Borobudur: Fifty-Three Visits of Sudhana - Manjusri Bodhisattva

INDONESIA, Central Java, Magelang

This is Relief No. 16 on the inner wall of the second square terrace at Borobudur. It depicts the fifty-three visits of Sudhana as mentioned in the “Gandavyuha Chapter” of the Avatamsaka Sutra along with other reliefs in the same area. The figure shown is Manjusri Bodhisattva who wears a flower wreath and has plaits falling down the shoulders. The face is rounded and three lines can be seen on the neck, signifying the mark of a great person. The figure is adorned with a sacred thread. The upper body is tilted and the Bodhisattva sits in the royal ease posture on a lotus throne. A long-stemmed lotus is held in the left hand while the right arm, with the hand missing, is outstretched. The background is decorated with makaras and architectural features. The relief also includes local stylistic elements despite being strongly influenced by the Indian style.