Sculptures from Kaushambi

Stone sculptures from Kaushambi are not known in large numbers. But those obtained are significant fram several points of view. An inscribed sculpture representing Shiva and Parvati from Kaushambi assignable to early 3rd century A.D. is now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta A Shunga fragmentary railing from Kaushambi, now in the Allahabad Museum, also deserves mention. At the top of this railing pillar, there is a border of three pointed leaves and a series of stepped merlous. In the central panel is shown a female clasping the bow of a Shala tree with her right hand. Her left hand is fixed on the girdle. To the left side of the figure there is a pillar with a bell shaped capital surmounted by an animal.

The top of the pillar bears the following inscription:

Pusasa thambha dhamma...

(Pillar, the religious gift of Pusya)^[1]

Another fragment of an architrave from Kaushambi belong to the Shunga period. A part of the right hand side of this architrave is missing. In the right hand side of this architrave we see the task of an elephant then follows the nude figure of Lakshmi standing in the midst of lotus buds and shrubs on a full blown lotus. On each side of her there is one elephant standing on lotus and anointing the goddess with water poured from the jars held with the tusks. To her left there is a bull facing the goddess. Behind the bull is seen a svastika. Next to this is depicted a corpulent male figure having flowery horns and holding his upraised leaf -end legs with both hands. On the extreme end of the architrave there is the figure of a fishtailed crocodile with yawning mouth and with its face turned to the right. Originally four animals-an elephant a buli, a horse and a lion were probably depicted on this architrave.^[2]

Kaushambi has also yielded the seated image of a Yaksa. The Mahamayuri^[3] gives a list of the Yaksas of the different cities of ancient India including Kaushambi. The present specimen may represent the presiding Yaksa of Kaushambi. A large number of Yaksha figure clay are known from Kaushambi.

The inscribed statue of Bodhisattva belonging to the Kushana period is one of the most remarkable Tinds from Kaushambi. The head and the right hand of the figure are completely gone. The left hand is clenched and holds at the waist the scarf which goes below and then falls on the right side. On the pedestal there is an inscription, the purpose of which is as follows. In the year 2 of MahaRaja Kaniska, on the 8th day of the 2nd (month) of Hemanta, (Buddhist nun Buddhimitra, who is well versed in the Tripitaka, set up (the image of) Bodhisatwa at the promenade of Lord Buddha.^[4]

This is the earliest inscribed image of a Bodhisattva of the reign of Kaniska. An image carved during the third year of his reign was found at Sarnath.^[5]

About a dozen Jina heads and about half a dozen images of Jaina TirthanKaras in sitting posture have been found at Kaushambi. The most remarkable of these is one representing TirthanKara Chandraprabhu bearing the sign of a crescent below the feet. The statue is headless. A big stone slab contains the images of the 24 Jaina TirthanKaras.

Other fragmentary stone sculptures from Kaushambi now housed in the Allahabad Museum, are the following:

1) Figure of a crocodile having a gaping mouth.
2) Coping stone divided into sections from the top.
3) Collosal Yaksh seated on the raised platform.
4) Upright pillar dipicting on the front section a stupa encircled by a railing.

The considerable significance is attached to the sculptures discovered in a salvage operation at Mainhai near the Eastern gateway of ancient Kaushambi. The sculptures comprise bell-shaped capitals, the fragments of circular pillars and of a massive standing bull caved in the round. One bell-shaped capital is very akin to the Mauryan pillars in composition and bears similar polish. The new features observed in these capitals, are a circular spigot on the abacus to be fitted in the socket of the surmounting figure, the introduction of the technique of making the capital into two separate parts against the monolithic technique of the Mauryan traditions, and lastly, the depiction of certain animals on the abacus, such as double humped camel, rhinoceros etc. It is also to be noted that the figures depicted on the abacus are in very low relief and do not seem to be typical Mauryan either in the form or in delineation.

The next important sculpture is a massive standing bull which is more or less identical in forn, technique and in finish to that of the famous bull on the Ramapurva capital. The only striking difference between the two is that the bull of Mainhai had a richly decorated garland of three threads round its neck whereas the bull of Ramapurva is without any garland Besides a very interesting square pinacle formed in the shape of the fan-palm has also been discovered. It seems to be the crowning figure of some large capital which might have served the purpose of a dvaja or banner. It is massive and bold but slightly complex in composition. It has four palm leaves. On the four sides the pinnacle and the four bunches of the palm fruits have been shown in round at each corner keeping out of the leaves. It bears a striking resemblance with the pinnacle from Besnagar with the difference that the later does not bear the bunches of palm fruits.

The discovery of these three sculpture throws new light on the continuance of the traditions and the technique of the Mauryan art. The emergence of certain new features noted above, particularly in the case of the bell shaped capital and the standing bull, are in contrast to the characteristic feature of the true Mauryan traditions. The consideration of this in the context of the present archaeological evidence, any suggest that the basic tenets of the plastic art of the Mauryan tradition did not die out abruptly but survived with same new additions and modifications in the Post-Mauryan period.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

S.C. Kala, Sculptures in the Allahabad Museum, 6-8.

[2]:

See Pl. XVII fig. 39. Kala, ibid. p. 67

[3]:

Mahamayuri List, No. 1-66, 1-52.

[4]:

Ep. Ind., Vol. XXIV,Pp. 210-12.

[5]:

A.S.I., A.R., 1904-5, pl. XXVI.