A Bride Being Taken

A Bride Being Taken

Gandhar School. 1st Century CE 

Interestingly the bride is not being taken in a 'palaki', but covered in veils, she goes standing on a wooden plank carried by the laborers. Another glimpse of everyday life of 1st Century India.

A Wine Party with Musicians and Dancer

A Wine Party with Musicians and Dancer

Gandhar School,1st Century CE

Entertainment is essential for the human psyche. Since time immemorial we have danced, and sung in order to express our joy and happiness. The art of wine making, which according to the Greeks came from India, has only added more to the sense of exuberance.

In this sculpture we see all the figures in Roman costumes. While the lady plays a lute, the boy plays the tambourine and dances to the rhythm of music. The man holds a wine cup, the woman holds an amphora jar in which wine is stored. A young child, either a cupid or the child of the woman looks on. The child seems to symbolise the innocence of life. In times of joy, life does look innocent.

A Group of Mendicants

A Group of Mendicants

Gandhar School, 1st Century CE.

The Gandhar artist was a keen ibserver of everyday life around him. He gives us glimpses of the life of that time. Here are a group of Sadhus (mendicants) walking in a circle, as though the were going around a holy shrine. They are not Buddhist monks, but are Hindu Sadhus. Surprisingly not much has changed in their attire or living condition. In many ways, we are today, what we were then.

People Pay Homage to Lord Buddha

People Pay Homage to Lord Buddha

Gandhar School,1st Century CE

Having delivered his first sermon at the Deer Park at Sarnath, Buddha gained quite a following. Whether it is the mendicant, the soldiers, or the householders, they all came undee his influence. At his sight, people would literally fall at his feet.

Once while Buddha walked in a town, there was a pool of mud and dirty water. One of his devotees, did not want the Buddha to soil his feet. So the devotee undid his long hair, spread them on the puddle and let Buddha walk over it. This is the scene depicted in this panel. Also notice the muscular soldier with his back to us.

Total surrender is needed in bhakti. This is the message of this panel.

Lord Buddha Preaching

Lord Buddha Preaching

Gandhar School,1st Century CE

Having attained enlightenment, having transformed himself from Prince Siddharth to Buddha, Buddha started preaching to the people about the Middle Path. Buddha wondered about the cause of misery in the world. His answer was "desire is the cause of misery." No desire, no misery is the answer. Buddha's first sermon was at Sarnath. There he set the wheels of law (Dharamchakra) into motion. Men and women were mesmerised by the simplicity of his language , by the greatness of his thoughts. In an age without social media, Buddhism swept the entire Asia.

The Wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

The Wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati

Ellora Caves,8th Century AD

Marriage of the two was critical for the the maintenance of the universe. For, while Lord Shiva represents pure intellect, Goddess Parvati , the material world. Mind and matter had to blend.

According to Shiv Puran, Lord Brahma performed the marriage, while Lord Vishnu (with Goddess Laxmi on the left side of the panel ) acted as Parvati's brother and carried out the marriage rituals. All the gods have gathered to witness this grand wedding. This is why we celebrate Shivratri.

Fasting Lord Buddha

Fasting Lord Buddha

Gandhar School,1st Century CE. 

Austerities is part of achieving knowledge. It was one practice adopted by Prince Siddharth. Sitting in deep meditation, he did not eat till his body became skeletal.

The Greek knowledge of human anatomy is well proven here. The protruding rib cage, the sunken eyes, the depleted stomach all portray an emaciated body. It also proves the temporary status of the body. Only the soul is eternal.

Temptations of Mara

Temptations of Mara

Gandhar School, 1st Century CE

While Prince Siddharth sat and meditated, he faced many temptations. As Arjun said in the Bhagwat Gita, the mind is the most difficult to control. One is tempted by one's repressed desires, by baser instincts. The inner fears manifest themselves. Temptations are common to all religion. In Christianity, both Jesus and St. Anthony were tempted. In Hinduism Vishwamitra was tempted by an Apsara.

Here we see the demon Mara tempting Prince Siddharth as he sits in the posture called "touching the earth." In Ajanta there is a beautiful depiction of Mara's voluptuous daughters dancing in front of Prince Siddharth. Here we see a bear standing on the right side. These are the images of a nightmare. We must conquer our minds to be victorious over ourself.

The Departure

The Departure

Gandhar School,1st Century CE.

