Bharhut: Life of the Buddha - Defeat of Mara and Enlightenment

INDIA, Madhya Pradesh, Bharhut

The column was originally located at the gateway of the stupa. A succession of scenes, it consists of four registers. An inscription on the divider beneath the uppermost register reads “the enlightenment tree of Sakyamuni Buddha” and indicates that the building on which it appears is the Vihara at Bodhgaya, where the scene takes place.
The Bodhi tree in the top register signifies the location where the Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya. Deities whistling in admiration are on either side of the tree while two kalavinkas are located above them. One kalavinka carries a garland.
The second register shows a temple where King Asoka erected a balustraded diamond throne at Bodhgaya. There are two Dharma wheels surmounted by the triratna symbol above the throne. The trunk of the tree grows from the throne that appears in the register above. Devotees kneel before the throne, while a female temple dancer performs to the left. An Asoka pillar crowned by an elephant protrudes into the scene at the right from the register below in yet another link between scenes.
The next register down shows ranks of turbaned gods with hands in anjali (reverence) mudra. A figure to the left sits apart on a rock looking dejected. The bottom register depicts a group of seated musicians accompanied by more female dancers. A balustrade divides each of the lower scenes and underneath the final one are earth gods supporting the entire structure.