SCULPTURES • • • Allahabad Municipal Museum • S

SCULPTURES • • • Allahabad Municipal Museum • S. C. KALA

KITABISTAN '~'...vtures in the Allahabad unic~pal Mruseum

By SATISH CHANDRA KALA, M.A. CURATOR ALLAHABAD MUNICIPALม MUSEUM ำนกั หอส ุดกลาง ส

KITABISTAN ALLAHABAD

MUNSHI RAM 1'1; & j Orientnl Fmc. , ~en.. P.B. 1165. Nai :;,,' D'::.LEl-r.. • FOREWORD Allahabad, at the junction of the Ganges and the Jumna, is one of the nodal points in. the geography, the history and doubtless the prehistory of the great northern plains of India. It is fitting, indeed necessary, therefore, that the city should possess a Museum, and inevitable that this, with lively direction, should rapidly accumulate material of outstanding range and quality. The present Museum is still a young one butกั alreadyหอ สcontainsมุดก muchล of essential value. Next to registration and arrangement,ำน the most important taskาง confronting the Cura­ tor is that of publication, ส and I have accordingly a special pleasure in blessing this, the first guide to a part of the collections under Mr. Kala's charge. It is particularly encouraging to note.,.. that the Museum itself is not a product of the "Government Machine" but is primarily the result of the wise enthusiasm of two citizens of Allahabad. May it prosper.

SIMLA R. M. WHEELER September 1945 Director General of Archr.eology in India

3 • PREFACE

This monograph is intended to serve a double purpose. Firstly, it will be a special guide to the Sculpture section of the Allahabad Municipal Museum and secondly, it will introduce to scholars and art critics some hitherto unknown specimens of Indian Sculpture. I have made an honest effort to identify and discuss the sculptures and deliberately refrained from drawing dogmatic con­ clusions. The fourteen sculpturesห อofส Bharhutมุดก railingล described here will fur­ nish several links in the chainำน กัwhere the late Generalา Sirง Alexander Cunningham left it. Housed in the ส Museum are twenty more specimens of this group which I propose to deal in a separate monograph. For the benefit of the layman who visits the Museum I have included a chapter describing the salient features of Indian sculpture. Some acquaintance with the basic principles of the aft would mean more intelligent appreciation and heightened aesthetic pleasure. I am deeply grateful to Dr. R. E. M. Wheeler, Director General of Archreo­ logy in India who has been kind enough to write a Foreward to this monograph and to permit me to use a set of photographs of the Allahabad Museum sculp­ tures from his office. I am much thankful to my cousins, Messrs. B. D. Bhatt and Shri Charan Kala for some valuable suggestions and to my friend Shri Krishna Dutta Baj­ pai for kindly giving me the correct readings of two inscriptions. I am also grateful to Prof. K. C. Chattopadhyaya of the Allahabad University for kindly going through the MSS.

ALLAHABAD SATISH CHANDRA KALA Vijqya DashalJJi, 194~ ... CONTENTS PAGE

Indian Sculpture I~ History of the Collection .. 17 Description of the Plates 2.1 Plates ม ำนกั หอส ุดกลาง ส

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, , LIST OF PLATES PAGE \ I. Image of a Y ak~a .. 35 2. Upright Pillar from Bharhut 37 3· Pillar post from Bharhut 39 4. Fragment ,of a rail pillar from Bharhut 41 5. Pillar with a Y ak~i from Bharhut .. 43 & ม 6. Corner Pillar (A B) fromกั ห Bharhutอส ุดกลา 45 7. Fragment of a copingำ นstone from Bharhut ง ส 47 S. Lower portion of a railing pillar from Bharhut 47 9. Lower portion of a railing pillar from Bharhut 47 10. Cross Bar from Bharhut 49 I I. Railing pillar post from Bharhut .. 49 12. Inner face of a coping stone from Bharhut 51 13. Fragment of a coping stone from Bharhut )3 14. Fragment of a coping stone from Bharhut 55 15. Fragment of a rail pillar from Kausambi 57 16. Fragment of an architrave from Kausambi 59 17. Image of a Y ak~a from Kausambi .. 61 IS. Statue of a Bodhisattva from Kausambi .. 61 19. Head of the Buddha from Bhip. 63 20. Ekamukha Siva Liriga from Khoh (A & B) 65 21. Chaitya window from Bhumra 67 22. Cross stone slab from Bhumra 69 23. Cross stone slab from Bhumra 69 24. Door Jamb from Nagog. (A & B) 71 25. A post-Gupta Pillar from Ahar 73 2.6. Image of Siva-Parvati from Khajuraho 75

1 f, II .' INDIAN SCULPTURE The earliest creative expression of mankind was myths. These were as much the primitive man's explanations for natural events as they were his at­ tempts to control and compel the forces of nature. The myths deified the ele­ ments of nature and ritual soon developed around them. Such sacred legends

