The Vedhi Portion (of the Stupa)

[Full title: Stylized Forms of the Different parts of the Stupa (1): The Vedhi Portion]

As we know that Buddhism flourished in Orissa for about thousand five hundred years, gradually the stupas were carved in more stylised form. Initially the vedhi portion used to be either circular or square in shape sometimes with few mouldings and bands or at some instances octagonal.

From the eighth century CE onwards we see the influence of Orissan Hindu temple architecture in the vedhi portion of the stupas. Two mouldings called as khura and inverted khura initially being rectangular in shape (Plate-CCXV) was stylized and the mouldings were more tapered towards the middle portion followed by facets (Plate-CCXVI); connected by a central oblong which will be either thin or broad was introduced later on; but at Udayagiri in some stupas the central band is not included (Plate-CCXIV). In many places the central band is also carved in a shape of a leaf or two triangles joining at the centre or with some other design (Plate-CCXVIII).

The pata portion is carved like a thin rectangle (Plate-CCXVIII) but in few stupas the pata portion are slightly curved (Plate-CCXVII).

The kumbha portion is in the shape of a section of a lotus (Plate-CCXXIII).

Stylised Vedhi -1

A circular vedhi with a moulding at the base and the top (Plate-CCI).

Stylised Vedhi -2

A circular vedhi (Plate-CCII).

Stylised Vedhi -3

A high circular vedhi followed by a facet at the top (Plate-CCIII).

Stylised Vedhi -4

A short circular vedhi followed by two tapering bands at the top (Plate-CCIV). (Ratnagiri)

Stylised Vedhi -5

An octagonal vedhi followed by a facet at the top, found both in monolithic and structural masonry form (Plate-CCV A, B).

Stylised Vedhi -6

A structural octagonal vedhi followed by a facet and a platform at the top (Plate-CCV A, B).

Stylised Vedhi -7

A structural star shaped vedhi followed by two facets at the top. All the four corners are triangular in shape and the central portion like a semicircle (Plate-CCVI).

Stylised Vedhi -8

A rectangular vedhi with a band at the base and another at the top (Plate CCVII).

Stylised Vedhi–9

A plain high square vedhi (Plate CCVIII).

Stylised Vedhi -10

A short square vedhi with triangular projections on all the four corners on the top (Plate-CCVIX).

Stylised Vedhi -11

A structural square vedhi decorated with two recessed bands at the base followed by a rafter end motifs crowned by two facets and a projected khura at the top (Plate-CCX). Similar kind of vedhi has been reported from Udayagiri -2.

Stylised Vedhi -12

A square vedhi with a band and a facet at the base followed by a band within two facets at the top (Plate CCXI).

Stylised Vedhi -13

A square vedhi with two tiers at the base followed by a khura, a recess, a rectangular box design at intervals crowned by a single petalled lotus design and a square base above it (PlateCCXII).

Stylised Vedhi -14

A square vedhi displaying two receding mouldings is standing on a four legged stand (Plate-CCXIII).

Stylised Vedhi -15

A square vedhi carved into a khura and an inverted khura (Plate-CCXIV). The mouldings are not carved very deeply.

Stylised Vedhi -16

A square vedhi carved into a khura and an inverted khura with a broad vertical band at the centre, in some instances the band is carved very thin or in a shape of a leaf or two adjoining triangles. The mouldings are rectangular in shape (Plate-CCXV).

Stylised Vedhi -17

A square vedhi carved into a khura and an inverted khura with a thin vertical band at the centre. The mouldings are tapering towards the middle portion followed by facets (Plate-CCXVI).

Stylised Vedhi -18

A square vedhi carved into three mouldings: a khura, pata which is slightly rounded in shape and an inverted khura (Plate-CCXVII).

Stylised Vedhi -19

A square vedhi carved into a khura followed by a facet, pata within two facets and an inverted khura with a facet on the inturned portion. The band at the centre is in the shape of a leaf placed upside down. The pata portion is rectangular in shape (Plate-CCXVIII).

Stylised Vedhi -20

A square vedhi carved into a khura followed by a facet, kumbha within two facets, pata and an inverted khura with a facet on the tapering portion. There is a thin vertical band at the centre (Plate-CCXIX).

Stylised Vedhi -21

A tri-ratha vedhi with three diminishing mouldings at the base followed by two thin bands at the top (Plate-CCXX).

Stylised Vedhi -22

A tri-ratha vedhi carved into a khura and an inverted khura with an oblong band at the centre (Plate-CCXXI).

Stylised Vedhi -23

A tri-ratha vedhi carved into a khura and an inverted khura with band at the centre carved like two triangles joining at the centre. The raha-paga is in the shape of an hour-glass (PlateCCXXII).

Stylised Vedhi -24

A tri-ratha vedhi carved into a khura, kumbha (lotus shaped) within two facets and an inverted khura with a vertical band at the centre (Plate-CCXXIII).

Stylised Vedhi -25

A tri-ratha vedhi carved into a khura, kumbha within two facets, pata within two facets and an inverted khura with a carved vertical band at the centre (Plate-CCXXIV).

Stylised Vedhi -26

A tri-ratha vedhi carved into three mouldings with recess in between and there is a thin vertical band at the centre. All the three mouldings are rectangular in shape (Plate-CCXXV).

Stylised Vedhi -27

A vedhi carved into a khura, kumbha within two facets, pata within two facets and an inverted khura with three vertical mouldings at the centre, the central moulding is again subdivided into three mouldings (Plate-CCXXVI)