Stupas in Orissa (Study)
by Meenakshi Chauley | 2013 | 109,845 words
This study examines the Stupas and Votive Stupas in Odisha or Orissa (Eastern India).—In this thesis an attempt has been made to trace the historicity of Buddhism in Odisha on the basis of the architectural development of the Stupa architecture. Archaeological evidence obtained from excavated sites dates such structures as early as third-second cen...
The Harmika Portion (of the Stupa)
[Full title: Stylized Forms of the Different parts of the Stupa (4): The Harmika Portion]
Stylised Harmika–1
An low square harmika with a socket at the centre for placing the shaft of the missing chatravali (Plate-CCLIV).
Stylised Harmika–2
A two tiered square harmika with a facet at the base than a recess, a moulding; repeating a recess followed by a band and a thin base above it (Plate-CCLV).
Stylised Harmika–3
A square harmika with a facet at the base followed by two receding mouldings and a band at the top (Plate-CCLVI).
Stylised Harmika–4
A square harmika with a facet at the base than a recess followed by a facet and a band at the top (Plate-CCLVII), in some cases there are two to three facets along with the band at the top.
Stylised Harmika–5
A square harmika with a facet at the base than a recess followed by a thick band; the upper portion of the band is tapering (Plate-CCLVIII).
Stylised Harmika–6
A square harmika with a facet at the base followed by a recess then by a facet and a band carved with halves of flower within triangular beaded lines; above the band is a thin band cut inside (Plate-CCLIX).
Stylised Harmika–7
A square harmika which has been found kept upside down at the site consists of a band and a facet at the base than a recess followed by two facets and a band carved with a row of four petalled flower within beaded line (Plate-CCLX).
Stylised Harmika–8
A three tiered square harmika; the lowest band is tapering upwards, the central band is semicircular in shape; within facets and the upper band gives it the look of a blooming lotus. On all the four sides from the centre of the square harmika a bell shaped object is hanging down through a beaded chain (Plate-CCLXI).
Stylised Harmika–9
A tri-ratha harmika consists of a facet at the base than a recess followed by a facet and a band at the top (Plate-CCLXII).
Stylised Harmika–10
A tri-ratha harmika which has been found kept upside down, it consists of a band and a facet at the base followed by a facet and a band with three small triangular projections on the raha-paga (the central projection) and one each on the kanika-paga (the corner projections) (Plate-CCLXIII).