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Sculptures of Saptamatrikas are found all over the country especially in the Saiva temples of the medieval period, representing the deities as Parivara devatas. Generally the sculpture comprises depiction of seven mother goddesses namely Brahmi, Maheshwari, Lakshmi, Kaumari, Varahi, Vaishnavi, Chamundi flanked by Vinadhara Virabhadra on the left and Ganesha on the right, respectively.

Infrequently there are panels of three, five, eight and very rarely nine mother goddesses. Right from the Kushana to the end of the Vijayanagara period, sculptural panels of the Saptamatrikas are common all over the country in varying degrees.

Especially, kings of the Gupta, Kadamba, Pallava, Chalukya dynasties, were the worshippers of the Saptamatrikas in Karnataka in Shaiva cave temple of the Early Chalukyan period in Aihole, locally known as "Raval Phadi", is a large mural panel of the Saptamatrikas vivaciously dancing along with Nataraja, being inspired by his cosmic dance, in fact, a unique depiction of the kind in the country. Besides there were separate temples for the Saptamatrikas during the period.

One such temple was traced in Aihole. Such temples of later period were common in the Kolar - Tumkur and the adjacent regions. In Ellora too, in the cave temple are the colossal sculptures of the Saptamatrikas, graciously proportionate and bewitching, each with a child on the lap, representing the supreme idea of motherhood.

In my recent archaeological explorations in Humcha area, the celebrated Jaina centre (Shimoga district) at Kalluru near a dilapidated medieval stone temple was found a sculptural panel of the mother goddesses.

Interestingly enough, it comprises five matrikas flanked by Vinadhara Virabhadra and Ganesha. The panel in good condition measures: 45 cms. (18'') by 105 cms. (42'') in height and width respectively. The goddesses are Maheshwari, again Maheshwari as its iconographic features including the vahana is exactly similar to the immediately preceding one: Varahi, Kaumari, and Brahmi. They are presumably four armed since the rear left arm is virtually not at all clear in the case of the first three goddesses.

All the deities are invariably seated in savya lalitasana. The attributes depicted in the goddesses' hands are not appropriate excepting Mahesvari and Brahmi. All the goddesses hold khadga and (bahubija?) phala respectively in the front right and left hands with but one variation: in Brahmi's left hand is kalasa.

Further, in the rear right hand of each of the first four goddesses are invariable damaru and trishula. In that of Kaumari in addition to these two attributes there is chapa indeed very strange and dhanus is depicted right above the left shoulder. Saraswathi as usual in the rear hands holds pasa and amkusa. With regard to the vahanas, they are couchant Nandi, standing Nandi, Garuda, Mayura, Hamsa and Musaka. For Varahi, the vahana should be varaha, not Garuda, which is vahana for Lakshmi.

What is noteworthy is that the depiction of the goddesses is not in the usual order; Maheshwari is duplicated; the attributes in the forehands of each goddess and the vahana for Varahi also, are not appropriate to the deities. All these peculiarities in comparison with the classical standard textual prescriptions and innumerable Sapta / Pancha matrika panels of the early / late medieval periods, are perhaps due to the lack of right knowledge confusion in his understanding of the iconographic traits of the deities, on the part of the sculptor who sculpted the panel.

However, it is also necessary to look into the popular oral traditional and beliefs in that region speaking about the village goddesses. Further study in this regard is necessary.