Ananda-Prabha-Kuti-Vihara

The archaeological excavation of 1954-55 by M.G. Dixit revealed to combine large Buddhist monasteries in about 1 mile south from the Laksmana temple. Dr. Dixit named these two Viharas as the “main Vihara” and the ‘Down Vihara’.

During the excavation at the ‘man Vihara’ (monastery), Dr. Dixit found a stone slab inscription^[1] of the time of Sivagupta Balarjuna, where the name of a Buddhist monk named Anandaprabha is being inscribed, who had established a free feeding house for the monks and constructed a hut in the monastery (Vihara-kuti). So this Vihara is also known as Anandaprabha-Kuti-Vihara. The location of the Vihara is at a distance of 100 meters from the ancient route of Sirpur to Senakpata.

The attached Vihara is at a down level from the main Vihara. The construction plan is quadrangular where there was a strong-floored, larger open space in the middle portion with irregular rows of quarters around it.

The construction plan of the main Vihara was same to a quadrate. This Vihara contained a very artistic and arched gateway in the north, with life-sized stone images of ‘dvarapalas’ (gate-keepers) on both sides which are now in a broken condition. On both side of the festoon, there were many images of Yaksas which have suffered from the ravages of time.

This Vihara is a good example of the happy blending of the architectural style of a Buddhist Vihara and that of a Hindu temple. With a sixteen-stone-pillared ‘Sabha-Mandapa’ (assembly hall), ‘projecting caves’ and ‘miniature temples’, this Vihara has attained some of the features of a Hindu temple, while the plan of the middle rows followed the usual Buddhist Viharas. In the middle quarter of the back-side rows, a gigantic stone image (6½ ft. high) of the Buddha in the Bhumisparsa-mudra (touching the earth) is being installed along with an exquisite life-size image of Padmapani on the right side. Dr. Dixit had found the image of Ganga at the right side of the door of the deity chamber.

According to Dr. Dixit^[2] this Vihara had been in use by the Buddhists for about 200 years. In the subsequent layers, he found the images of Ganesa, Mahisasura-Mardini and Siva-Parvati etc. But a small image of Buddha is the ‘most artistic and ichnographically the most beautiful image among the sculptures.

The fourteen chambered Vihara was double storeyed, which is vouchsafed by the extant roofless brick and stone-pillared superstructure. The plan of the stone-pillared assembly hall is really aesthetic, which proves about the developed architectural style of that time. The large incised red-sand-stone pillars are being placed on a square consisting of triple layers of chiseled stone slates. The middle piece of the stone slates are equal to the square size of the stone pillars. The footing of the stone pillars are on long and strong stone slabs. Again the stone slabs are the basement of stone slates.

The site of Vihara yielded, ‘more than two thousand articles’ which include implements of the goldsmith, farmer, brass and bell-metal manufacturers. But most important of the findings is a gold statue of the Buddha with his eyes of silver and lips made red with copper. Of the things of iron, mention may be made of springed push-lock like those of Sanci and Nalanda, bells, hangers, hinges, nails of various sizes numbering about 3,000. The site has also yielded bangles of glass and shell like those found at Sasai mahavihara. In the underground chamber there is ‘an exquisitely carved miniature stupa in crystal’ and ‘a gill Vajra’. All these things reveal the great influence of later Gupta plastic tradition^[3].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

EI, xxxi, pp. 197-98; ISPS, II, III:XII, pp. 148-9.

[2]:

Indian Archaeology, 1954-55, p. 24.

[3]:

Raipur District Gazetteer, p. 570.