MAURYAN PERIOD CAPITAL SCULPTURES FROM SARNATH Dr.Guneeta Chadha, Associate Professor, H.O.D, Fine-Arts dept. PGGCG-11, Chandigarh.

INTRODUCTION Mauryan Art- first imperial art of India Time period- 4th century to 2nd century BCE Ashoka (c.269-232 B.C) the grandson of Chander Gupta Maurya, was one of the greatest emperor of this dynasty. He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the violence and killings of innocent people in the war of Kalinga.

Many excellent works of art were made during this period. It represented an important transition in Indian art from use of wood to stone. STAMBHA OR PILLARS They were pillars in the form of monumental columns erected at holy places to propagate Buddhism. Although some scholars would consider the Pillars of Ashoka as architecture, owing to their free standing nature and elaborately carved animal capitals most of the art historians consider them as the examples of sculpture.

LION CAPITAL OF SARNATH

Lion capital of the pillar erected by Ashoka at Sarnath Height- 7 feet Material- Chunar sandstone At present at archeological Museum, Sarnath. These columns or pillars were called as stambhas. A ‘Stambha’ consists of a shaft and a capital upholding a statue. The finest and the most famous of all the capitals is the one at Sarnath.

The Lion Capital The capital is made of chunar sandstone, having a pale yellowish colour. The capital is composed of three diverse elements. A Fluted Bell A Circular Abacus The upper unit with four alert lions, back to back.

The fluted bell supports the abacus The fluted bell supports the abacus. On the abacus are four royal animals, and four wheels carved beautifully in relief. The four animals on the abacus are- an elephant, a horse, a bull and a lion. SYMBOLISM OF THE CAPITAL The capital was found in Sarnath, an important place as Buddha preached his first sermon at Sarnath. Here the doctrine of Dharma or the wheel of law was put into motion. In the Hinayana Buddhism Buddha was not depicted in human form, so we find his presence with symbols.

As lion is the king of the jungle, Buddha w as a lion among spiritual teachers, and his sermon prevailed all four corners of the world. The solar disc or the wheel is an ancient middle eastern symbol for the Supreme Diety and/or for knowledge as well. In Buddhism it was associated with Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra) The four animals are also representative of four quarters of the world. The elephant-east, horse-south, bull-west, lion-north.

There is a wheel in between each animal, symbolizing that the true law projecting out all four corners of the world, and thus combined they provide the base for the ultimate cosmic roar of Dharma which rises above. The image of the Sarnath capital has been adopted as the emblem for the modern Republic of India.