formed the corner stone of earlvJ Indian art. The inexhaustible wealth of these, ' played a dominant role in shaping the sensibilities of Asiatic peoples. Pressed into the service of religion from the very start, Sculpture derived all its characteristics fromห อtheส Indianมุดก attitude to religion with which it remained inextricably ำbound.นกั The earliestล unsophisticatedาง Vedic myths, the theological hair-splitting ส of the Brahmat).as and the contemplative renun­ ciation or' the Buddha find ample expression through the Sculptor's intractable medium of stone. The stories of the creation, preservation and destruction, the cycles of births and deaths, the doctrine of karman and cosmic illusion !lnd the rich Hindu pantheon were subjects where form put the imagination of the artist aglow. Life in its fluidity and multifariousness was held as if by the fore­ lock and studied in the round. It was because of this organic visiori and uncanny intuition that the Indian Sculptors could fathom depths too deep for ordinary mortals. He could reveal the essential dynamism of life. The serenity of a Buddha figure is as much a work of masterly creation as is the frenzy of a dancing Siva. Indian Sculpture is not realistic or representational in the \Vestern sense. Physical appearance or athletic perfection do not appeal to the Indian artist. His extraordinary plastic feeling gives his work a dynamic strength and imita­ tion is inconsequential for him. It is the inner meaning, the eternal value or the essence of nature which the artist tries to capture through his intuitive power. Like the Indian religion, Indian art also emphasizes the experience of reality and the reality of an Indian artist, consists in 'the relation of the forms of the visible World with an inner rhythm.' The delicacy of the content to be revealed of necessity led the Indian artist to use images and symbols in abundance. But an Indian image is not a fetish. It is in fact a medium through which the artist tries to scale the walls of the finite. The ancient Indian artist was both a yogin and a devotee. He evoked the Gods through Dhyana Mantras and spi­ ritual discipline. On many occasions he was transported to the state of super­ consciousness or trance. In this divine state he °saw ideal types of Gods and Goddesses. These forms he imnwrtalized in stone and colour. Thus the heroes of Indian art belong to a World whi~h is beyond the artificial barriers of space and sight, and are the result of a persistent search for spiritual reality. The Gods belonged to a higher W'orld. They should have therefore such identification marks which would place them above the ordinary mortals. They were to be endowed with the qualities of the superman. An ordinary mor­ tal attains the distinction of a superman either by sacrifice or by spiritual achieve­ ment or by universal dominion.กั หTheอ สsupermanมุดก ลshouldา have thirty two identi­ fying marks on his body.ส ำTheน wheels on the palms andง soles, the bump over the head, elongated ears and the hairy mole between the eyebrows are some of the typical marks. The Indian artist does not follow the Aristotelian definition of beauty as symmetry, proportion and an organic order of parts in a united whole. Indian art has a perspective and anatomy but its guiding principles originate from a deeper consciousness. In Indian figural sculpture the anatomical de­ tail"(i are suppressed. The canons lay injunctions against the portrayal of swelled vei~s in hands or legs. Even the bones of the wrists and other parts are to be hidden under flesh and blood. Indian figmes have nothing of the Greek ath­ letic ':iuality to show strain and movement of the muscles. Mter the suppres­ sion of all the prominent parts a graceful form of most superior linear rhythm comes into being. The Gods are portrayed either in meditation or engaged in some parti­ cular task. How these mute figures were to convey their actions? The Sculptors solved this difficulty by evolving some mudras or gestures through which action and emotion could be communicated. There are about sixty four mudras in art and one hundred and eighteen in the tantra. The meditative mudras are chiefly indicated by full or half closed eyes, lowered eyebrows and the fixity of the gaze. There are again postures or a,sanas in which a God has to be depicted. According to the Vi~~udharmottara there are thirteen such poses. In the Brihat Sarphita and Pratimamana-Iak.sa~a there is a detailed account of the various measurements according to which the images are to be shaped. There are five types of images with separate measurements, proportions, and units (talas). The image thus can be fashioned in dasatala, navatala, agatala etc. These limitations certainly acted as stumbling blocks in the creative activity ot the artist but he had to follow the traditions of a communal art. He had a practised hand and this is the reasen tlut despite so many odds the artist was able to pro4uce figure~ full of grace, balance and proportion. The greatest achievement of the Indian Sculptor lies in his investing the plastic forms with spiritual meaning. This feature is particularly significant in the Buddhist images of the Gupta period. The Gupta period image of Buddha from Sarnath is a masterpiece. The spiritual awakening is wonder­ fully displayed in the calm and serene face of the blessed one. The struggles which Lord Buddha faced both as a man and a beast seem to have suhsided and a perfect poise attained displayed.กั หอ Fromสม ุดhisก faceล now emanates an eternal glow or radiance which isส theำน highest achievement ofา aง seeker after truth. Another notable contribution of the Indian Sculptor was the portrayal of Indian womanhood. At one side he painted her as the universal mother. On the other hand, he treated her as an embodiment of the seductive charms. The female f6rmtl are supple-limbed, thin-waisted a1ld have large rounded breasts and hips. The fleshy softness of their limbs and contours endow them with a suave quality not observed in any other school of art. Another convention which the Indian Sculptor followed was to leave the upper part of their bodies uncovered. In dojng so he found scope for exhibiting his love for exquisite ornaments and coiffures. Like all great art, Indian Sculpture is not afraid of sensuality. But it'ennobles the semi-nude female forms by tinging it with reli­ gious colour. , In its hey-day of prosperity, through war and peace, India got in touch with the forms of art developed in other countries. The sensitive Indian ar ­ ist immediately grasped the import of the former and utilized them in develop­ ing his own technique. These contacts proved to be fertilizers of immense value and theh influence cannot be minimised. But to say that the Indians imitated foreign forms is to overlook a fact of psychological significance. Indian art like Indian religion has an impalpable way of absorbing alien elements and influences. This absorbent quality of Indian art and sculpture has persistently worked through the course of the ages. All the comments on Indian art veer round one pivotal point, viz., the inner meaning revealed by the Indian artists. Western critics grow restive with this word 'inner meaning'. But in these days of Freudian psychology and theory

