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==Sensuous and sacred==
Sembiyan Mahadevi was a consummate temple builder and a highly respected patron of the arts. During her lifetime, special celebrations marked her birthday in the [[Shiva]](Śiva) temple in the town of Sembiyan Mahadevi, named after her, and a metal portrait of the beloved queen was presented to the temple in her honor, possibly commissioned by her son. As such, it would have been recognized as Sembiyan Mahadevi by its use in processions celebrating her birthday. This highly stylized bronze image is an instance of the blurring of lines between royal and divine portraiture in ancient [[Indian]] art. While the pose is reminiscent of the goddess [[Parvati]], this tall, svelte image with heavy, naturalistically shaped breasts, pliant bamboo-shoot arms and drapery clinging to her lower limbs is uncommonly individualized in the shape of her face, pursed lips, and long nose. This convergence between sensuous and sacred were more likely to be identified by their placement in a temple, or their function in specific rituals, than through an actual resemblance to their human counterparts.
Indian artists often portray [[Hindu]] deities with great attention to arm/hand details to emphasize their omnipresence and omnipotence. A variety of hand gestures, known as [[mudras]], are used to express the mood and meaning of the images of the gods. For instance, when the palm is raised to face the worshiper, it is the gesture of protection (abhaya), while a lowered hand with the fingers pointing downward signifies a promise to grant the devotee's wishes (varada). The contrapposto pose, known in India as tribhanga, or triple-bent, was a popular stance; it produced a sense of swaying movement, and most images, whether human or divine, are thus poised.
:♦ Rajika Puri discusses a Bharatanatyam dancer's history of the form and its profound depth of meaning. Puri introduces the complexities of abhinaya (roughly “mime”) and hasta mudras (stylized hand gestures), revealing how it is that Indian dancers combine dancing and acting (nryta) with so-called pure movement (nrtta) in every performance. She tells us that both abhinaya and nrtta are included in ''nrtya'', the word that is closest to the idea of “dance” in [[India]]. And, nrtya is the main vehicle of n[`(a)]tya (theater). In an elegant exegesis of the theory of rāsa (“taste” or “flavor”) Puri introduces us to the metaphysical concepts that permeate Indian classical dance forms. She concludes by saying that, “Wherever they may be found in the world, the great traditions of dancing deliberately and consciously convey meaning. They are not simply mindless entertainments.”<ref>Bharatanatyam Performed: A Typical Recital by Rajika Puri in Visual Anthropology (2004) 17(1), pp.45-68</ref>.
==Neuroaesthetics==
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