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BuddhistArtinIndia
ByRadhaBanerjee

TheEarlySymbolsandtheirevolution
Indian art is an expression of Indian life and thought attuned to its vast
TheBharhutStupa natural background and its socioreligious traditions. It is not exclusive or
TheSanchiStupa sectarian in the narrow sense of the term. Its style, technique or general
tenor has nothing to do with any particular religious outlook. It is fed and
JaggapettaStupa
fostereduponavaststorehouseofIndiantraditions,symbolsanddesigns.
AmaravatiStupa The term Hindu, Jaina or Buddhist art is but a popular nomenclature to
GandharaArt distinguish one group of monuments, including painting, cavetemples and
MathuraAgreatCentreofArt architecture, etc., from another stand point of the predominance of one or
TheGuptaArt theotherreligioustheme. Hence, by Buddhist art is meant popularly those
monumentsandpaintingswhichhaveforthemainpurposetheedificationor
PostGuptaDevelopments
popularization of Buddhism. Fortunately enough in India and outside where
Nalanda Buddhism did exist, or still exists, there are innumerable monuments
Nagapattinam representingdifferentphasesofBuddhismandthesehelpustovisualizethe
trendofBuddhistartthroughtheages.

InBuddhistlegendsandMythology,GautamaBuddhahasbeenrepresentedassuperiornotonlytothepopularcult
divinitiesofthesoil,suchastheYakshas,Nagas,etc.butalsotoIndra,BrahmaandothersoftheearlierBrahmanical
pantheon.Everythingwithhimhasbeendescribedastranscendental.ThisisamplyrepresentedinBuddhistart.

TheEarlySymbolsandtheirevolution

BuddhistartreflectsveryfaithfullyalltheimportantaspectsofBuddhism.InprimitiveBuddhism,Gautama
SakyamunihasbeenregardedasanidealhumanbeingandquitenaturallywefindthattheearlyBuddhistartofBharhut,
Sanchi,BodhGayaandAmaravatiandotherplacesshowsnoanthropomorphicrepresentationoftheMaster.Hispresence
isindicatedbymeansofanemptythrone,oraBodhitreeorapairoffootprints,oradharmachakra,symbolizingoneor
theothereventofhislife.Asthetimepassed,Buddhismacquiredgreaterpopularityanddrewadherentsfromallsections
ofthepeople.ThedisciplineandausteritiesoftheearlyBuddhismwerebeyondthecomprehensionoftheordinary
followersofthereligion.Areligionwithoutapersonalgodinwhomonecanreposefaithhadbutlittleappealtothem.The
demandofthepopularmindasmetbytheMahayanistswhodefiedBuddhaandintroducedtheconceptofdivine
Bodhisattvasandseveralotherdeities.Withtheprogressoftime,theBuddhistpantheonwasenlargedtoincludeseveral
hundreddeities.Amongthemaledeities,theBodhisattvaAvalokitesvarabecamethemostpopularbecauseofhisgreat
compassionforthelivingcreatures.HeisanemanationoftheDhyaniBuddhaAmitabhaandhisshaktiPandara(the
SukhavatiVyuhaortheAmitayusSutra,translatedintoChinesebetweenA.D.148170,seemstoreferforthefirsttimeto
thenameofAmitabhaorAmitayus),Avalokitesvaraisthepersonificationofuniversalcompassion.Asdescribedinthe
KarandavyuhaherefusedorrenouncedNirvanainfavourofaffictedhumanity.Heissupposedtoimpartspiritual
knowledgetofellowcreaturessothatall,byagradualprocess,mayadvanceonthepathofsalvation.Differentformsof
theAvalokitesvarahavebeenmentionedintheSadhanamala,ofthesetheimportantonesareShadakshariLokeshvara,
Simhanada,Khasharpana.Lokanatha,Halahala,Nilakanthaandfewothers.

TheBharhutStupa

(TheSungaAndhraepoch(2nd1stCenturyB.C)wasoneofthemostcreativeperiodsofBuddhistart.Though the
Sunga rulers were followers of the Brahmanical faith and Buddhism was deprived of the State patronage which it enjoyed
duringthereignoftheMauryanrulers,likeAsokaandsomeofhissuccessors,therewasnosetbackinthepropagationor
popularity of the Buddhist faith. (Buddhist establishments flourished in BodhGaya, Bharhut, and Sanchi in Northern and
CentralIndia,inAmaravatiandJaggayapetainSouthIndia,atBhaja,Nasik,KarleandJantaandatseveralotherplacesin
WesternIndia.Theartofthisperiodconsistsmainlyintheexcavationoftherockcuttemplesor viharas (some of which

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are embellished with paintings) and the erection of railings and toranas (gateways) to the Buddhist Stupas at different
places). General Cunningham found remains of the railings and on gateway of the Stupa at Bharhut (Madhya Pradesh)
duringtheyears187274andhadthemdepositedintheIndianMuseumintheyearfollowing. The Stupa in question was
builtduringthe2ndCenturyB.C.IntheabsenceoftheStupaitselfitisdifficulttoascertainitsshapeandsize.Butitwas
probablysimilartotheStupasrepresentedonitspanelsandthealmostcontemporaryStupasofSanchi.All these Stupas
consistofhemisphericaldomewithaharmikaabovesuppportingtheumbrellas.