15 r' ~ !""' :~

I JI~ct.5 0 , of relativity the phrase 'inner meaning' takes a new significance. Life lived on the conscious plane is only a fraction of life lived inside. So all art which is representational is inadequate and incomplete. The grasping of totality or reality should be the aim of iall attists. It is hert! that the other schools of arts have to learn from Indian Sculptut:e. In all the periods of art history the Indian "artist remained faithful to the art­ istic conventions and to the hieratic traditions. Many summers and winters rolled on in the vast abyss of time but the Indian Sculptor with hammer and chisel continued hewing the hard granite ot sandstone in fulfilling a great mission and in satisfying the religious quest of the different sects, laity and laymen. His importance could never be polluted as no barriers could hamper him in his work. There was no inclinationห อtoส flatterมุด กandล no desire for power. Least could have been the motiveำน กั of feathering his ownา งnest. Working under the stress of a common religious ส emotion he gave to the public a work of art which was more of an inspiration than 'a feast to the senses. ' The Indian Sculptor had a wonderful grasp of history. It is because of this that he has succeeded in enlivening the inert historical and mythological episodes to which expression and meaning are given. The quality of narration rt~aches its highest in the monuments of. Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati,Bodhagaya, Ellora, Elephanta and in the monuments of Greater India. There is ample justification in the remark of an eminent scholar that the past glory of India lies not 9nly in its material and intellectual prosperity but in the imperishable edi­ fices .)f her artistic and creative moods. HISTORY OF THE COLLECTION • • The Allahabad Municipal Museum which fifteen years ago existed only as a nebulous idea has today crystal~ized into shape. That the intellectual life of Allahabad would remain lopsided without a Museum first struck Rai Baha­ dur Kamta Prasad Kakkar who was as he is today the Chairman of the Muni­ cipal Board and Rai Bahadur Pt. Braj Mohan Vyas, Executive Officer, who has since then retired. These two pioneers embarked on the difficult but noble task of acquiring exhibits for the หmuseumอสม withุด กunflinching zeal. But for their untiring energy and markedำ นsacrificeกั the museum wouldลาง not be what it is today. For about a decade the สprogress was in no less a measure due to the unstinting help from Mr. Ranendra Nath Basu who remained as the chairman of the Muni­ cipal Board for about nine years. Today the Museum can modestly claim to possess some of the finest examples of sculptures, terracottas, coins, beads and paintings. Allahabad has been and is one of the greatest cultural centres of India . . Besides the holy Prayaga there are ruined sites of great sanctity and poten­ tiality in the neighbourhood of Allahabad. The immediate task before· the authorities of the Museum was, therefore, to comb the local sites. A scheme for this purpose was launched and within a brief span of time a large numher of antiquities which lay exposed to the ravages ofweather or hidden in obscurity were collected and shifted to the Municipal Museum. Culturally, Allahabad focusses not only the Indo-Gangetic region but also the north-east Vindhya or the Kaimur region. It was, therefore, considered desirable to collect sculptures from these areas also. During the last seven years many sites and villages of Central India have been· visited with this purpose. The Sculptures recovered from these places have proved of unsurpassing interest and great historical importance. At the site of Bharhut, a village in the Nagod state of Central India there once stood ~n important Buddhist stOpa believed to have been built b~tween the 3rd. century B. C. and 150 B.. C. It was encircled by a highly ornamented stone railing consisting of several pillars, cross-bars, coping stones and also had elaborate gateways at the four corners. Between the years 1873 and 1926 the site was frequently visited by the officers of the Archreological

17 - Department. Their vIsIts ultimately resulted in the recovery of a complete gateway and several architectural pieces which are at present housed in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. The importance of these remains lies in the fact that they represent the earliest phase Lof the indigenous Indian artistic tradition. Through the strenous efforts of Pro Braj Moh~n Vyas several new piec~s of the Bharhut railing have been acquired for the Allahabad Municipal Museum. The fragmentary coping stone bearing the Gaja-sasa-jataka (PI. IV), the pillar showing an acrobatic scene (PI. III), and the image of a yak~i (PI. V) display some interest­ ing subjects and also reveal points hitherto unnoticed in the art of Bharhut. It is a pity that the image of a yak~i encircling a tree with her leg is still worship­ ped in the house of a landlord of village Pataora. The horizontally engraved inscription records it to beน anกั imageหอ ofส มMahakokaุดกล าDevata. All persuasions to procure this image proved สำ futile. Another notable งexhibit in the Museum is the image of a yak~a (PI. I) from Partabgarh. This image belongs to a particular icon group representing the works of a national Indian School believed to have flourished before the Maurya period. So far only a dozen images of this group have come to light. The discovery of an image of this group at

