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DEPARTME:\T OF ARCH.\EOLOGY
CENTRAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL
LIBRARY
CALL No. 7.32.1,1, B Kai
O.G.A. 79.
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\ICNSHIRAM ).IANOtiAR LAL
o.t.IDI4o. fo"'"
Nat DELHI-6
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BHARHUT VEDIKA
- By
SATISH CHANDRA KALA, M.A.
CURATOR
MUNlCIPAL MUSEUM
AU..AHAB.\D
15506
73'2 44-B
koJ..
PUBUSHED BY
THE MUNICIPAL MUSEUM
AU.AliABAD
MUNSHI RAM MANOH\ R Lf\L
Omcl & foreign B o o - ~ t '"
P.B. 1165; N.i Sml:, DEU 11 6
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FIRST P UBLISHJ!O 1951
CENTRAL ARCHAEOL.OGICAtl
LIBRARY, NCW v-, .. :-11.
A Oil. No. ... .. .. . / S" S:P. " ... -
Date. .......... S:k--
Call -*'"'
PR.INTm> Df J K. $J-IA1UU. AT LAW JOURNAL PRBSS, ALl.AHAOAO
ANO PUBLlStiED BY THE NUSlCIPAL .WSJWWt A.I.L.AH.AJIAD
)
BHARHUT VEDIKA:
A CRfnCAL STUDY OF BHAllHUT SCULl'TIJRES IN THE
COLLECTION OF Tt!E MUNICIPAL MUSEUM, Al.LAHIIBAD
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Wat
Nonh
South
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Plan of the o r i ~ n l Stupa as drawn by Cunnlnaham
FOREWORD
The Srupas of Bharbut and Sanchi serve as cbe two sparkling eyes
of early Indian art: through which we become acquainted with the rich
world of ancient Indian life relating to the social, religious and artistic
traditions of the people. As the rwo Epics, the Riimayal)a and the
M.ahabbarata are to Indian literature, so are the Srupas of Bharbut and
Saiichi veritable lithic documents of early Indian life. Our knowledge
of ancient Indian gods and goddesses, religious cults, manners and cus-
toms, domestic and ciry architecture, fashions and fancies, is very much
enhanced by these two immortal art monuments of central India.
Blurhut and Siiiichi virtually hold the key to the symbolical inter-
pretation of Indian :trt. They moreover present a link between folk
life and folk religion on the one hand and the higher way of the Buddha
on rhe other. They present to our view the religious development of
the Indian people in which vigorous folk traditions have their indepen-
dent existence and are not mere handmaids of some superior religion.
The monuments of Bha.thut and S:iiichi symbolise chat feeling and
way of Indian life, which is nearest to cb.e soil-robust, fresh, buoyam,
simple and straightforward. It is an art that belongs to the country-
side :ts well as to the cities without sophistication.
Sanchi is miles due north of I loshangabad on the Narbadii on
cbc route leading from Bharukachchha and Ujjayini via Berwa to the
norcb. It also picked up the route from the southern capital of Pra-
rish;hiina (modern on the Godavari. Saiichi with the cluster
of other surrounding sires like VidiH (Bhilsa), Besnagar, was the nerve
centre of eastern Malwa.
vii
-- I
in Baghelkhand also possesses a corresponding geo-
graphical impocrance. It is 200 miles north-east of Sitichi and I 00
miles in the same direction from Tripuri or Tewac on the Nacbadi.
It is the key-centre in the Sone V alley commanding the route leading
from Mihishamati on the Narbadi to K:tullmbi on the Yamuni. Thus
these two great stiipas seem to be part of a sub-continental architectural
planning by the religious leaders of the Sunga period.
