DEPICTION OF NATURE IN THE SCULPTURAL ART OF EARLY DECCAN (UP TO 10TH CENTURY AD) A Thesis submitted to the University of Hyderabad for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY BY U PHYU DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES. UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD HYDERABAD- 500 046 2004 DECLARATION I hereby declare that the work embodied in this thesis entitled DEPICTION OF NATURE IN THE SCULPTURAL ART OF EARLY DECCAN (UP TO 10TH CENTURY AD), carried out by me under the supervision of Prof. Aloka Parashcr- Sen, Department of History, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad, is original and this has not been submitted for any other degree either in part or in full to any other University or this University. Hyderabad, Date: (U PHYU) CONTENTS Acknowledgements i-iii Transliteration Table ..... iii Abbreviations List of Charts iv-vi List of Plates VI1-X1V CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1-25 CHAPTER II HISTORIOGRAPHY 26-74 CHAPTER III FAUNA AS DEPICTED IN BUDDHIST SCULPTURAL ART 75-122 CHAPTER IV FAUNA AS DEPICTED IN HINDU SCULTURAL ART 123-184 CHAPTER V NATURE IN DECORATION AND EVERYDAY LIFE IN SCULPTURAL ART 185-246 CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION 247-265 BIBLIOGRAPHY 266-281 PLATES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely thankful to my learned teacher and supervisor. Dr. Aloka Parasher-Sen, Professor, Department of History, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad. Her encouragement led me to undertake this research. It is impossible to appear this work without her invaluable, constant, energetic and studious supervision. She was ever ready to go through the manuscripts of this work, despite her official engagements, and make scholarly suggestions. Her constant enforcement towards me made it possible for me to complete this work. I am thankful to all the faculty members of the Department of History. My special thanks are to Prof. K. S. S. Seshan, former Head of the Department of History and Prof. Ratan Lai Hangloo, current Head of the Department. I am very much grateful to Librarians and the staff members of Indira Gandhi Memorial Library, Hyderabad, Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, Indira Gandhi Library for Fine Arts, New Delhi, Salar Jung Museum Library, Hyderabad, State Central Library, AO.al Gunj, Hyderabad and CIEFL Library for their co-operation. My special thanks go to Mrs. Vara Lakshmi, Librarian, State Department of Archaeology and Museums, Hyderabad for her co-operation. Without her help it was difficult for me to get material in time from their Library. 1 am thankful to Prof. R. ChampakaLakshini for her instructions and encouragement during her visit to the University of Hyderabad in 2000. 1 am also grateful to Dr. Padmanaba, Dr. E. Siva Nagi Reddy and Dr. B. Subrahmanyam for their encouragement and affection. I cannot thank A. Aruna for her assistance throughout and Sham Sunder for his invaluable help in entering the data on electronic version. My sincere thanks are to Dr. K. P. Rao, who willingly helped in the preparation of maps on the computer. I also thank all the staff of computer centre for their co-operation. I am thankful to all my wingmates specially Varghese and Durga Srinivas, Elizabeth James and V. Rajesh for proof reading my thesis. It will be failing in my duties if I do not acknowledge to Masum Ali Khan, Vinod Vandari, Krishnan and John Korush for their help in proof reading my thesis in initial stages. i I am indebted to Dr. Rati Khan Panda and Sai who offered their computers to me whenever it was necessary. It will be committing mistake if I miss to acknowledge Indian Council for Foreign Cultural Relations and Indian Government for providing scholarship for my study. I am also thankful to the staff members of ICCR. I am grateful to all my friends who have always encouraged and inspired me during my research work. It will be failing in my duties if I miss to thank Prof. U Kyaw Win, Head of the Department of History, Yangoon University, Dr. Than Tun who looked after me and encouraged and enforced me to come India for my study. 1 thank the Embassy of Myanmar, New Delhi, for approving your progress reports. I am also thankful to Ministers for Education and other members of SLORC of Myanmar, for permitting to visit India to pursue my research work. I would like to thank my family members who are lacking my love and affection during my study in India. (U PHYU) TRANSLITERATION TABLE ENGLISH DEVANAGARI ENGLISH DEVANAGARI No diacritical marks have been used while describing the names of districts, towns and villages which have already become acceptable in modern English. However, these have been used to indicate ancient names of places, persons and in case of technical words in Sanskrit and other Indian languages. iii ABBREVIATIONS AAA Art and Architecture ofAihole, Bombay 1967 ABIS Animals and Birds in Indian Sculptures, New Delhi 1974 AE Ajanta to Ellora, 1964 AI The Art of India, New York 1974 AInd The Art of India, London, 1955 AIA Art of Indian Asia, New York 1968 AIIS American Institute