OneofthemaininterestoftheBharhutsculpturesconsistsintherepresentationofthebirthstoriesoftheGautama
Budha. These stories (or the Jatakas) are of two main classes, those relating to the previous births of Buddha as a
Bodhisattva (a Buddha potentia), and those of his last appearance as Gautama Shakyamuni when he attained
Enlightenment of Buddhahood. The Jatakas represented on the Bharhut panels include MahakapiJataka, LatuvaJataka,
MigaJataka,SujatagahutoJataka,MahajanakaJatakaandVidhurapanditaJataka,ChhadantaJataka,etc.

The scenes on the Bharhut sculptures, relating to the life of Gautama Shakyamuni include, among others, the
dreamofMaya(IllustratingthedescentofaBodhisattvaintheformofanelephantinto the mothers womb), the defeat of
Mara,GautamasEnlightenmentundertheBodhitree,theworshipofthe Bodhi tree, the worship of Gautamas hairlocks
bycelestialbeings,thevisitsofkingAjatashatruofMagadhaandofPrasenjitofKoshala,etc.

TheworshipoftheBodhitree,seemstohavebeenwidelyprevalent,astherearemanyrepresentationofitonthe
sculptured panels of Bharhut, Sanchi and Amaravati. Again, in the Divyavandana it is related that the Bodhi tree was
Asokas favourite object of worship. The lowest architrave of the Eastern Gateway Stupa I, Sanchi (1st Century B.C.)
depictstheceremonialvisitsofkingAsokaandhisqueen,TishyarakshitatotheBodhiTree.Inthecentreofthepanelare
thetreeandthetempleofBodhGaya.Ontheleftisseenacrowdofmusiciansanddevoteescarryingwater vessels. On
therightarethekingandthequeendescendingfromtheelephantandpaymenthomagetotheBodhitree.

TheSanchiStupa

InadditiontoBharhut,theotherimportantcentresofBuddhistartandreligioninnorthIndiaduringthisperiodwere
Sanchi(MadhyaPradesh)andBodhGaya(Bihar).Themain interest of the art at Sanchi centres round the Great Stupa.
Originally built of brick, during the reign of Asoka (3rd Century, B.C.), it was encased in stone and brought to its present
dimensionaboutacenturylater.Theotheradditions,suchastheerectionofthetoranasandthe ground balustrade were
donestilllater,probablyabout50B.C.ofallthefourgateways,thesouthgatewaysseemstobetheoldest.Ononeofits
architraves, there is an inscription showing that it was the work of one of the artisans of king Sri Satakarni (1st Century
B.C.), who was evidently the son of Simuka, the founder of the Satavahana family of the Deccan. Of all toranas or
gateways,thebestpreservedisthenortherngatewaywhichenablesthevisitortohaveacompleteideaoftheappearance
ofallthegateways.Eachgatewayiscomposedoftwosquarepillarswithcapitalsatthetop. These capitals of standing
dwarfs or elephants support a superstructure of architraves. Finally, on the summit of the gateway is the dharmachakra
symbol in the middle. The pillars and superstructures are elaborately decorated with representation of Jataka legends
(storiesofBuddhaspastlives).Therearealsorepresentationsofthesacredtrees,stupasandothermotifstoindicatethe
presenceofGautamBuddhasymbolically.AsinBharhutart,herealso,inconformitywiththetraditionofearlyIndianart,
thereisnoanthropomorphicrepresentationofBuddha.

About 50 yards northcast of the great stupa of Sanchi is another monument of the same nature but smaller in
proportions. Inside this stupa the relics of two very important disciples of Buddha, Sariputta and MahaMoggalana, were
discoveredbyGeneralCunnigham.

