Loriyan Tangai: Brahma and Sakra’s Request

PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar

The sculpture was unearthed from a temple site in Loriyan Tangai, Peshawar. Sakyamuni is seated on a raised throne within an alcove formed from the descending branches of the Bodhi tree above and the diagonal lines of the figures that surround him. The scene takes place not long after his enlightenment and he is shown with some of the signs of his new status: a nimbus, a usnisa, and Dharma wheels on the soles of the feet. Two figures with hands joined in reverence kneel in the foreground, representing Brahma on the left with his hair tied into a top knot and Sakra on the right wearing a turban. Standing behind them are a number of other deities, while above are a pair of naked tree spirits. The mission that has brought them is to plead with the Buddha to stay in this world and teach the Dharma.