure offers a water-jar, while a standing male figure beats a drum.

The general theme is related to fertility and auspiciousness, as the shalabhanjikas were originally tree-goddesses. The scene represented here may be purely symbolic, or might also depict an actual religious ceremony. The same pose was adopted for the birth of the Buddha.