The remains of the Great Suipa of Bharhut were first discovered
by Cunningham in 1873 and fully exposed in 1874. The sculptures
were bodily removed to Calcutta as a present to Government by the
Raja of Nagod. Out of 80 pillars, Cunrungham procured 49 and out
of 40 pieces of coping stone, he found 16. It was left to the indefati
gable Pc. Braj Mohan Vyas to recover the remaining relics of this Stiipa
that had passed into prince bands and were virtually lost to the World
of archaeologists. With his ch:tracteristic zeal and tact he was able
to retrieve for the Allahabad f 4 pieces of the Bharhut railing.
Shri Satish Chandra Kala, Curator of the Museum has pccscnted
his srudy of these new acquisitions in the pages of this .Book aptly
styled Bharhut Vediki. His presentation of the material is clear, con-
vincing and comparative, based on the first hand study of the originals
with due regard eo what has been written on this subject by earlier
savants. The book distinctly advances our knowledge of the great
stupa of Bh2rhut. I ts notable merit consists in the profuse illus-
tr.uions presenting in more than three dozen plates all that was of
artistic or cultural value. Special :mention may be invited to the
acrobatic scene showing tbe formation of a human pyramid or Meru
in four tiers, in which fourteen figures participate. The scene is
3
graphic representation of old Indian olympics, uruque in the whole
range of I ndian art.
The Bharhut Stupa has long been known for depicting scenes from
the Jiukas and a new Jataka labelled as Gaja sasa Jatab has been
viii
Jddc:d to those ilieady known. The >C:ulpruces also show many of the
c:barac:reristic decorative motifs vi:.:. lotus-creepers issuing at times from
the mouth :me! at rimes from the naval of dwarfih yakslw, bell-borders
(kinkil;ti-jila), rrirama, entwining garlands (dima-yugala), lotus
(satapntra-sah=-patra-padma), Tree of life with repeated
motif (Sri VriJtsba), butlement motif, lotus menders (padma-lata),
wish-fulfilling creepers (kalpal2ta) showing dresses and ornaments issuing
from their stems and bst but not the least female yakshi figures da-
bor:uely draped and orn:unented with all their ravishing charms..
The Wish-fulfilling Tree which produced drinks, food, ornaments,
robes, pretty maids and all good things was the Klpa-v[iksha which
was the characteristic symbol of the Uttara-Kuru country, where
Mithunas of eternal bloom and beauty lived in .1 state of ideal happi-
ness. The sculptors at Bharhut were fond of illustrating these Elysean
land and so were the stone-carvers of Siiichi on the Saiichi Gateway.
Indeed the Uttara-Kuru tradition was very strong and it is m fact in
th:u context that the Epics and the J:itakas give a glowing description
of the Kalpa-t'!ik.siJII. The ideal Chakravarti sovereign M:indh:ita was
believed in foll.-lore to have this land of Uttara-Kuru and so
did Arjuna the greu hero and the monkey> of King Sugriva
deputed in seuch of Sit:i. For long long time<; the tntdition survived
uniting folk religious beliefs, Literature and an in an integt"2ted pattern.
An mterpretation of aU the art motifs both at Bharhut
and Sanchi would itself require a volume of eptc dimensiOns. In
.1rr we find :;omerhing whtch IS very near it< perennial source
being spurted out with inexhaustible variety and charm. The Yaksha
motif and the motif, both are handled wtth master}
sense of joy. Although repeated 11J i11ftuitum, there is
hardly any real duplication. Like the ever-changing meters and
rhythms of an epic bard singing m a hero-celebrating strain, the stone-
carvers of Bharhut Jnd Siiichi gi\C proof of an inexhaustible
ix
The R.tiyapast'/11)'11-jtlfla speaks of the Lotus Raumg (l'a.lmatara VrtilkJi)
which mrrounded the early '1\ith all its richness of pilbrs, cross-
bars, coping stones, pedestals, gateways, architraves, double animal
gJ-umghiif, ere. ) capitals and symbols. In the
Sriipas of Bharhut and Sii'ichi we find a graphic illustration of these
literary descriptions. These monumental the soil
and religious inspiration of a whole countryside (subhikshtl
JnapaJa) with irs teeming popubtion of )'outbful men .1nd women
whose hearts inspin-d with the thrill of a new religious eltperiencc
responded to find through dance, drama, :md an.
