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Buddhism is a religion which comprises a set of teachings. The founder of the religion was the young prince who came to be popularly known as Gautama Buddha. The religion was founded in the 5th century. With the emergence and flourishing of the religion, we see the development of Buddhist religious architecture. This was both in India as well as Central Asia. Small Buddhist sculptures comprise a part of this richly splendid architecture. The splendor of the Small Buddhist sculptures comes alive in an evocative manner on the “ Viharas” and “ Stupas”. The sculptures found here can be best described as poetry in stone. They are the perfect epitome of Buddhist Sculpture
which reached remarkable fruition while the region was being propagated and spread.
In the country of India, at the state of Orissa , specimens of Small Buddhist sculptures can be found at the '' Mahakala” temple. On your visit to this temple you will get to spot small Buddhist images. These are carved on the shaft of pillars which are constructed in four corners. Amongst the deities, found in the shallow niches of these pillars are etched out images of the Lord Buddha. These comprise Small Buddhist sculptures. The temple dates back to the 11th century.
There are 700 portable monolithic “Stupas” As a mention of this term was made earlier. The implication of the term is a mound like structure. It is a typical structure found in Buddhist architecture. Many of these structures or “stupas” have intricately carved out deities. They also comprise unique representations of divinities.
In Ratnagiri, in Maharashtra, there are as many as 22 Bodhisattva and goddesses represented on the “stupa”. It was during the Gupta period that the lower portion of the “ Dhamek Stupa” was encased with stone bearing beautiful carvings on it. This imposing “stupa” is as such cylindrical in shape. It is 28.5 m in basal diameter as well as 43.6m tall. The design consists of a broad band of “Swastikas”. They have been worked into different geometrical patterns. There is a beautifully chiselled lotus wreath running and above and below the “Swastika”
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The “Swastika” is an Indian symbol which stand for prosperity. It is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles. “Bodhisattva” have been honored in the religious monuments. It is believed they were bound for Enlightenment.
“Bodhisattva” have been honored in the religious monuments. It is believed they were bound for Enlightenment.
The Sarnath Archeological Museum near the holy city of Benaras, houses numerous sculptures belonging to the faith of Buddhism. These are specimens of Lord Buddha himself as also of the venerated “Bodhisattva”. These sculptures can be dated back to the Gupta period, that is way back to the 4th and 5th century.
“Bodhisattva” have been honored in the religious monuments. It is believed they were bound for Enlightenment.
These small sized though skillfully chiseled religious monuments speak a lot of the art of sculpting which reached heights all over Central Asia.“Bodhisattva” have been honored in the religious monuments. It is believed they were bound for Enlightenment.
For more information on Buddhist Sculpture and Sculpture, do browse through the links provided for further information .
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