What
makes Amaravati sculptures stand apart from the other contemporary
works in the Deccan plateau, as displayed in rock cut temples of
Karle'n, Bhaje, Nashik, earlier works at Ajanta and Pitalkhore, is
the great attention paid to detailing and subtle suggestions conveyed
to the spectator. When compared to Amaravati sculptures, the
sculpturing in the other contemporary rock cut temples with possible
exception of Karle'n, appears much inferior without any doubt. One of
the reasons could be the material used. Unlike the basalt stone
available in most of the rock cut temples of Deccan, Amaravati
sculptors have used stones available in quarries near Nagarjunkonda.
Whatever may be the reasons, the fact remains that Amaravati
sculptures clearly suggest that by the time this great Stupa was
finished and completely decorated in 200CE, sculpturing had come of
age in the Deccan. No wonder that Mr. C.Sivaramamurti, former curator
of the Chennai museum says and I quote.
“There
is a freshness here, which invites study of the material with greater
joy and zeal. The hackneyed theme, which has to be repeated is given
an artistic twist to make it appear lively. Everywhere the sculptor
has devised his own way of presentation. When one knows the mind of
the sculptor and the way of his portrayal it becomes easier to
understand and follow his method of approach. The charm of his
effective language has compelled the attention of subsequent schools
not only in India but even in far off places.”
Floral garland being pulled out of a Yaksha's mounth
Let us
begin with the motif of floral garlands supported by bearers. This
motif became popular when Mahayana school of Buddhism became
prevalent in India. The Avatamsaka Sūtra (Sanskrit:
महावैपुल्यबुद्धावतंसकसूत्र
>Mahāvaipulya
Buddhāvatamsaka Sūtra) is one of the most influential Mahayana
sutras of East Asian Buddhism. The title is rendered in English as
Flower Garland Sutra, Flower Adornment Sutra, or Flower Ornament
Scripture. No one knows, if this Sutra is the reason for the garland
motif, initially picked up from Greco-Romans, to become popular, over
a large area from India to China where Buddhism was practiced. In
Amaravati, floral garland motif appears at least at two places; on
the frieze encircling the Stupa itself and on the coping of the outer
rail. The outer rail coping pieces are about 2 feet high and are
curved on one side. As we have seen, the outer rail is pierced at
four cardinal directions by gates. This means that the floral garland
would break at the gates and could not form a continuous chain around
the Stupa as seen everywhere else. Amaravati sculptors came out with
a really ingenious solution for this anomaly. They placed special
coping pieces carved with images of a floral garland being pulled out
from the mouth of an either a colossal Yaksha (a divine dwarf) or a
Makara (Crocodile), meaning thereby that at the places, where railing
was pierced by gates, the garland can not be seen because divine
dwarfs or Crocodiles had swallowed it and it was being pulled out
from their mouths. Further, the dwarfs appear towards left in the
coping pieces, whereas, the crocodiles appear to the right side. This
indicates that the coping pieces with dwarfs were carved towards the
right side of the gate and ones with crocodiles, were carved towards
left of the gate. ( Remember that the sculptures on the coping were
on the inside surfaces (towards Stupa drum) and not on outer
surfaces.)
King Bandhuma and his daughters
Now we
turn to a wonderfully detailed bass relief that appears on a
cross-bar of the outer rail. The sculpture depicts the story of the
presents of king Bandhuma who was the king of Bandhumati. He received
two presents, consisting of a costly wreath and a precious
sandal-wood. He distributed them to his two daughters. They in the
turn, offered them to the Buddha, in his previous incarnation
Vipassi. As a result of this, in their later rebirth, the elder of
the two princesses was born as Mayadevi, the mother of Gautama, and
the younger attained sainthood. In the sculpture the king is shown
on a throne, attended by chauri-bearers. To his right are his two
daugthers, the first seated and attended by maid servants and the
second standing near the throne. Below the king's throne are pages
offering the presents. Some men are shown on the right coming through
an arched gate adjoining the palace. A horse and an elephant are also
seen. The king's throne with rearing lions, the pages in tunic with
curly hair, the coiffure of the maid servant at the feet of the
seated princess and the archway are all noteworthy.
