Buddhist
sculptures of India can best be explained as marvelous illustrations of sacred
sculpture and architecture. Buddhist sculpture developed in India at a period
of about 255 BC, most especially, because of the hard work of the great Mauryan
Emperor Asoka. He was so impressed by the Buddhist ideologies that he adopted
Buddhism as the state religion. A number of notable sculptures of Buddhism were
carved out on this land all because of his initiative. The newly evolved
religion was all the more popularized with the help of these sculptures.
Therefore, the history of Indian sculpture saw evolution of an entirely
different idiom.
Buddhist
Sculpture in India
Building
up of chaityas, pillars and stupas were involved in the architecture of
Buddhism. A very integral part of the Buddhist architecture was iconography.
The sculpture of Buddhism was simpler as compared to the sculptures that
emerged in later times in the country.
The
aniconic representation of Gautama Buddha was one of the features of the
Buddhist Indian sculpture. The buildings of the Buddhist pilgrimage centers
exhibit the style which was developed by Asoka. It is of utmost importance to
involve the sculpture of stupas while discussing about the Buddhist sculpture
and architecture. One of the wonderful specimens of the Buddhist art and
sculpture is the sculpture of Sanchi Stupa. The sculpture of Buddhist Caves and
the architecture constitute another significant structure which emerged with
the Buddhist spiritual principles. To add to these significant structures,
sculpture of Vihara, the sculpture of chaityas, and sculpture of Ashokan
Pillars are fairly momentous.
Gandhara
School of Art
A
very important time in Buddhist sculpture emerged with the emergence of the
Gandhara School of art in India. This was the initial art school where the
artists started imparting representative form of life of Buddha into Human
Form. Such images were excavated at Peshawar, Afghanistan and the like. The art
gained fame as it was the union of both Indian and Greek art. The main
characteristic of the Gandhara Art is the standing and sitting Buddha.
Mathura
School of Art
Spotted
red sandstone as the material to make statues and images were used in this art
form. Buddha’s early images (having attained enlightenment) and the Bodhisattva
(the one who is seeking enlightenment) are blissful and plump figures. The
formation of the images of Buddha was a noticeable feature of the Mathura
School of Art but statues of Jain Tirthankaras and Brahmanical gods and
goddesses are also made in this art school.
Reflection
of Buddhist Concept on Buddhist Sculpture
The
socio-cultural traditions of our country are mirrored by the Indian art and
architecture which is many centuries old. An art form and sculpture of its own
style is illustrated by the varied multi-cultured and multi-religious art
works. It was in Buddhist religion of India that one of such enthralling art
and sculpture has been accepted. The religion is about 2500 years old and the
art of Buddhism targeted to have paintings and monuments that were erected to
bring popularity to the conception of Buddhism. Even though, Lord Buddha was
never embodied in a human form because his life was extremely eventful. As a
result, the portrayal of Buddhism was for the most part based on six symbols.
Elephant was for the birth of Buddha, footprints and lion for life of Buddha,
vacant throne as mark of sovereignty, horse depicting the rejection of the
worldly pleasures and Tree for enlightenment and last of all its Stupa.
Buddhist
Art and Architecture in India
The
people of India are greatly influenced by the Buddhist art and architecture.
The meditation and yogic postures have unusual levels of significance. Buddhism
portrays the mudras or postures, Enlightenment or nirvana, meditations and a
number of ways to preach Buddhism. Tracing back to the time of 255 B.C., we
find that the Mauryan King Ashoka was the first to introduce Buddhism as his
state religion, as mentioned above. With the course of time, this religion
stretched all over the country and started gaining popularity among the parts
of south-east Asia. Asoka also has the credit to be the first one to introduce
the art in this region. The Stupas that stand all through the country today
were constructed by Asoka. He did so in order to venerate the teachings of
Buddha. The institution of the immense sacred establishment was at Sanchi. At
this place people began to expand the Stupas built by Asoka. It is noteworthy
that the most attention- grabbing thing about this Stupa is that they are more
often than not carved out of genuine rocks. The best spot to stopover is Ajanta
and Ellora Caves. They are the most popular places among the vacationers from
all over the planet.
Best
of Buddhist Sculptures in India
The
Gupta period during the reign of King Harshavardhana around 647 A.D was
recorded to be amongst the best periods of the Buddhist Art and sculpture
development. The images at Mathura and Sarnath are the Holy places where the
accumulation of Deities such as Maitreya or the Future Buddha is found. He
brought a radical change in Buddhism, as a faith. The quantity of images of
Buddha crafted during these periods were quite substantial as per the
traditions sustained at this time.
The
Buddhist Art and architecture revolves just about stupas, Monolithic pillars, palaces,
shrines, and actual rock cut chambers which is certainly very exclusive.
Buddhist sculptures of India have added an interesting chapter to the Indian
sculptures.
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