PartabgarhJ e.g., in the mid-Gangetic region is important because it serves a connecting link between Patna and Mathura where some unique specimens of thj's School have been discovered ... It may also be noticed here that another image of this style but of a later date was found at Kausambi in the year 1922. ?r.om Kausambi comes a headless image of a Bodhisattva (PI. XVIII). It is tarved in the red spotted sandstone and was imported from Mathura. In the pedestal below the feet of the image there is an inscription which records that the image was dedicated by the Buddhist nun Buddhamitra at Kausambi in the II year of Kani~ka's reign. This is the earliest known inscribed Bodhi­ sattva image of the reign/0f this king. In the collection of the Museum there is a head of Siva carved during the Bharasiva period. It was obtained from Mirzapur. Thirteen years ago the late Dr. Kashi Prasad Jayaswal recorded in the Museum Visitor's Book"....the head of Siva which has been brought from my own town Mirzapur is worth its price in gold! ..." The temple of Siva at Bhumra. when intact must have been a monument of supreme architectural beauty. It was erected about the fifth century A. 1). but soon fell into ruins and remained in obscurity till the year 1922 when from a thick jungle the lat~ Mr. R. D. Banerjee excavated it. A large number of architectural fragments of this temple have been presented to the Museum by the Maharaja of Nagog. The figure of Yamaraja carved inside a Chaitya window (Pl. XXII) and the top lintel (PI. XXIII) from this temple are remarkable for their decorative quality and lively naturalism. Another notable example of the Gupta period is the Ekamukha Sivalitiga from Khoh (PI. XXI). For pro­ found stillness and c~lm repose this figure remains unsurpassed in the whole range of Indian plastic art. The figure'has been claimed as the finest portrait of the Gupta period. The Buddha head (Pl. XX) from Bhita also deserves mention. The Museum has in its possession quite a large number of post-Gupta sculptures. Of particular interest is a pillar from Ghazipur. It has got the usual decorative motifs of the Gupta age but the dragon motif on one of the projected panels just above the square section is unique. Medieval sculptures have beenห อcollectedสมุด fromกล Khajuraho, Baghra, Nagog and Kausambi. The Khajurahoำนกั set presented by theา งMaharaja of Chattarpur is very' well represented. ส There are images of Brahmanical and Jain faiths but they are devoid of spiritual quality. Sharp angularity, a prominent feature of medieval schools, is evident in the Siva Parvati image (pl. XXVI). Several detached statues of females in alluring postures and bearing fatuous looks and bewitching smiles has also been collected from Khajuraho. In spite of the pre­ valent mannerisms and conventions the Khajuraho School has to its credit some of the most sensitive and graceful forms, many of which can be seen in the Museum. The Director General of Archreology in India has loaned to the Mu ,eum a good set of sculptures discovered at Sarnath. The specimens touch practkally all the phases of the Benares School of Sculpture. Dr. Panna Lall, C.LE., C.S.I., LC.S. (Retd.) has also lent some Gandhara and Medieval sculptures collected from the hill Districts of Kumaun. The;.. Museum has also acquired sculptures from Mathura, Gaya and other places and attempts are still in progress to make the collection fully represen­ tative. Even from the existing examples housed in the Museum a c~:1"onolo­ gical order of the various schools of Indian Sculpture can be presented. There still remains an enormous mass of important and unidentified sculptures in the collection of the Museum and the author hopes to deal with them in other mono­ graphs of the series to be issued later on. For thousands of years Indian art remained the hand-maiden of reli­ gion. The Sculptors are no more, but the work they have done for the propa­ gation and preservation of the various devotional creeds is enough to immor­ talize their names. Out of sheer humility they preferred anonymity and though their names are not known their creations have given unending joy to all the visitors to this temple of art.

ม ำนกั หอส ุดกลาง ส

10 ;' DESCRIPTION OF PLATES

PLATE I

AI9 Colossal image (Ht. 3'4'') of a yak~a from Partabgarh, U. P. The arms, feet and the head are completely gone. He wears a long Dhoti which is held at the waist by a flat strap tied in a double knot, the ends of which fall in front. On his breast he has a flat torque which is tied at the back of the neck by a band with an interwoven knot and on the neck he has a necklace. The chest is broad and the belly prominent. The right hand was upraised a'nd the left held some object (purse ?). The left legห isอ bentสม a ุดlittleก ลforward. The image expresses a feeling of volume and ำstrength.นกั Only a dozen imagesาง of this type have so far been discovered in ส India. They are entirely free from foreign elements and represent the national school of Indian Sculpture which flourished in the Pre­ Mauryan or early Mauryan periods. PLATE II

B449 Upright pillar (2.'3" X 1'1") from Bharhut. The upper part is badly injured while the lower one is broken. In the semi-circular panel made by a strip of cloth is kept the bust of a female wearing heavy pendants, necklace and elaborate headdress. She holds the branch of a tree with her right hand while the left one is fixed on the cloth strip in front. Her eyes and fcrehead are injured. There are leaf-shaped tattoo marks on her cheeks. On each of the bevelled sides there are standing female figures holding the branch of trees with one of their hands. PLATE III A 542. Pillar post (3'4"X I'9ft) from Bharhut showing in relief an acrobatic scene. The stone had circular panels at~ the top and the bottom. The top panel contained a lotus. In the rest of the space there is a group of men hanging from the legs of the man at the top. The number of men hanging at the bottom is nine. Each one holds the feet of the man above by firmly gripping the feet and the knees of the one just above him with both of his hands. All the figures in the group wear a loin cloth tied by a scarf, embroidered turbans, necklaces and bracelets: Some figures wear even anklets. Ii longish scarf is thrown round the shoulder with ends fallirtg on either· side or front. On the