JaggapettaStupa

AstylisticequivalentofthepanelsofSanchiistobefoundinacarvingfromaJaggayapetastupa near Amaravati

ontheKrishnariver.Thiswillshowhowlittledifferencesexistedbetweendifferentregionsinthefieldofart.Amonumentto
beascribedto the early Sunga period is the old Vihara at Bhaja which is situated inthehillsoftheWesternghatstothe
southofBombay.Itisarectangularchamberwithseveralcells.ThedecorationoftheBhajamonasteryincludesamong
othertherepresentationofYakshas,asungodonafourhorsechariotandIndraridinghisvehicle,i.e.,Airavat.Theartof
Bharhut and other early contemporaneous sites has a primitive simplicity. (It is permitted by naturalism, enlivened by
humour,danceandmusic.Fromthestandpointoftechniquethefiguresareinlowrelief,somewhatflattenedwithangular
limbs).

AlthoughthereareinnumerablereferencesintheJatakasandotherBuddhistliteraturetothepointeddecorations,
the earliest surviving examples of Buddhist paintings are met with at the oldest Chaitya Halls at Ajanta in the Deccan,
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dedicated in the 2nd Century B.C. The principal wall painting in cave 10 is devoted to the illustration of the Chaddanta
Jataka.

AmaravatiStupa

TheBuddhistartinSouthIndiaduringthisperiodisbestillustratedbytheremainsoftheMahaChaitya(orstupa)
ofAmaravati.AstheearliestBuddhistSculpturesfoundhereareprimitiveinstyleresemblingthoseofBharhut,itcanbe
presumed that the MahaChaitya was built during the 2nd Century B.C. to 250 A.D. Its earliest pieces as noted above,
showaffinitiestoBharhutart.TheimagesofBuddhawereintroducedhereaboutthe1st2ndCenturyA.D.The Amaravati
artofthisperiodishighlyelegantandsensitive.

GandharaArt

Buddhist art entered upon a new phase with the rise of Mahayana Buddhism during the 1st Century B.C. to 1st
CenturyA.D.Theperiodisremarkableinthatitgaveforthefirsttimethefigureartortheanthropomorplhicrepresentations
oftheBuddha.UnderthepatronageofKushanarulers(1st2ndCenturyA.D.)anewschoolofartflourishedintheGandhara
region, i.e. Peshawar and its neighbouring districts. Because of its strategic geographical position the region became a
meeting place of various races and cultures. As a result of this, the art of the region shows mingling of both Indian and
foreign ideas and motifs. Gandhara art is a hybrid product though Buddhist in theme it is GraecoRoman in style or
techniqueasisevidentfromthephysiognomyanddraperyoftheimages.Theartistsofthisregionhaveproducedalarge
numberofBuddhaandBodhisattvaimagesalongwithotherBuddhistdeities.Gandharaartflourishedforaboutfourtofive
hundred years and to a great extent it influenced the indigenous art of Mathura, Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda. It
exercisedaprofoundinfluenceupontheartofAfgahnistanandCentralAsiaTheBuddhaandBodhisattvaimagesofmany
sitesinCentralAsiashowanaffiliationstotheGandharastyle.Theartoftheregionreceivedagreatblowatthehandsof
the Huna invaders. Mihirakula, a cruel king of the Huna had destroyed, as Xuanzang was told during his travel to this
country,theBuddhistmonasteriesoftheregion.ThemaincentresofGandharaartwerethecitiesofPeshawarandTaxila,
and also Afghanistan where a large number of stupas, monasteries and sculptures have been unearthed by the
archaeologists.

MathuraAgreatCentreofArt

Mathuraalsowasagreatcentreofartandcultureduringthisperiod.Hereflourishedsidebysidealltheimportant
religionsofIndia,suchasBrahmanism,JainismandBuddhism.ItisbelievedthatthefirstBuddhaimageswerecarvedat
Mathura simultaneously if not earlier, with the Gandhara school. Mathura has produced Buddha images of various
dimensions. The Kushana Buddha or Bodhisattva images of Mathura served as the prototypes of the more beautiful
specimensoftheGuptaperiod.TheworkshopofMathuraexportedseveralBuddhistimagestovariousotherplaces,such
as Sarnath and even as far as Rajgir in Bihar. It is well known that FriarBala an inhabitant of Mathura had several
Bodhisattva images set up at different places. Two of them were found at Sravasti and Sarnath. (The Kushana art of
Mathuraissomewhatheavy.ThestyleandtechniquewhichtheKushanaartistsweretryingtoevolvewerebroughttothe
Gupta period. But the art of South India during this time is more elegant and sophisticated. The sculptured panels of
AmaravatiandNagarjunakonda,Goli,Ghantasals,belongingtothe2nd3rdCenturyA.D.,arecharacterisedbydelicasyof
forms,andlineargrace.

