Amaravati: Paying Respect to a Stupa, Dharma Wheel, and Bodhi Tree

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati; Satavahana period

The slab was unearthed from Amaravati and made during the Satavahana period (circa 200 BCE–250 CE). It consists of three vertical registers depicting the Bodhi tree, a Dharma wheel, and a stupa, and progresses from the bottom upward. The Bodhi tree at the bottom represents the Buddha’s enlightenment; the middle register shows a Dharma wheel, which refers to the start of the Buddha’s teaching mission, and the top register illustrates a stupa, standing for the Buddha passing into parinirvana.
All three scenes are arranged symmetrically about the object at the center, which is encircled by worshippers and apsaras. This carving is a product of the later phase of art at Amaravati. It shows figures that are taller and slimmer than in earlier depictions, and the women are more sensual.