21 bevelled sides there stand on lotus flowers a male with folded hands and a female. On the pillar there is an inscription which reads:­ Pusadataye nagarikas~ Bhi!<:uniye .•.. '(Gift) of nun PUr?yadatta of Nagarika(?).' A similar inscription occurs i~ another p1l1ar at Bharhut.1 The acrobatic scene depicted in this pillar is highly interesting. Scenes relating to acrobats and physical feats are extremely rare in the Buddhist monu­ ments of India though there occur frequent references to these in the Jatakas. 2 A story even goes to say that once the Bodhisattva took birth.in a family of acrobats.s The word 'Samaja' may also refer to some type of acrobatic exhibi­ tions.4 In the Jain literatureนกั thereหอ occurสม longุดก listsล าofง sports and games. The word 'lankhaga' referred สำ in Ardhamagadhi Jain works was used for a class of Natas. PLATE IV '1')(, ". l J ,B:49 Frag~ent (l'~ l'lt') ~f,~ rail pjll~r\ from Bharhut. It has a circ~lar paner1n the mIddle which contaIns an elaborate scene. On the proper !1ght there is seen a spouted jar and two baskets filled with mango fruits. In the _ middle is seen a fire altar. Ficing it is seated on hjncllegs an animal resembling 0' .. a hare. Behind him is an otter and a iizarl ~";nimal whose head and half body is cut off is found seated on the extreme left corner. In front of this animal is kept a kamat;l<;l.alu. Below the altar there is a tank inside which are seen tv'o fish. The scene depicted in the panel refers t<;> the ~asa Jataka. The story goes that once when ,king Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares the Bodhisattva as a young hare lived in a forest. The hare had three friends, a jackal, an otter-t'

and a monkey. The hare preached wise counsels to his friends by saying that i • alms should be given when demanded, the sacred law is to be observed and the holy days to be observed. With this message all set out for the wood. The otter collected fish, the monkey climbed a mango tree and collected mangoes and the jackal took possession of a lizard and a pot of curd from the house of a watchman. But the hare could not collect anything. Sakka at this moment appeared on the scene and asked for food from the hare. He had nothing to

1 Barua-Sinha, Bharhut Inscriptions. Ins. 43. IIPausboll, Jataka lIz,;. V 8I-81. II Francis and Thomas, Jatah Tales p. I76. 'Indian Antiquary, Aug. I9II\. p. 11I.

22 offer but decided to burn his body and then to offer his roasted flesh to Sakka. The hare jumped in the pyre but could not burn.l In the above scene the hare is getting ready to jump into the fire altar. His three companions arc also pre­ sent in the scene with their respective collections. The Jataka emphasizes the practice of Danaparamita.2 This Jataka is depicted on one of !he Stupas of Nagarjupikol).c;la where the r ('\; "r \'~ hare is actually seen jumping into the pyre3 and on a stone slab of Amaravati, now preserved in the British Museum.4 These are the only three pre~entations of this Jataka in the whole r~~g~of Buddhist Art. PLATE V B55 I Pillar (5 '6"X II") showing the figure of a Y ak~i from Bharhut. Face, head and breasts injured. Sheกั wearsหอ สa loinมุด clothกล heldา by a girdle of square and round linked beads andสำ aน belt which is tied in a knotง in front, with the two ends falling down. A chain of rectangular beads passes over the left shoulder, across the stomach and turns towards the right side of the waist. Over her head there is a Sala flower designed muslin and a bunch of leaves. At the top there was a lotus medallion. ., . \?!, \ PLATE VI (A) B501 C;~~er pillar (5'X 8·r~fii Bharhut with two faces. Each face of the pillar is divided into. three panels by horizo!1tal bands of/railings. The s, :ne in the uppermost panel shows a royal personage riding on a richly caparis ,tied elephant. On the right side is visible part of a Bodhi tree. Near the tt:'sk of the elephant are seen two human figures. In the middle panel are four horses with well arranged manes, evidendy belonging to a chariot on which was seated a royal figure. In the lowermost panel two stumpy figures are supporting the structure above with their upraised hands. _~!1) The other face has also similar distribution of space. In the upper panel there is a roya] figure pouring water with a Kamal).c;lalu in the hands of a Brahmin. Behind the royal figure there are some other members of his retinue. In the scene are shown three more Brahmins wearing beards and skin or bark clothes and holding long staffs in their hands. The two figures on the extreme rig~t

1 Francis and Thomas, Jataka Tales, pp. 223-229. 2 Dictionary of Pall Proper Names, p. 1079' 3 M. A. S. 1. No. 24, PI. XVIII 4 Fergusson-Tree and Serpent Worship, PI. LXXXII Fig. 2. have upraised hands and they are begging something from the royal personage. A portion of the tusk of the elephant is visiqle on the right side. In the second panel there are again four horses having beautiful manes yoked to a chariot. Three Brahmins srand near the feet of the horses with folded hands. At the.bottom are seen two stumpy fi.,gures supporting the heavy struc­ ture above with their upraised hands. The four scenes described above relate to the Vessantara Jataka.1 Once when a great' famine broke out in Kalinga the people went to the king and re­ quested him· to help them in their distress. There were no rains and the crops had failed. The king told the people that he would perform austerities and this pious act would bring rain. The people went back and the king started aus­ terities and continued them forห aอ weekสม butุด stillกล there were no rains. As a last resort he decided to ำcallน Princeกั Vessantara of Jetuttaraาง to bring his favourite white elephant on สwhose coming rains would automatically come. He gave provisions for a journey to Jetuttara to the eight Brahmins and they started for bringing the elephant. When they reached the place they saw the Prince making • gifts in the various parts of the city. They demanded the elephant and he readily offered it to them. In the first scene above the royal personage is Prince Vessantara who is moving in the park on his white elephant. In the second sc( fle he is making the offering to the Brahmins. When the Prince returned toY is palace he found that his subjects did not like the Ponce's action in dis­ posihg of such a useful arumal. They insisted on his banishment. The Prince \ bowf..d before the will of his subjects. He then went to see his parents in I a gorgeous chariot drawn by four Sindhi horses. Tlus scene is depicted above, on the middle panel of the first face (A). After bidding farewell to all, the Prince set out on a chariot to the forest along with his wife and two children. On the way four Brahmins met him and demanded the four horses employed in the chariot. The Prince gladly offered these. This incident is also depicted on the central panel of the second face (B) described above. In the previously discovered pieces of the Bharhut railing the three scenes were absent. Only in a panel we come across Vessantara presenting the ele­ phant to a Brahmin.2 Here the Prince first places the tusk of the elephant in the hand of the B,rahmin and then completes the gift ceremony by pouring water with his kamat;l<;lalu.