The stupa was the nucleus of this life preserving forever a true record
of the Indian janapadas, where the high arr and the low, the rich and
the poor, all men and women mingled with freedom in an eternal pro-
cession of joy and creative activit)'.
19. 3. 1951
VAsuoEVA S. AcRAWAI..A, M.A., D.L1rr.,
Su Prinleml mt,
Nalioual Museum of Imlta,
i\E\\ DEl.HI
X
INTRODUCTION
Two mponJm treatises on the of Bharhuc, the one by
Alexander Cunningham and the other by B. M. Barua arc at pre.cnt
anilable w <cholan. The former is the firH comprehensive account of
the monument rc-comll"uctcd from the material then avaibble, the latter
.m elaborate discussion 35 well ;u an interprct.ttion of the subjects
portrayed on tile railing. The present essay evaluate> some of the new
finds and marks an advance in th.: stud) of the Bharhut raaing.
On firushing tbi, work in 1947, I made J request to Dr. Stella
Kramrisch, Professor of Indian Art, Calcutt:1 Univcrsit) to write a
foreword eo it. The learned 5:1\"JDt Jgreeing congntulated me on the
work and wanted to publish it under the auspices of the India Society of
Oriental arr. I agreed. fn one of the lctte" addressed to me Dr.
Kramri<cb said " the problem of Bharhut art is indeed a basic one
in the whole of Cndian Sculpture. It is our dut)' and responsibility to
present to the the Blurhut -.culpture- entru.sted to your cne, with
the same devotion and perfection of results as have gone to making and
arc shown in the ...:ulptur<!'i themsches " I have endeavoured to th.!
best of m} ability to ealizc tht aim of thi' discerning art critic and
if the work " found w.mting in one rc,pcct or the other. the deficiencr
to be ascribed to the madcqutc rc""urccs u my dispo-al.
It is regretted that owing to insurmountable difficulties, the IndiJ
Sociery of Oriental Art could not bring out the Book earl). Th,
mmuscript rcmamed with them for over two years and wa' returned to
u' only, on rcquet, in September, 19SO.
X1
It is a pity that such an unusual delay should have occurred in
placing this new Bharhut mnteriaJ before the scholars. Dr. Ananada
Coomaraswamy (now dead) came to know of these finds as early a' 1947,
and had expressed a desire to include our ptcces m his monograph on
Bharhur. The late Dr. B. M. Barua learnt about them only m 1948
when the present manuscrtpt reached his hands through Dr. Kramrisch.
The early publication of new Bharhut material was, therefore, .1
desideratum for scholars.
I am deeply beholden to Dr. Kramrisch and the late Dr. Barua for
kindly revt<ing the manuscript and supplymg many useful comments.
I am also indebted ro Sri Bishambhar Nath P:mde, a scholar of repute, at
present the Chairman of the AJlahabad Muntcipal Board, for takmg A
keen interest in the publication of this monograph. But for his active
interest it could not have been possible to bring it out as early as this.
I take the opportunily of expressing my sense of gratitude to Sri
Sampurnanandji, Minister for Education, U.t>., and his able Sccrctarr
Sri Anand Nar:un Sapru, I.C.S., for placing a generous grant at our
disposal for publishing this book. I am also thankful tO Dr. V. S.
Agraw01la, Superintendent, National Museum of lndia, New Delhi, for
kindly writing a foreword to this monograph.
Scholars and lndologists all over the world wiU ever remain gntcful
to His Highness the MaharaJa of Nagod and his competent Dewan, Srt
La! Bhagwendra Singh, for presenting rhe fifcy-four pieces of Bharhut
railing tO the Allahabad Museum where they form the second brge;t
collection of Bh:trhut sculptures in the World.
Ram I.
s. c. IW..A.
