The mithuna couple

Some similarity is seen in the representation of mithuna couple in early narrative art centres. In all the centres mithunas exhibit primitive innocence and joy of companionship rather than extreme passion of voluptuous couple of later art movement of India. A representation of the story of Kadariki from Bhārhut shows striking resemblance to a mithuna specimen from Nāgārjunākoṇḍa, a significant centre of the Amarāvatī repertoire. The panel illustrating the conversion of Nanda, preserved in the Archaeological Museum, Nāgārjunākoṇḍa displays lively portrayal of several mithuna couple. The second mithuna couple deserves special mention. Here the female is chiseled in the cross-legged position and a bird is placed on her right arm (Pl 35c). The male partner is watching her partner’s action lovingly. Closely akin to this mithuna couple is a depiction from Bhārhut where a female figure, that is, queen of Kadariki is sculpted with a parrot (Pl 35d). This relief is found on the central panel of the narrow end face of the Prasenajit pillar^[1]. However, the Amarāvatī relief is technically superior to that of Bhārhut. While Bhārhut specimen suffers from rigid frontality, Amarāvatī relief shows dynamism and linearism.