\ 1 Cowell and Rouse-Jatakas, Vol. vr pp. 2.46-30~. I Barua-Bharhut, Part TIr, Scene I;8. PLATE VB B500 Fragment (I'X 1'2") of the inner face of a coping stone from Bharhut. At the top there was the border of stepped merlons alternated by horizontally placed blue lotuses. The panel of the stone depices an elephant and two riders. One of the riders holds a reliqu,?-ry. The scene refers to the division of the corporal relics of Lord Buddha. When the blessed one left his mortal coil his disciple Aminda asked him how his body had to be disposed of and Buddha replied that his body should be cremated with the ceremonies befitting a universal monarch.l After the cremation at Kusinagara a quarrel arose over the possession of the relics. Ultimately Brahmal?-a Drol?-a appeared on the scene and distributed the relics to the eight rival claimants. The scene in this panel shows one of the claimantsกั ห อtransportingสมุดก ลtheา share to his territory. สำน VIII ง B5 36 Lower portion C3'5"x 2") of a railing pillar from Bharhut. Above the roughly chiselled tenon there is a semi-circular panel inside which is seated in the midst of flowers, petals and leaves a yak~a spouting forth from his mouth a lotus stalk. On each side there is a horizontal border of blue lotus and other type of flowers. The same scene occurs on the obverse.

PLATE IX

B515 Lower portion C3' IO" x 1'8") of a railing pillar from Bharhut. Above tti(:. roughly diisciled tenon there is seated X yak~a from whose mouth issues forth a lotus stalk. The same arrangement appears on the obverse bu ~ here the lotus stalk issues from the navel of the yak~a. The yak~as are vegetation spirits and playa dominant role in the iconography of water cosmology. 2 The navel has been treated as a source of all the vegeta­ tive energy in Indian mythology.3 PLATE X B5 16 Cross bar C1'8" X 2'6") from Bharhut. In the centre th~te is a lot~ls medallion which contains a richly attired human bust. There is a~ .inscription on the lower left side of the bar ~~Nhich reads as:- " Nagarakhitasa cha matucha Kamuchukuye danarp. 'Gift of Nagarak~ita and his mother Kamuchuka (or Kii.flChuka).'

1 Digha Nikaya, II p. 182, XVI, 6, 17. 2 Coomarswamy, Yakllas, pp. 1-9. a Art Bulletin, Vol. XI, No.2, p. 2..

4 'Ibe name of the donor Nagarak~ita is found in another rail pillar but the name of his mother is not mentioned there.

PLATE XI • • • BHO Pillar post ()'4~'X I') from Bharhut. At the top there is a series of stepped merlons kept under the arches made by a garland. Below it is a semi­ circular panel which contains a lotus flower and several tanks in irregular shape. Inside the tanks are placed small lotus flowers and tortoises in different positions. The central circular panel depicts under a Bodhi tree the canopy of a five hooded coiled Naga, sheltering the footprints of Buddha. On each of the bevelled sides there were carved standing female figurines which are cut off now. Above, there is an inscriptionอสม ุดwhichก reads as :- Muchilindoำ Nagaraja.นกั ห ลาง Ti~iya Bel).akatikaya ส dana. 'Muchalil).da Nagaraja-the gift of Ti~ya of Bel).akataka.' It is told in the Lalita Vistara that in the sixth year following his enlighten­ ment Buddha stayed for sometime in the neighbourhood of Muchalinda lake, which was under the guard of the dragon chief Muchalinda. The serpent chief protected the lord by his hooded canopy. This episode has been depicted in the Sanchi railingI, in the sculptures of Nagarjumkol).<;ia 2 and in an AmaravatI railing piece.3 , )The exact location of Benakataka is not known. The word Vena kat aka occtt'rs in the Nasik Inscription' of G;1utamiputra Sri Satakarl).i where he'is c;l1ed the 'lord of Vel).iikataka' in Govardhana.'4 Mr. V. S. Bakhle on the other hand says that Vel).akataka is separate from Govardhana. He locates the place outside Nasik and identifies it with the track round modern Kolhapur.5

PLATE XII \)3553 Inn-:..r face (3'X 1'8") of a coping stone from Bharhut. At the t~p th1!t~ if, a border of continuous stepped merlons alternated by hori­ zontally ~ "aced blue lotuses. The lower border consists of bells hanging from a jewel~net a~tached with a vertically placed bamboo. In between these borders

1 Marshall-Ml.':chakra flanked onส ำeachน side by two thupikas. งAhove, there is engrayed an inscription which reads as :- Gaja Jatakasas. The Sasa Jataka has been described elsewhere.