X.IJ
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Part of the ralllnv in riru at Bharhut {l879)
CHAP'l'Eil l
THE STOPA OF BHARHUT
The remains of the Bharhur stiipa and irs r:Uling (vedilui) were
discovered by Cunningharn in 1873. The majoriry of the carved stone
posrs and beams had been by chat time removed by the villagers in the
neighbourhood, for ordinary construction work and only those sculp-
tures that had remained buried could be collected besides a few stray
pieces lying here md there. Cunningham, however, succeeded in ex-
cavating a whole quadrant of the buried railing (vtdilui). llis assis-
tant Beglar continued rhc excavation work round the entire railing
( rrJilui) and recovered the famous Pr3Senjit piUar besides some more parts
of the coping (11f!'i!4). By the end of 1874 the foundarioos of the
entire railing (vrdilui) had been exposed to view and a large number
of architectural pieces discovered. The eastern gateway was removed
to the Indian Museum, Calcutta in 187S. The stray pieces left :1t the
site were later on transferred to Residency gardens at Sarna (Madhya
PradeS:I); they were also tr.tDSported to the Inwan Museum in 1926.
Modern Bharhut lies six miles north-ease of Unchera and nine miles
soutb of Sacna, a railway stuioo on the main line of the Great Inruan
Penni.nsub Railwar, in Nagod, in Madbya PradeS:I. The history of the
ancient city, the remains of which are found scattered within a rawus
of twelve miles is sbrouded in mystery. Why such a magnificent stiipa
was built at this puticular spot remains unexplained. It is certainly
not one of the eight stiipas where the corporeal relics of the Lord were
originally emhrined. Nor there is a positive proof to show that ASoka
built a stiipa at the site to deposit the relics after the second distribution
1
supposed to be effected by him. The vanished city, originally stood
at the end of the Mahiyar valley from where the highway connecting
Bhilsa and Ujjain with towards the north for the
station of K:lusambi. There arc various inscriptions
on the railing (vedika) adjuncts giving the titles of the various scenes
depicted and the names of the donors who hailed from distant parts
of the country such as Kawambi (modern vilbge of Kosam in district
Allahabad), VidiSa (Besnagar in Gwalior State), Pa{alipurra (Parna
in Behar), (modern Karhad in Sarara), Padol:i (Pandaria
in Bil:ispur district of the Madhya Bharat), Mathurii, (situated
in Behar) and Nasika (Nasika in Bombay). That the Bharhut stiipa
was held in high veneration by the people all over India is evident from
this list of place names.
Nothing dc:finire is known about the date of the stupa and the
railing(vedika) surrounding ir. It is certain that the structure was
not built all at one rime. Addirions were made from rime to rime
according to the needs of the devotees and their resources. Cunningham
held tl1e view that the original brick stllpa was built during the time of
A.Soka' bur this claim has nor been properly substantiated. The
Prakrira used in the inscriptions on the railing ( vedika) widely differs
from the one used in the inscriptions of A5oka.= Dr. Barua rightly
points out that the Bha.rhut stiipa was constructed in three stages--the
:first one is covered by the pre-Swiga and the last rwo by the Swiga
periods. It cannot, however, be claimed that it was built during the
rime of A.Soka. It may have been constructed during the reign of
my of the rulers. The ( vedika) appears to have
been erected sometime about 125 B. C. and the gateways added later.
The left pillar of the eastcm gateway bears the following inscription:
1
Cunningh:un-The Stup. of Bharlml (1879), p. 14.
2
1>bjwndt-A GMidt lo IIH 5<-u/PIIIrrs ;,. the MH$<um, C.lcHII, P>rt )\,
p. 14.
2
SuganaJTI raje raiio Gagi putasa Visadevasa
P (0) teo;t:l Gotiputasa pute!]:l
Vachhiputcr]a Dhanabhiitinii KaritaJTI
c., upa111r;1a (no)
(In the dominion of the Sungas, the has been caused to be
made together with the stone carving by Vatsiputra Dhanabhiiti, son
of Gauptiputra (and) grandson of King Gargiputra Viivndeva).
