Tarbela: Dipamkara Buddha

PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tarbela

Statues of Dipamkara Buddha unassociated with Sakyamuni are rarely seen in Buddhist art. There is a reference to the story of his prophecy of Sakyamuni’s future Buddhahood, though it is a subtle one in this depiction. Megha, the subject of this prediction, had honored Dipamkara by throwing an offering of lotuses which then circled his head. Two of those flowers are incorporated on both sides of the figure’s nimbus.
The style of the statue hardly differs from other representations of the Buddha created during the Gandhara period. The figure has a usnisa, an urna, and an enveloping robe that covers both shoulders. The right hand is raised in a sideways version of abhaya (fearlessness) mudra, the right knee is slightly bent and the right foot is advance in front of the other. The relief on the pedestal depicts a throne-like structure with figures making an offering.