Gaja Hasta

Glossary

A single-handed gesture in South Asian iconography in which the palm is stretched out and downwards from the wrist, with the fingers slightly bent. It derives its name from gaja, the Sanskrit term for elephant, and symbolises an elephant’s trunk. It is common in both dance and sculpture and, in the context of the latter, is commonly observed on sculptures of Nataraja, with one of his left hands depicted in this pose.

FILED UNDER

Pre-Modern Art

Gaja Hasta%newline%A single-handed gesture in South Asian iconography in which the palm is stretched out and downwards from the wrist, with the fingers slightly bent. It derives its name from gaja, the Sanskrit term for elephant, and symbolises an elephant’s trunk. It is common in both dance and sculpture and, in the context of the latter, is commonly observed on sculptures of Nataraja, with one of his left hands depicted in this pose.

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “Gaja Hasta”. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/gaja-hasta/
MLA	“Gaja Hasta.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/gaja-hasta/. Accessed 27, April, 2024.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) Gaja Hasta. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/gaja-hasta/. (Accessed: 27, April, 2024)