This inscription clearly states that the gateways were set up by
King Dhanabhiiti, son of and grandson of Visvadeva, in the
dominion of the Sungas. Barua points out that king Dhanabhiiti, was
the ruler of the Mathura region but he is not definite whether the Bhar-
hut region also fell within the territory. Both Biihler and Cun-
ningharn suggested l fO B. C. as the probable date of the It
is however difficult to say that the entire inner railing ( vrdilui) was
consrructed during :1 particubr period. The inscriptions simply state
that the g.ttcways were erected by Dhanabhiiti in the dominion of the
Suilgas, but in what period of the 112 years rule of the Sunga su:teraincy
the construction took place still remains to be decided. On stylistic
grounds Barua found three stagc:J in the construction of the stiipa. In
his opinion the eastern gateway was erected in the third phase whiclt
mainly covered the period.' The School of Bharhut sculpture ac-
cording to Marshall was connected with the indigenous School of
and it came to an end when the Sakas conquered the city in the first
century B. c.
When Cunningham visited the site of the stiipa he saw a large
flat topped mound with the ruins of a Buddhist monastery, three pillars
(stambbas) of a railing (vcdikii), three croo-bars (siicbis), a big coping
besides a single pilbr which once supported the
a B>rua-lJ,trhN/, Port I, p. H.
Marshal! and Fouchcr-Mon"'"''' of SJ1ichi, Vol. I, pp. JOS-106.
arch of a gateway. Subsequent excavations and collections from
neighbouring villages revealed the entire plan of the stiipa, which, when
intact, must have half the size of the stiipa of Siflchi. The
original structure, made of plain bricks, stood on a base of solid
blocks. Cunningham was informed by some people that a small relic
casket found inside the stiipa was presented to the Raja of Niigod, but
it was then untraceable. The base of the stiipa was sixty seven feet :and
eighteen and half inches in diameter. The only surviving portion
from this stiipa w:u found on the south-cast side. It measured ten
feet in length and six in height. In this portion Cunningham
noticed rows of evidently meant for keeping lights.
recesses were nearly thirteen and a half inches broad at the top and
reduced to four and a half inches at the bottom. The total number
of these in the entire monument was about one hundred rwcnry and
there must have been six hundred lights in each of the rows made at the
lower portion of the stiipa. Over the hemispherical dome there wa.
probably a pavilion (1)(1r111ilui) enclosed by a small railing ( ,ftk.i),
which also supported the shaft of an umbrella now lost. Adjoining
the structure there was a terrace which formed the second circum-
ambulation (pradak#(tii) path. It was reached by a stairway of seven
<teps. The main circumambulation (pradak#(tii) path between the
stiipa and the railing ( tmlilui) on the ground had a tcrr:aced floor
measuring ten feet and four inches in width.
The stiip:a was encircled by an inner and outer railing (t"t"Jikii),
comisting of upright pillars (slambhas), Cross-b:trs (s1icbis) and coping
stones (ugtif'J). The railing (wdilui) had four gates at the
points thus dividing it into four quadrants. There were eighty piiiJrs
(slambbas) measuring seven feet one inch in height and having a one
foot and ten and a half inches surface for the reJjefs. Out of the eighty
pillars (s/ambb11s) Cunningham was able to procure only forty-nine.
There were three cross-bars (nichis) placed vertically and nccdkd
eo each side of the upright pillars (sfambhas). The height of the r:ail-
ing ( wdik.a) was just about nine feet.
