The Flying Apsaras

The Flying Apsaras (The Celestial Maidens)

Culture

The Flying Apsaras, normally seen as one of the murals in Asian temples and grottos, is an imagined flying goddess, which has also presented in other oriental art for a long time. They come in various versions, with most playing musical instruments and painted in lovely poses on the panels of temple interiors and temple ceilings. There are many versions of stories and origins of flying god in ancient Asia. For example, one of the most popular arts of flying apsaras in Longmen and Dunhung Grottos in China originate from India. In Indian mythology, The Flying Apsaras is said to be a goddess of cloud and water, inhabiting in lake and marsh, and flying pleasantly and freely below Bodhi trees.

The Apsaras are celestial beings, which are not in fact deities subject to worship, but merely the servants of the Deva. Mostly they are dancers and musicians, and were widely used for the decoration of temples and sanctuaries, especially in Thailand, Burma, and Laos. They are not specially worshipped, although people do accord them some veneration by placing flowers, water, and rice at their feet. Particularly in China and Japan, they are found standing on lotuses, or seated or standing on clouds. They are then sometimes treated as Bodhisattva, as in the sculpture on the walls. They usually wear light and floating celestial garments, embellished with scarves of gauze, and sometimes play musical instruments¹.

Depiction and our turquoise arts

The apsaras are depicted as divinely beautiful celestial maidens, pictured either in standing or in flying positions, usually holding lotus blossoms, spreading flower petals, or waving celestial clothes as if they were wings enabling them to fly.

On the left hand side displays a turquoise statue of Flying Apsaras, flying while waving celestial clothes and spreading flower petals.

Turqsky.com (c) 2009

1: quoted from the Buddhism Flammarion Iconographic Guide by Louis Frederic. 

See Terms & Conditions for our disclaimers.