of Indian Study AMAIA Animal Motifs in Ancient Indian Art, Calcutta 1972 AnS Andhra Sculpture, Hyderabad 1994 AS Andhra Sculpture, Hyderabad, 1984 ASt Amaravati Stupa, Delhi 1994 AuS Aurangabad Sculpture, Calcutta 1966 ASIAR Annual Reports of Archaeological Survey of India ASBM Amaravati Sculptures in British Museum , London 1954 ASMGM Amaravati Sculpture in Madras Government Museum, Madras 1942 BAG The Buddhist Art ofGandhara, New Delhi 1980 BAN The Buddhist Antiquities in Nagarjunakonda, Delhi 1994 BDCRI Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate Research Institute BP Brahma in Purana BSAJ The Buddhist Stupa in Amaravati and Jaggayyapeta, London 1886 CT1 The Cave Temple in India, London 1880 CTWBHS The Cult of Tree and Tree- Worship in Buddhist and Hindu Sculpture, New Delhi 1964 ECS Elephanta, The Cave of Siva, United Kingdom 1983 EAAI Early Andhra Art and Iconography, Hyderabad 1979 EAC Ellora Art and Culture, New Delhi 1980 EHl Elements of Hindu Iconography, Delhi 1971 EIS Early Indian Sculpture, India 1973 iv EM Ellora Monoliths, Delhi 1988 EBRT Early Buddhist Rock Cut Temples, London 1972 ECS Early Chalukyan Sculptures, Madras 1962 GBCA A Guide to the Buddhist Cave in Aurangabad Bombay 1957 GPT A Guide to the Pattadakal Temples, Dharward 1961 HI The Hindu Temple, London 1977 HEDFA History of Early Deccan Fine Art, London 1953 l.\ Indian Ar/,Varanasi 1965 IHBJ Iconography of Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina, Bombay 1981 IEBHA Indian Epigraphy Bearing History and Art, New Delhi 1995 M In the Image of Man, London 1982 IS Indian Symbolism, New Delhi 1996 hIS Early Indian Sculpture, India, 1973 ITS Indian Temple Sculpture, Delhi 1959 IAEA Life and Art of Early Andhradesa, Delhi 1983 LKIA Life of Krishna in Indian Art, New Delhi 1978 MBSK A Monography of Buddhist Stupa at Kesanapalli, Hyderabad 1969 MSM Mahisasuramadini, New Delhi 1984 ME Men and Environment MPMA Maurya and Post Maurya Art, New Delhi 1975 MASl Memoirs of Archaeological Survey of India MIA Mahishasuramardini in Indian Art, New Delhi 1988 MMM Much Maligned Monsters, London 1977 NSS New Satavahana Sculptures, Hyderabad 1980 PEPHC The Proto and Early Historical Cultures of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad 1983 QJMS Quaterly Journal of Myth Society, Vol.LIV , 1964 RBCT Report on Buddhist Cave Temples in Westen India, New Delhi 1883 SAA Sculptural Art of Andhra, Delhi 1980 SIBA South Indian Buddhist Antiquaties, New Delhi 1897 V ESITA South Indian Temple Architecture, New Delhi 1986 55 Sculpture ofSesasayi Visnu, Baroda 1983 SSPWM Stone Sculptures in Prince Wales Museum, Bombay 1980 SSAM Stone Sculpture in Alampur Museum , Hyderabad 1973 TT Temples ofTelingana, Hyderabad 1972 TSWSA Trees and Serpent Worship at Sanchi and Amaravati, London 1873 TWAI Tree Worship in Ancient India , New Delhi 1971 WIA Women in Indian Art, Delhi 1995 VI LIST OF CHARTS CHART I Fauna as Depicted in Buddhist Sculptural Art CHART II Fauna as Depicted in Hindu Sculptural Art CHART III Flora as Depicted in Decoration and Everyday Life CHART IV Fauna as Depicted in Decoration and Everyday Life LIST OF PLATES Plate I Elephant, Chaddanta Jataka, 2nd century AD, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Burgess, BSAJ, 1886, PL. XIX, Fig.l Plate II Elephant, Hasti Jataka, 2nd century BC, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Rea, SIBA, 1894, PL. XLV, Fig. 2] Plate III Elephant, Bodhisattva, 2nd century AD, Sannati, Karnataka LACK Photo: AIIS.276-59] Plate IV Hare, Sasa Jataka, 3rd century AD, Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Longhurst, MASI, 1938 PL. XVIII, Fig. b] Plate V Winged-Horse, Valahassa Jataka, 2nd century BC, Pitalkhora, Maharashtra [ACK Photo: Fergusson, CTI, 1880, PL. XVI, Fig.3] Plate VI Hamsa, Bodhisattva, 2nd century AD, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Rea, SIBA, 1894, PL. XLVII, Fig. 2] Plate VII Quail, Bodhisattva, 2nd century AD, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Rea, SIBA, 1894, PL. XLVII, Fig. 1] vii Plate VIII Snake, Champeyya Jataka, 3rd century AD, Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Longhurst, MASl, 1938, PL. XXXVIII, Fig. b] Plate IX Elephant, Birth of the Buddha, 2nd century BC, Nadsur, Maharashtra [ACK Photo: AIIS. 699-26] Plate X Bull, Birth of the Buddha, 2nd century AD, Nasik, Maharashtra [ACK Photo: AIIS. 688-25] Plate XI Horse, Great Departure, 2nd century BC, Pitalkhora, Maharashtra [ACK Photo: National Museum, New Delhi, ACC. 67-189] Plate XII Horse, Great Departure, 3rd century AD, Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Longhurst, MASl, 1938, PL. XXVIII, Fig. c] Plate XIII Elephant, Assault of Mara, 2nd century BC, Ghanuisala, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: Rea, SIBA, 1894, PL. XXVIII] Plate XIV Elephant, Assault of Mara, 5* century AD, Ajanta, Maharashtra [ACK Photo: Fergusson, CTI, 1880, PL. LIJ Plate XV Naga Mucilinda, Protection of the Buddha, 2nd century AD, Sannati, Karnataka [ACK Photo: AIIS.277-1] Plate XVI Naga Mucilinda, 2nd century AD, Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh [ACK Photo: AI!S.