Mayadevi's dream
Another
equally detailed panel is known as Mayadevi's Dream and
Interpretation given to the king. Here on the left panel, Maya is
shown reclining. Below the couch four women attendants are shown half
asleep. Four turbaned men of rank stand as guards at the four corners
of the couch. In the right panel, Maya is seen seated on a small
wicker seat in front of the King while a Brahmin is seated to the
left of the king. The Brahmin holds up his two fingers suggesting two
possibilities regarding the future of the child to be born. The two
possibilities are that either he would be a monarch, if he adopted
the life of a house-holder or he would become the Buddha, if he
renounced the world.
Buddha meditating near a Stupa
This
panel is from the last phase of construction, when Buddha's image was
allowed to be shown in human forms. The broken slab is from the Stupa
casing and shows the Buddha seated on a lion throne opposite the
gateway of a miniature Stupa. Below him are two Naginis worshipping
him. A group consisting of a standing nobleman, a seated lady and a
dwarf carrying a tray is seen on either side of the gateway.
Deaparture of Goutama from Kapilavastu
This
fragment is from earlier period, when Buddha's image was not allowed
to be shown. It is known as the departure of Sidhartha from
Kapilavastu (Mahabhinishkramana). The arched gateway in the sculpture
indicates Kapilavastu. The horse, Kanthaka comes out of the gateway.
An umbrella is held over it by a man, suggesting the presence of the
prince. Above them are the Devas who opened the gateway. There is a
rail pattern below.
Gods infatuated with Rohini fight each other
Lastly
we come to another detailed panel depicting the story of a celestial
nymph Rohini Khattiyakanna from the Buddhist work of
'Dhammapadatthakatha.' In this panel the nymph is seen with four
Devas or Gods, who are infatuated with her and trying to press hard
and even coerce her in accepting one of them and are also quarreling
amongst themselves. Finally one of them carries her to the super God
Sakka, shown seated in his palace 'Vaijayantiprasada' with a lovely
damsel behind.
These
and other sculptured panels from Amaravati were copied and repeated
by many artists in the subsequent and later periods. The beauty and
glory of Amaravati is that, it was here that the art of story telling
by means of sculptures seems to have taken birth. I can well imagine
thousands of devout Buddhists walking along thirteen feet wide
processional circular path paved with slabs of grey limestone that
lay within the outer rail and monks explaining to them the stories
embedded in stone by the Amaravati sculptors. It was perhaps world's
first audio-video show.
There
is however some confusion regarding the exact role of Satvahana kings
in the construction of this great Stupa. Two historical inscriptions
have been found on the fragments of the Stupa. The first one mentions
the name of king Sri Pulumavi (c.110-138 CE) and the second mentions
the name of the King-
Shivaskanda
Satkarni (c.145-175 CE) meaning thereby, their active support to
the construction in the last phases. However, if Satvahana kings had
annexed Andhra in as late as first half of the first century CE, or
during the reign of Satvahana Kings Apilaka and Meghasvati, the Stupa
was already under construction then as archeologists believe that
work on Stupa had began much earlier, around second century BCE. If
that was the case, question remains as to who actually started the
construction of Stupa in the first place? Shunga Kingdom or King
Kharavela of Odisha? Perhaps we shall never know the answer.
After
having spent few hours with the Amaravati stones, my mind as well as
my legs are really tired. I decide to call it a day and return to the
hotel for some hard earned rest. Later, reflecting upon my visit to
the museum, I come to the decision that I have to visit the site of
the great Stupa at Amaravati, even when there is not much to see
there. The stones tell their own stories but the big picture can
emerge only at Amaravati. Till then there will be no real closure for
me.
To be
continued
28th
July 2014
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