PLATE }:nI BPI Fragment (I'9"X lI") of a coping stone frolh Rharhut. At the top ther is the u,sual border of stepped merlons. Below is a panel maJe by an unduk,­ ing creeper, inside which are seen an Asavatha tree, two deer grazing an.d a Brahmin standing inside the foliage of a Mandara tree. The bottom border consists of usual hanging bells. PLATE XIV ,~ BI9 Fragment (1'1I" 1'1") of a copihg stone from Bharhut. At the there was the usu:il b~fder of stepped merlons. Below is a panel made by a undulating creeper. On the left side is depicted a peacock with outspread tai His body has been cut off but a part of his raised head is still visible. On tP tight side there is seen a goose. An inscription occurs above the panel wl-o' reads as: Harpsa Jatakam. This Jataka has been depicted' again in another panel of the coping The story says that once the Bodhisattava was born as a Golden maJJn invited the birds from all the Himalayan countries and asked hi9 choose a husband fro~~em. Her choice fell on a peacock wl, ,- ' began to dance with joy'. Seeing that the peacock had lo~'

1 Barua-Bharhut, Part II, p. 90. rum King Mallard refused to give his daughter's hand to him. The goose must be the. Bodhisattva or King Mallard.1

PLATE XV K86I Fragment (1'2" X 7·k") Of a railing pillar from Kaus;mbi. Sunga period. At the top and right side there is a border of three pointed leaves. Belbw it if, seen ~a se!ies of stepped merlons. In the central panel is shown a female clasping the bough of a Sala tree with her right hand. Her left hand is fixed on the girdle. N ear the trunk of the tree is a seated figure with folded hands. On the left side of the figure there is a pillar with a bell shaped capital sum,ounted by an animal. At the top there is an inscription which reads as:­ Pus.asa tharphha dhamma .... กั หอสมุดกล 'Pillar, the religiousสำ นgift of Pu~ya.' าง A donor of this name figures in another inscription engraved on a rail pillar of Bharhut. 2 PLATE XVI AIOI Fragment of an architrave (j'7"X 7") from KauMimbi. Sufiga period. 1'l le part on the right side ic jJ.I~SS1ng. Beginning from the proper right first see the tusk o,f aD e-l':'J!hant. Then follows the nude figure of Laksmi stand­ i . '1 tDP miJst of lotus buds and shrubs on a full blown lotus. On each side th," ~.re elephants standing on lotus flowers and anointing the Goddess with wat,Jured from the jars held with their tusks. She also holds a lotus bud 1Tl ight hand. On her left side there is a bull facing the Goddess. Behind

1 is seen a svastika made by the knot of leaves. Next to this is depicted or-pulent male figure having flowery horns and holding his upraised leaf-end with both of his hands. On the extreme end of the architrave there is the re of a fish-tailed crocodil~ with yawning mouth and with its face 'd to the right.

~ scene is interesting. Tbe ~ymbolism of the four animals has not been lderstood. It is believed that originally four animals-an elephant, orse and a lion were depicted on this architrave. These four animals also lie abacus of the Sarnath capita1. They probably represent the four l)f the Buddhists, who guarded the four entrances to the lake

-kas, Vol. IV pp. 264-67. be Sculptures in the Indian Museum, part I, lnsc. 129. ',t Ruins of Sarnath, p.40. PLATE XVII 4II Colossal seated image (5'2."X 1'9") of a Yak~a from Kausambi. He has large eyes, wide open mouth and wears moustaches. He keeps a bowl in his right hand while the left firmly hoMs the leg of a pig. He puts on a dhoti, large pendants, torque and bangles on hands. A flat strap passes on his chest in the shape of a sacred thread. At the knot point there is seen a serpent head which is perhaps one of the ends of the strap. A scarf is also tied round his prominent belly. He has a cap shaped headdress studded with jewels and pearls. In front of the cap there is a circular clasp. The Maha.mayuri gives a list of the Y ak~as of the different cities of ancient India.l The present specimen may represent the presiding Y ak~a of Kausam­ bi. 2 Such figures are found in clayห อas สwell.ม ุดกล #I นกั าง สำ PLATE XVIII A4 Statue of a Bodhisattva (ht. 4'7") executed in the red spotted sand stone of Mathura. Ku~aQ.a period. The image was acquired from Kausambi. The head and right hand are completely gone. The left hand is clenched and holds at the waist a long scarf which goes below and then falls on the right side. He wears an undergarment which reaches up to his knees and is supported by ':l girdle which is knotted at the side with its two ends falling down. A thin upper garment is thrown over the left shoulder which also covers the arm and the ch_st.

