5.7. Buddhist Images in Odisha art

The sculptors were under no obligation to depict Buddhist themes in the Brahminical temples. The Buddhist art flourished in Orissa during the period of Bhaumakara rule. The discovery of a large number of Buddhist images from different parts of Orissa and the remains at Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitagiri of Jajpur in undivided Cuttack district bear its evidence. Therefore, it was natural that the Brahminical art would have been influenced by the Buddhist art tradition. It is said that the Lakulisa image, found on the temples of Odisha, is almost a replica of 56

93 the Buddha in the dharma cakra-pravartana mudra. It was not unusual on the part of the sculptors, who had previous experience of executing Buddhist images, to attribute Buddhist characteristics to the Brahminical temples. It was also found their entry into the temple walls. K.C. Panigrahi identifies such Buddhist images on the mukhasala of the Sisiresvara temple. They are Amoghasidhi, Jambhala and Avalokitesvara, it could be possible in the atmosphere of religious toleration, which prevailed at that time. The carving of so many Buddhist images on the Sisiresvara temple make it belonging to Bhauma epoch, which witnessed the glorious days of Buddhism and to which belonged some of the finest Buddhist images, now preserved in the Orissa State Museum and when the Buddhist vihara at Ratnagiri acquired prominence. In a pidha mundi niche of the upper jangha of the bada of the vimana of Jagannatha temple at Puri, contains an image of Lord Buddha, one of the avataras of Lord Visnu. Achutarajpur in Puri district has yielded a large number of images, which are of outstanding importance from the point of iconography and art. Although the Buddhist images are noticed in the different sites of Odisha but they are comparatively rare in the walls of the temple like Jaina images.