Early South Indian art depicts Saraswati without her veena

Archaeological discoveries in South India reveal depictions of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, that differ from the commonly held image of her playing the veena.

Researchers found early temple art portraying Saraswati without the musical instrument, suggesting the veena became associated with the goddess later in history. These images show Saraswati seated on a lotus, but without the veena, challenging the popular understanding of her iconography.

The art provides a new perspective on how the goddess was visualized in ancient South India, and how religious imagery evolves over time.