Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Content Provider | Indian Culture |
---|---|
Organization | National Museum, New Delhi |
Spatial Coverage | Nagararjunakonda, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh |
Temporal Coverage | Ancient |
Description | This is a limestone slab showing the scenes from Buddha's life. It was originally placed at Nagarjunakonda District in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. It belongs to the Ishkvaku dynasty which dates back to 2nd century CE. It is a large artefact, measuring H 179 cm W 87 cm and is currently placed in the Kushana gallery in the National Museum, New Delhi. Historical Significance :- The successors of the Mauryan polity in the Deccan region were the Satavahanas. Historians associate the Andhras mentioned in the Puranas with the Satavahana dynasty. However, it is important to note that the term 'Satavahana' was never mentioned in the Puranas nor did the Satavahanas ever call themselves 'Andhras'.The dynasty defeated the Kanvas to first establish themselves in central India and over time spread their presence to peninsular India. Traditionally, the Satavahanas were Brahmans. They performed Vedic sacrifices, worshipped Vaishnava gods and extended large grants to priests but they also extended similar patronage to Buddhism. Records of land grants being bestowed upon monks have been found in large numbers. Within the empire, Mahayana Buddhism took root among the artisan classes and established its base in Nagarjunakonda and Amravati. The successors of the Satavahanas, the Ikshvaku would patronize Buddhism on a much larger scale at Nagarjunakonda. Nagarjunakonda (Nagarjuna: a famous Buddhist Monk; Konda: Hills in Kannada) is presently known as one of the richest Buddhist learning centres and has many caves that exhibit Buddhist carvings. It was the capital of Ikshvaku Kingdom and was then called Vijayapuri (which loosely translates to the place of residence of the victorious). A major excavation which lasted for 6 years was undertaken at the site before the construction of the man-made lake Nagarjuna Sagar. The excavation resulted in the finding of many Buddhist ruins, stupas, temples, pillared pavilions, white marble statues of Buddha, coins and jewellery as well. A.R. Saraswati was the first Archaeologist to have discovered the ruins of Nagarjunakonda in the year 1926. Artistic Significance :- "The stone slab in consideration is divided into three panels showing scenes from Buddha's life. It can be likened to the modern-day comic strip as it needs to be read from one end to the other in sequence to be understood. The lowest panel depicts the King Suddhodana, father of the baby seated on a throne with three chauri (fly whisk)- bearers behind him and two ladies sitting in front of him. To the left three soothsayers sit on a bench, below them sits a scribe, busy recording the occasion with the utmost attention. The second or the middle panel exhibits the birth of Buddha. Maya, the mother of Buddha conceived him when she dreamt that a white elephant entered her womb from the right side. On both sides of the sleeping Maya stand two attendants. On their left can be seen the Purna-ghata, a full vessel, this is a symbol of fertility even in our times. She gave birth to him in a standing tribhanga position while holding a shaal tree in a garden. Buddha was born from the right side of Maya and is believed to have begun walking immediately. A lady carries the newborn baby under an umbrella (Chatri) with a fly whisk (chauri) on either side. Both of these indicate the royal status of the figure in focus. On the left side of the panel stand the God Indra and the guardians of the directions (Dikapalas) with a garment in their hands to receive the child, seven footprints marked on the garment indicate the seven foot-steps taken by the child as soon as it was born. In the top panel, the right side shows a child being carried by the mother and being presented to the family priest, who is seen to be in awe of the child. The left half of the panel depicts the king seated on a throne, to his left sits sage Asita who is shown receiving the child while Maya stands beside him with folded hands. The panels are divided by floral designs of lotuses and roses designs. In the top panel, the right side shows a child being carried by the mother and being presented to the family priest, who is seen to be in awe of the child. The left half of the panel depicts the king seated on a throne, to his left sits sage Asita who is shown receiving the child while Maya stands beside him with folded hands. The panels are divided by floral designs of lotuses and roses designs." Spiritual Significance :- Buddhism as a philosophy is understood to be a path, a way of life that is believed to transform a person since it is linked to salvation (to break away from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). The core of Buddha's teachings lies in Four Noble Truths according to which all life is suffering, the cause of suffering is desire, this desire can be destroyed, and this end can be achieved through the Eightfold Path as taught by the Buddha. Style :- Satavahana This is a limestone slab showing the scenes from Buddha's life. It was originally placed at Nagarjunakonda District in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. It belongs to the Ishkvaku dynasty which dates back to 2nd century CE. It is a large artefact, measuring H 179 cm W 87 cm and is currently placed in the Kushana gallery in the National Museum, New Delhi. Historical Significance |
File Format | JPG / JPEG |
Language | English |
Publisher | National Museum |
Access Restriction | Open |
Subject Keyword | Ishkvaku dynasty Limestone Sculpture Buddha's Life |
Content Type | Image |
Resource Type | Photograph |
National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is a virtual repository of learning resources which is not just a repository with search/browse facilities but provides a host of services for the learner community. It is sponsored and mentored by Ministry of Education, Government of India, through its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT). Filtered and federated searching is employed to facilitate focused searching so that learners can find the right resource with least effort and in minimum time. NDLI provides user group-specific services such as Examination Preparatory for School and College students and job aspirants. Services for Researchers and general learners are also provided. NDLI is designed to hold content of any language and provides interface support for 10 most widely used Indian languages. It is built to provide support for all academic levels including researchers and life-long learners, all disciplines, all popular forms of access devices and differently-abled learners. It is designed to enable people to learn and prepare from best practices from all over the world and to facilitate researchers to perform inter-linked exploration from multiple sources. It is developed, operated and maintained from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Learn more about this project from here.
NDLI is a conglomeration of freely available or institutionally contributed or donated or publisher managed contents. Almost all these contents are hosted and accessed from respective sources. The responsibility for authenticity, relevance, completeness, accuracy, reliability and suitability of these contents rests with the respective organization and NDLI has no responsibility or liability for these. Every effort is made to keep the NDLI portal up and running smoothly unless there are some unavoidable technical issues.
Ministry of Education, through its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), has sponsored and funded the National Digital Library of India (NDLI) project.
Sl. | Authority | Responsibilities | Communication Details |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education |
Sanctioning Authority | https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives |
2 | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project | https://www.iitkgp.ac.in |
3 | National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project | Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in |
4 | Project PI / Joint PI | Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project |
Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon |
5 | Website/Portal (Helpdesk) | Queries regarding NDLI and its services | support@ndl.gov.in |
6 | Contents and Copyright Issues | Queries related to content curation and copyright issues | content@ndl.gov.in |
7 | National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club) | Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach | clubsupport@ndl.gov.in |
8 | Digital Preservation Centre (DPC) | Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books | dpc@ndl.gov.in |
9 | IDR Setup or Support | Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops | idr@ndl.gov.in |