Amaravati: Life of the Buddha

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati; Satavahana period

Indian archaeologists unearthed this fragment of a stone pillar from Amaravati during 1958 to 1959. The pillar is thought to be originally 52 cm wide and that all four sides featured reliefs, but one of the sides is completely damaged while another side is indistinguishable. It is conjectured that these may have depicted monastic scenes in Amaravati. The two remaining sides are identified as depicting events from the Buddha’s life that include his last journey and the donation of Jetavana Grove.
The episode of the final journey is based on the Parinirvana Sutra and depicts Sakyamuni Buddha traveling from Vaishali to Kushinaga where he passes into parnirvana. The story starts from the bottom, and a short inscription that allows identification accompanies each scene. A kneeling figure in the bottom right hand corner, identified as Mara, is begging the Buddha to enter parinirvana. A building with an empty diamond throne and a set of footprints behind Mara is believed to be the Buddha’s vihara. There is a river in the tree-filled landscape. An alms bowl and a slab placed near the bank of the river may relate to the incident where the Buddha feels unwell after accepting a meal from Cunda and stops to rest. The scene above the river is unclear but may relate to the Buddha’s passing. Only a human figure showing reverence remains due to the severe damage to the pillar.
The composition of this relief is very similar to the carvings at Bharhut. The artwork is of an archaic era at Amaravati in which human figures were rigidly depicted and may relate to carving in wood. The subject matter is unique in that no other examples of the Buddha’s final journey have been found in India or elsewhere.