Cunningh:un found some det.1ched pieces of an oucer railing
(vrdik.a) as well. It was much smaller in size than the inner one. He
collected two small pillars (stambhas), four pieces of the curved stone
plinth, on which the pill m ( were fixed and no less than ccn
examples of the coping stone When intact the inner r:ailing
(vrdiki) must have contained two hundred-forty small pillars (stam-
bhas) and hundred-fifty croo-bars (Slit-his). The railing (l'tdik.a)
was only three feet chcee inches high. Barring a few isolated figures of
the the outer railing ( was plain. Out of the four
cnrrJnces only the eastern gateway has been restored. Each of the
pillars (slambhas) of the gateway was composed of four octagonal
Each was 9 feet 7!/z inches high and 1 foot 4!/z inches thick.
At top of of them was placed a bell-shaped capiul and a lotus
ornament above which again there was a plain abacus surmounccd on
one side by two-winged lions and two bulls on the other, seated back to
back. The ornamental arch consisted of two pillars (sfambhas) and
chcee elaborately carved beams, placed at regular distances one above
the other. The space between these carved beams was filled by small
pillars (slambhas) with bell capitals on which were seated :minuls
back to back and pillars (s/ambb.u), against which are carved figures of
The projecting ends of these beams form 3 scroll having the
curled tail of a crocodile carved on it; its gaping mouth faces the vertical
cxtcmion of the gateway pillars.
The square blocks between the volute ends and the curved centre
of d1e architraves bear the representations of 3 stupa on one side and
shrine on the other. The top block be3rs :t lriralna, which is faced by
:t horse carved in the round and plnccd on the projecting end of the
stone. Between these there arc again two stone blocks, the surface of
which was filled, it appears by three Pcrsepolitan pilasters above a rail-
J
ing (vdik4) :md two lotus Bowers placed in the inrecvening spaces.
The curved centre of the lower be:un bean on its face a procession of
two lions carrying flowen from each of the towards a Bodhi trl-e kept
in the centre. Similarly the beam in the middle depicts 'the fictitious
representations of the Buddha's enlightenment by a procession of four
elepb:mts, two on each <ide, bringing flower towards the Bodhi
tree and the throne.' On the very top of the middle Jora(tll was carved
in the round a Jbarmacbllkra over :an honq>uckle orn:1mcnt. The
cntir<! gateway structure when complete was 22 feet high. This des-
cription re.fen to eh" inner side of the cxi,ting gate, but, as Dr. \Vaddcl
remarked, this was not the main entrance to the stiipa.
The recovered r;lil pilbrs (slambbns) numbering forty-nine arc of
the same pattern a\ arc found at Siiichi and Bodhgaya. The corner
pillan at the arc t foot 10
1
z inchl:l> square. The edges of all
the upper pi!Urs (slambbm) arc slighrly bevelled on each of the <ides
and bear male and female figurines generally standing on lotus flowers
with folded hands. Some of the female figurine hold the branches of the
trees, flowers and bunches of fruits. In a few examples we sec a goose
on a flower top and plucking it with lowered beak. The pillars h.1vc
on either face :1 circular medallion in the middle :md half medallic>n at
the top and the bottom. These are filled with lotus flowers or floral
compositions, clephmts, winged horse,, bulls, monl<eys, and
peacocks, besides :a large number of Jauk:t scenes.
The on the corner pillars (<lambbas) :are differently arrang-
ed. The pillars (slambhas) of the inner corners generally bear life
size figun>s of )ak._<as, dcvaliis an,/ niigarajas. The two out<r
corner pilbrs (slambbas) have their fJces divided into three com-
partments by horizontal bands of railings. EJch of these is filled
0
CuruUnglum-T/ .. SIJ> ofiJb,rhul, (1179), PL VU.
'Jo......I oj /IN Ro)l A wire So<"icl), 1914, p. Ul.
6
'1\'ith Buddhist Jiitakas and scenes of the visits of Ajit:!Sattu, Prasenajit
and Brahmadeva to the lord and also the four main episodes of the
Vt!SJtZIIItml Jiilak6. The relic proces!iion in the right terminus pilhc
of the SlOuch-east quadrant donated by Chiipa Devi, wife of Revatimitta
of Vidiii is of unique interest.
