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.

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.

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.