At the dead of the night, leaving his wife, Yashoda and the new born child, Rahul fast asleep, Prince Siddharth left his palace at Kapilvastu. In order to make sure that the horse's hoofs did not make any noise, demi-gods lifted the horse (notice the 'man' lifting the horse's front leg). The other characters are the people of the night: a soldier, a woman. Whether these figures are actual people or the projections of the psyche of Prince Siddharth is an unanswered question. The artist leaves the answers to the viewer.

We have to leave behind our past in order to progress. We have to search within to discover the Divine. And the journey begins from home.

Two Episodes from Life of Prince Siddharth

Two Episodes from Life of Prince Siddharth

Gandhar School , 1st Century CE

Multiple narrations are the hallmark of Indian Art. Here the Gandhar sculptor simultaneously depicts two incidents from the life of Prince Siddharth : on the top the Prince is enjoying the palace life as a young man. In the bottom part, he is about to leave his sleeping wife, Yashoda and take to sanyasa ( the way of the mendicant ). Sacrifice and seeking enlightenment is considered an important part of life. We have shunned materialism. The outward journey of trying to understand matter is immaterial for us. It is the inner journey of trying to control the mind, to discipline the instinct and to liberate the soul which is essential. For Prince Siddharth the journey has just begun. Both these panels are interesting as they depict the life-style of 1st Century AD. Notice the horse-shoe shaped arches, the ones we find in Ajanta and Ellora. Notice the female guard on the left side. According to Kautilya, a King should have female guards as the are more loyal, more brave, more strong than men !

The Birth of Lord Buddha

The Birth of Lord Buddha 

 Gandhar School,1st Century CE

            Buddhism had spread throughout India. The Gandhar artist was fascinated by the life of Buddha. Here he depicts the Birth of Buddha. On her way to her parental home, Queen Maya gave birth to Prince Siddharth in a grove of Sal trees. It was an unusual birth as the child was born from the side of Queen Maya. According to some stories Lord Indra had received the child--as shown here. But according to a few, Goddess Hariti, the indian version of the Greek Goddess of childbirth, had received the child.  
             Interestingly the story is Indian, but the figures are Greek. Queen Maya wears Greek clothes and a Greek crown. Gandhar School proves the plurality of our society and culture.

Bodhisattva Maitre

Bodhisattva Maitre

 

Gandhar School,1st Century CE 

        Not only did the Gandhar artist give Lord Buddha a human form, he also increased the Buddhist pantheon. The noble souls who could reach Nirvana, but prefer to stay back in this world, in order to relieve the pain of others--the Bodhisattvas found myriad expressions in the hands of the Gandhar artists. This was crucial for the development of Buddhist art. From Gandhar these sculptures of Bodhisattvas would travel thru China, Korea and Japan. Indian art would become the basis of Asian Art. 
        Bodhisattva Maitre is the future Buddha. He can be recognised easily with his amulets around his neck, and one especially to the side. He stands erect, with his young muscular body draped in dhoti and yards of clothes. He wears a pair of sandles. He appears like a true prince with all his material finery. Yet he is lost to the world, lost in his deep thoughts. His compassion is apparent from his gentle smile, under his moustache, and his half-closed eyes. He is the ideal Man.

Lord Buddha

Lord Buddha

Gandhar School, 1st Century CE

 Unlike the Indian artist, the Greek artist emphasised the muscular structure of the body. Here we see a muscular Lord Buddha under his clothes. The rippling muscles of Greek art is combined with the serenity of Indian art. The 'abhay mudra' ( the gesture of blessing, of assurance, of saying 'fear not') is a typical gesture of Indian iconography. The Gandhar artist beautifully combined the materialism of the West with the spirituality of the East. That is the great achievement of this School of art.

Lord Buddha

Lord Buddha

Gandhar School, 1st Century CE

         Another fine example of an exquisite Lord Buddha. This sculpture is more alive than yesterday's one. Here Lord Buddha looks directly at the devotee. There is one to one relationship between Him and us. It seems as though He is about to speak. The realism of Western Art has given voice and expression to Eastern philosophy and spirituality.

Lord Buddha

Lord Buddha

Gandhar School,1st Century CE. 

 

 

 The Gandhar artist soon fell in love with the lyrical quality of the Indian face: the quite, meditative eyes, the acquiline nose, the bow arched lips, the long ears, the slender neck caught his attention. 

Believing in the Greek philosophy that Man is made in the image of the duvine, the Gandhar artist made Lord Buddha in human image. Till then, Lord Buddha was depicted symbolicly as in Sanchi. Gandhar artist gave Him an anthromorphic form. In fact, the iconography of Hindu art begins with Buddhist art-- a fact we rarely acknowledge. The serenity, the tranquility, the realism of this piece is unsurpassable. To look at this sculpture of Lord Buddha is to realize the Divine, and to feel blessed.

