ARTICLE
Bharhut Stupa Relief Sculptures
The Bharhut sculptures are known for their emphasis on narration as opposed to logic in terms of time, space or scale. Certain portions of the narrative compositions are enhanced by manipulating scale without emphasis on the realism of the depiction. The sculptors often repeated the main figure throughout the episode in order to show the sequence of the narrative — a method that was also adopted in the Jatakas. The lack of individuality accorded to human figures is also another characteristic of sculpture under the Shunga Empire.
The depictions from the life and teachings of the Buddha, carved in shallow relief on the interior and exterior surfaces of the railings and the gateways, was meant to be viewed by a worshipper performing the pradaksina rites at the stupa. Owing to the textual inscriptions accompanying them, the sculptures have been indispensable to the historical tracing of early Buddhism in India as well as understanding Buddhist iconography.
The Bharhut stupa relief sculptures are often compared to the columns of Sanchi Stupa II, which were also carved during the Shuga Empire. However, the ones at Bharhut are generally considered more intricate. Most of their remains have been moved to the Indian Museum in Kolkata, while some have been housed in the Allahabad Museum.
Bibliography
Cunningham, Alexander. 1879. The Stupa of Bharhut: a Buddhist Monument Ornamented with Numerous Sculptures.
Department of Asian Art. 2000. “Shunga Dynasty (ca. Second-First Century B.C.)”. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/shun/hd_shun.htm.
Encyclopedia of India. 2020. “Sculpture: Mauryan and Shungan.” Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/sculpture-mauryan-and-shungan.
Huntington, Susan L., and John C. Huntington. 2016. The Art of Ancient India: Buddhist, Hindu, Jain. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
Leidy, Denise Patry. 2008. The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History and Meaning. Shambhala.
Ray, Niharranjan. 1965. Maurya and Śuṅga Art. Indian Studies, Past and Present.
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“The Stupa of Bharhut: Where Stones Spoke of Buddha’s Past Lives.” 2014. Sanskriti. https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/buddhism/the-stupa-of-bharhut/.