Buddha ‐ புத்தர்

Bronze figure from the Government Museum Chennai.

Description

He stands on a circular padmasana, which is a real lotus in blossom, attached to a square bhadrasana which is meant to be a simhasana in as much as lions are carved in a sunk band of each side of the bhadrasana. Besides, the bhadrasana has four rings on each of its two sides which are intended to secure the image to a base while it is being carried in temple procession.

It will thus be clear that this image was one of the utsava-vigrahas employed by the Buddhists at Nagapattinam for carrying in procession when Buddhism was popular or current at Nagapattinam. Hence its huge size.

The usual long robe with folded edges covering an under-garment is thrown over the body exposing the right chest and arm. Right hand in abhaya, left in kataka and both are without palm marks. The face reminds one of the Amaravati, Goli and Nagarjunakonda faces of the Buddha. The nose and the lips are done to perfection, even the nostrils in the former finding a place. No urna mark is shown.

Hair is in seven rows of conventionalized curls, surmounted by the usnisa in five flames. The ear lobes are realistic, though bored. The feet, hands, their fingers, the nose, chin, in fact everything in this image have been done so very well to perfection that the general impression that one gets on seeing the image is that it is realistic.

The absence of the palm marks and the urna mark will also speak for a relative antiquity of the image as compared with the later conventionalized images. The image is so different from any Northern type that it can be termed as indigenous, while in point of dating it may be ranked with the best specimens of Early Chola Art (10th Century AD.).¹

Informations

Acc. No.: 19

Century: 10th CE

Place of discovery: Nanayakkara Street

Taluk: no information about the Taluk

District: Nagapattinam

State: Tamil Nadu

Country: India

Exhibition Location: Government Museum Chennai

Height: 73.5 cm with pedestal, 58.5 cm without pedestal

Breadth: no information about the breadth

Weight: no information about the weight

Pictures

Buddha

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