Two Ladies in Conversation

Two Ladies in Conversation

 Gandhar  School, 1st Century  CE

           In the ancient world the fine arts were dedicated  to religion. Thus, the awe inspiring  temples of Egypt,  Greece, India and China. But the Greek artist during  the period of Alexander  the Great started looking at the life around them. They started  depicting  the ordinary  people.
            Here is an instance of two urbane women talking to each other. The flowing robes  cover voluptuous bodies. The women  are so lost in their conversation  that they have forgotten  their own beauty.  They are oblivious  of the world around  them. The conversation  could be from mundane  to sacred.
          Slowly the Gandhar artist will begin to notice the beauty of Indian culture  and of its people.  Already the transition  has started. The voluptuousness of these ladies is more Indian than Greek. Gandhar  will produce the most beautiful  Buddha figures, will capture the humane quality of the Jataka stories, of the life of Buddha. It will give impetus to the Mathura  School and the ancient  Indian art will blossom under the Kushan dynasty.

Panchala and Hariti

Panchala and Hariti

 Gandhar School , 1st Century  AD

              Panchala was the god of wealth; his wife, Hariti was the goddess of food and later  on  she became the goddess of children  and child bearing.   Here the couple  is shown as a  Greek couple.  While he holds a cup of wine, and is offered a purse of money,  she holds a cornucopia, a basket  which supplies endless food. We see two children  (one of them broken  off) spilling water or milk from pots.
              These dieties  will find their way into Buddhist and Hindu iconography.  In Buddhism  they are Kuber and his wife Hariti. In Hinduism Hariti becomes either Annapurna--the goddess of food, or Bal-Lakshmi, the goddess  of children. 
             This sculpture  is  a  fine  example  of  our ability to assimilate  different  cultures.  We grow only when we learn from others.

Heracles--A Greek God

Heracles--A Greek God

1st Century  BCE

           The Greeks  brought  their  gods with them. The army of Alexander  must have worshiped  Heracles as He is the god of physical strength.
           This is a typical Greek sculpture  with its attention  to anatomical  details of the body. Since the Greeks believed  that  God made Man in his own image, and that Man was the center of the universe, the nude body  reflected the Divine spirit. Hence, the importance  of the Nude figures in Western  Art.
           Here Heracles  stands without his lion skin, and holds a club in his hand. Known for his brutish behaviour, He symbolises  the brute force inside all of us--a force we need to civilise.

Portrait of a Child

Portrait  of  a  Child

Gandhar  School, 1st  Century  BCE

            This is a portrait of a small child looking  at the world below. It is most likely  a funerary  figure,  a sculpture  which marks the grave of a small child. This beautiful  looking child must have died  early in life. He is a picture  of innocence.  Having  gathered a bed sheet about him, he looks out at the world from above, from heaven. Or is it a portrait  of an infantile Greek civilization  taking ginger steps in a new part  of  the  world, India?

Comic Mask

Comic Mask

 from Gandhar. 1st Century  BCE. 

             The Greeks  brought their culture with them. To the Greeks theater was an important  source of entertainment.  The Greeks, in fact, were the first one to write tragedies and comodies. This is a comic mask which would have been worn by a male actor for comic relief. One wonders if the comodies of Aristophenes were enacted in Bactria, the Greek kingdom in Afghanistan whose capital was Gandhar?

Portrait of a Philosopher

Portrait of a Philosopher 

1st Century  BCE.

                Alexander the  Great invaded India  in 326 BCE. With him came the Greek  or the Hellinic culture.  The Greeks settled mainly in Afghanistan, and Pakistan. But their kingdoms existed well into India till Madhya Pradesh. They have left a treasure  trove of art and science  in India. Gandhar  School of Art to Yunani Medicine.  The Yavan period and the Kushan period of our history is a period of exchange of ideas, of growth,  of assimilation. 
           This is a typical face of a Greek philosopher: mid-aged, bearded, looking at the world, studying the world. Unlike an Indian Sadhu or a God, the Greek philosopher does not look inward, but outward. His is the empherical mind which seeks data, analysis and conclusion. He imbibes the scientific  temper.
            The Greek  artist believes in realism; in depicting  the figure, the way he/ she is. The emphasis is on the muscles  of the body, the liveliness  of the figure, the here and now. The present is the moment  to be lived, to be enjoyed.