The folds of the drapery are indicated by deep incised lines. I Between the legs are kept five lotus buds tied together and at the top oftthese is found a full blown lotus. A full blown lotus is also seen by the side of the left leg of the figure. In the pedestal below there is an inscription which reads as I. (Ma)h (a.) rajasya Kat). (i) shkasa sariwa (tsa) r(e) 2. h(e) 2. di 8 Bodhi­ satavo (tvarh) pra (ti). 2.. (shtha) payati bhikuQ.i Buddhamitra trepit(i) ka bhagvato Buddhasa cha(rh) kame. 'In the yea~ 2. of Maharaja Kani~ka, on the 8th day of the 2.nd (month) of Hemanta, (Buddhist) nun Buddhamitra, who is well versed in the Tripitaka, sets up (the image of) Bodhisattva at the promenade of Lord Huddb1..~. It may be observed that this is the earliest known image of a Bodhislt':tva

1 J. U. P. H. S,. December 1942 p. ) 2. II Mablimayuri List, No. 1-66, 1-52. 3 Epigraphia Indica~ Vol. XXIV, pp. 210-212.

(. of the reign of Kani~ka. An image carved dunng the third year of his reign was) however} found in the Sarnath excavations.1

PLATE XIX AII7 Head of Buddha ,(ht. to") from Bhi~a·. Gupta period. The eyes are half closed and indicate dhyana mudra. The lower lip is heavy but adds to the firmness of the mouth. The hair is arranged in conventional spirals. Over the head there is the usual bump. The serenity and softness in the face of Buddha are remarkable. PLATE XX (A-B) N. 164 Ekamukha Siva Lifiga (6'X 18') from Khoh. 2 Gupta period. The lower part is roughly chiselled. Aboveอส itม thereุด is a plain cylinder which contains on one side the bust of นSiva.กั หSiva has mattedกล hairาง arranged in a high jata. A thin crescent is fixed ส ำin front of the top knot. A few hair fall in ringlets on either side of the head. The ears are elongated and pierced for holding the kU1).Qalas. There is a third eye on the forehead. Siva wears a one-string necklace on his neck. The spontaneous harmony and restraint in the facial expression of this :,culpture make this bust as one of the masterpieces of portrait art.

PLATE XXI N. 164 Chaitya window (1'6"x 1'6") from Bhumra. Gupta period. It has pointed semi-circular projection at the top and leaf pattern projections on the sides In the middle there is a sunken medallion inside which is seated on bedstead a male God holding in his left hand a long staff resembling a club. He wears a dhoti, a high crown, a sacred thread, earrings and necklaces. On each side there are female attendants holding fly--whisks. The seated figure has been identified with Yamaraja, the God of death.3

·PLATE XXII

N. 700 Cross stone slab (6'){ I' j.") from Bhumra. Gupta period. The slab which was used on the ceiling of the inner chamber of the temple of Siva at Bhumra is broken into two pieces. There is a thin raised band around the slab. From t~e bottom issues a long stalk with undulating creeper having the conventional foliage. In the interspaces are seen climbing nude dwarfish erotes

1 Archa::ological Survey of India, A. R. 1904-5, PI. XXVI Fig. a-d. 2 Annual Report, A. S. 1 Western circle 1920 PI. XXIX. a M. A. S. 1., No. 16, p. 12.

,0 or ga1}as. This is one of the finest pieces of the Gupta period . . PLATE XXIII B701 Top Lintel (5'4"X J'3") from the temple of Siva at Bhumra. Gupta period. On the three sides of the slab there is a border of lotus rosettes. In­ side the sunken panel made by the raised border there are carved exquisite waves with curving crests. PLATE XXIV N701 boor Jamb (5'X 1'6") from Nago<;l. The Jamb has a band of conven­ tional foliage from top to the bottom. The upper part has been butted as to make out space for carving a female figurine (Salabhanjika) standing on the back of a fish-tailed dwarf (naravahana)อ andส holdingมุดก the branch of an Asoka tree with her right hand. She wearsำน กัbigห round kUl) ;alas,ล a าnecklace,ง girdle and armlets. Her hair is arranged สin ringlets in front and at the parting of the hair is hung a jewel. A scarf is seen over her left shoulder and on the right arm. The woman and the tree motif has remained a favourite theme with the artists of all ages. l The Indian tradition says that many trees put forth blossoms when a pretty damsel kicks it and touches it with her body, hand or foot. D.r. Vogel adopted the name Salabhafijika to denote this motif used sc copiously in Indian Sculpture.2 PLATE XXV G 177. Post-Gupta pillar (5'4"X 1'2") from Ahar) District Bulandsrahr, U. P. The lower one third portion is plain and square in section. At the tt.p of this section there are double projections containing kirtimukha motifs in the lower ones and arabesque work and fish-tailed dwarfs in the upper semi-circular panels. Above it the pillar is hexagonal. At the top and the bottom there is carved the vase and foliage motif. PLATE XXVI K5 54 Stele (4'1" X 2'4") showing four-armed Siva and Parvat1 lotus flower. Parvati is seated on the left lap of her consort a flung round his neck. The hands of both are gone. Siva;' breast of Parvati with one of his left hands. The left leg oj. a lotus springing from a common stalk. There are seen a lion seated below the throne. On each side of it are seer

1 J. L S. O. A. Vol: III No.2, p. III. 2 Acta Orientalia, Vol. VII Pts. II-HI, p. 2F. attendants. Above them are females holding the tails of the rising leogryphs. There is an ornamental halo behind the head of Siva. On each side of his head occur representations of the various Brahmanical deities. At the top pro­ jection is seen seated a tigm:e ir. the dhyana mudra. On either of the sides are carved garland bearers. Below the throne there is a pedestal in which seve­ ral crouching figures are placed in different 'attitudes and a seated figure sup­ porting the throne with his hands.

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