The r:UI bars measure 1 foot 11 * inches in length and I foot I 0 Yz
inches in breadth with a thickness of about 6 inches. There were cwo
hundred twenty-eight pillars of which Cunningbam could
collect only eighty at the site and from other places. These contain
on their faces circular di<cs containing human busts, various types of
lotus flowers, animals and J:itaka scenes. The discs either have a border
of lotus le:tves, of winged lion.s, elephants carrying lotus in their
trunks or sequence of serpent heads etc. The human busts inside cer-
tain medallions ace richly attired. One medallion holds the Goddes!
Sri, another snipa and the third the 'tree of life'.
On account of the intcrcolumniacion of the pillars (slambhas)
the r:UI bars (sticbis) at the gateways had eo be cut longer. This
tncrease in size necessitated a change in the p:tttern of the med:illion
as well. It b:td, therefore, to be carved in :tn oblong shape of 25 inches
length.'
At the top of the pillars were placed huge blocks of
scoms which served as copings Each of them measures 7 feet in
length, 1 foot I 0 Yz inches in height and had a thickness of I foot 8 inches.
The blocks were joined with each other, by of tenons inserted
into the corresponding mortic.-s, and to the tops by a stout tenon.
Out of a total number of forty coping nones {llf(lifa) only sixteen
could be recovered by Cunningham. The entire coping (ut(tifa) which
was minutely :and boldly carved on botb rhe sides was dtree bundred-
tbirty feet long. Ar the end of the coping (11$!1il11) :and facing rhc spec-
1
S/11{'1 of Blrlmt, (IS79), p. 127.
7
tator as he stood at the gateway, was the figure of a bushy-uiled lion, snt-
ed on his haunches. In all, the remains of three damaged lions came to
light and of these only one has a head surviving. Next to the large figure
of the lion on both the sides, the central band of the continuous relief
panel has a kneeling elephant, from whose mouth issues forth a long
undulating stem which proceeds making a number of panels right upto
the quadrant corner. The panels of the inner side contain liom, elephants
and other animals, Bowers, ornaments, cloth, besides the representations of
scver:al Jiitaka stories and isolated scenes like the sufferings in the hd!.
The same arrangement is repeated on the outer face but the panels here
are filled with full blown lotus Bowers, with blossoming and tl.'ndrils.
The upper band of the coping is filled by stepped mcrlons alter-
nating with blue lotuses in vertical position. The bottom border con-
sists of a series of bells hanging through meshes tied to a b:unboo pole.
The artists of Bharhut devoted enough space and care to the re-
presentations of the Buddha's life as be led it in his various previous
existences before being reborn as Gautama. The clue to most of these
is furnished by the labels attached tO them. Some of the scenes with-
out labels have also been identified. Most of the scenes differ in their
details from the descriptions in the Piili Jatakas and it is presumed that
the Bharbut sculptors were following a different version than the one
which has come to us to day. Of the important Jatakas depicted we
may mention the Bbisa, Mabiideva, lA!ultiiUI, Sujiila,
M4bijii11W, V MtJJbiilulpi, ViJhuraPa!ufil and the ChaJdtlll-
laka. The actual scenes rebting to the life of the blessed one arc few in
number and no where is the actual figure of the Buddha represented.
Where his presence was needed, the artist placed symbols like the Bodhi
tree, foot prints, head-dress, a cbakra, throne, lriratna and a stupa.
convention of the times th:tt Buddha being superhuman should not
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No. 23 (b), pasc
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No. 24, page 38
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No. 2S (a) page 23
No. 2S (b). p ~ 23
No. 26, page 14, SI
No. 27, page rs. 27
N 28
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No. 29, pll
No. so, paQC 21
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No. Sl , paiC 22
No. ss. p ~ 22
No. SS, p ~ 28
No.S6. p 29
No. 37 (a), p ~ IJ, 22
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Catalogue No.
Author- Jl'.ala , Sa.tish C.'lnndr4
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GOVT. OF INDIA
OepartJnent of Archaeology
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