TheGuptaArt

TheGuptaperiod(4th6thCenturyA.D.)marksthebrightperiodofartinIndia.Guptaartismarkedbyrestraint
combined with a high aesthetic sense and discipline. The main centres of Buddhist art during this period were Mathura,
SarnathandNalandainthenorth.TheBuddhistimagesofMathuraandSarnatharesomeofthebestspecimensof Indian
art, never equalled by any art creations of later period. The delicate folds of the transparent garment adorning the Gupta
figures were done in a beautiful style. The profusely decorated halo is another special feature of the art of the Gupta
figure. The delicate modelling of forms with meditative repose has rendered the Buddha and Bodhisattva figures of the
Guptaperiodmostattractive.TheGuptaartistsshowedanequalingenuityinthecarvingofmetalimagesalso.The bronze

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Buddha image from Sultanganj and also one from Dhanesar Khera together with a number of specimens found in north
westernpartofIndiaaresomeexcellentspecimenstestifyingtotheskillandabilityoftheGuptametalcarvers.

This period is also known for excavations of several rockcut viharas and temples at Ajanta and Ellora, in
Maharashtra,underthepatronageoftheVakatakaKing.Caves16,17and26atAjantaareexcellentexamplesofpillared
halls with usual cells with shrines in the back containing Budha figures. The beauty and variety of the pillars are
remarkable.Caves16and17wereexcavatedinthelastquarterofthe5thCenturyA.D.byaMinisterandfeudatoryofthe
VakatakakingHarisena.ThemuralpaintingsintheAjantacavesoftheVakatakaperiodcontainrepresentationsofscenes
fromBuddhaslifefromtheconceptiontoenlightenment.Someof them are devoted to the illustrations of Jataka stories,
includingoneofPrinceVisvantara,heroofimmeasurablebounty.TheAjantapaintingsbothincompositionandtechnique
arecharacterisedbyadelicacyanddepthoffeelings.Theartistsexcelnotonlyindepictinghumanandanimalfigures but
also in decorative genius. They adorned the ceilings, pedestals of columns, door and window frames, with patterns and
motifs of kaleidoscopic variety. Several Buddhist caves are to be found also at Bagh (Madhya Pradesh) and Ellora
(Maharashtra),containingnumerousBudhaandBodhisattvafigures(5th6thCentury).

PostGuptaDevelopments

TheGuptaarttraditionwasfollowedinlaterperiodalso.TheartofNalanda,Kurkihar,Sarnath,Orissaandother
placesduringthemediaevalperiodisbasedupontheGuptaartidiom.ThenorthIndianBuddhismofthemediaevalperiod
(8th 11th Century A.D). is a peculiar synthesis of the Mahayana ideals and tantric elements. The concept of the Adi
Budha, the DhyaniBuddhas, the divine Bodhisattvas as well as the concept of Shakti or the female energy figures most
prominentlyintheBuddhistartoftheperiod.OneanachronismofBuddhistartinmediaevalperiodistheintroductionofthe
crownedBuddhaswithjewelleries. Though incompatible to the idea of renunciation which Buddha followed and preached,
such images were made probably to lay emphasis on the concept of Buddha as a Chakravartin, the supreme universal
monarch.

Nalanda

TheartofNalandashowsveryhighstandardofstonecarvingaswellasmetalcasting.The minute execution of

thebronzesspeciallyofthesmallerones,hasexcitedtheadmirationofallartloversoftheworld.SeveralNalandabronzes
were exported to Nepal and Tibet and also to Java. Equally interesting are the palm leaf illustrations of the Buddhist
manuscriptsofthePalaperiod.Theirminaturesize,colourschemeandlineargraceshowtheskillofthepaintersofthese
illustrations.ThePalastyleofpainting,asPalasculpturesandbronzes,verymuchinfluencedtheartofNepal,Tibetand
thefurtherEast.BodhGayaandNalandainMagadhadrewpilgrimsfromdifferentpartsoftheBuddhistworld.

Nagapattinam

AflourishingcentreofBuddhisminSouthIndiaduringtheperiodwasNagapattinam,nearMadrasoneastcoast.
ThereexistedhereinthemediaevalperiodacolonyoftheMalaya Buddhists who, patronized by the Cholas erected here
twotemplesinthe11thCenturyA.D.,withtheaidgrantedbytheSailendrakingsofJavaandSumatra.Oneofthetemples
wascalledRajarajaperumpalliandtheRajendracholaperumpalli.NagapattinumwasaplaceofpiligrimagefortheBuddhists
ofdifferentplacesinIndiaaswellasoutside.Since1856about350bronzeshavebeenfoundintheseviharasites.Some
ofthemareoftheearlyCholatimeswhiletherestbelongtothelaterCholaperiod.TheNagapattinambronzesaresomeof
thefinestmetalworksofSouthIndia.

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