Iconography of Balarāma

Book excerpt: For Comprehensive Study Of Hindu Iconography Minor Divinities Call For Special Attention. Balarama Is One Of Them. Though Accepted On All Hands As The Elder Brother Of Krsna And Sometimes As An Incarnation Of Visnu He Rarely Commands An Independent And Superior Status In Hindu Pantheon. He Finds Mention In The Epics And The Puranas And Is Very Much Known To The Jaina Works Also. In The Fields Of Numismatics And Plastic Art He Has Been Depicted Right From The Early Centuries Of The Pre-Christian Era. The Present Work Intends To Study The Different Iconographic Aspects Of This Minor But Important Deity.