Carved wooden relief panel, Eastern India, 17th/18th century.

The pilasters belong to two of the four corners of the car and they represent the wars of SAMVU-IN-SAMVU and comprise combats of horsemen, lions, buffaloes, elephants and crocodiles.
One of the pilasters is very ancient, showing turbaned warriors. The other is comparatively modern as evidenced by the presence of the European 'Topee'.

The carvings were sent to the Calcutta International Exhibition and obtained a bronze medal in the Archaelogical Section, in 1884. As the Curatorship of the Museum changed hands, there resulted much difficulty and delay in withdrawing the exhibit, the authorities being very unwilling to part with such valuable carvings.
The car was brought from the neighbourhood of the Rangibhasaw Bridge that crosses the Canal flowing into the junction of the Rupnarain and Hughly Rivers.

According to a note in the Museum Register, 'these two carved wood pilasters were obtained from the old Juggarnaut Car belonging to the Rajas of Moisadal. On the last occassion it was drawn, seven men were crushed under the wheels. The Board of Revenue immediately ordered the old car to be broken up and replaced by a modern construction of lighter make.
As owing to its age, size, artistic merits and the bloody rites the old car, and the two pilasters were preserved as a memento-veritable tokens of a man-eating Hindu god. (i.e popularly but erroneously supposed to be so, the god in question really having altruistic proclivities and being a hater of bloodshed).

Bengal, Eastern India

IS.32-1956