Loriyan Tangai: Brahma’s Request

PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar

The sculpture was unearthed from a temple site in Loriyan Tangai, Peshawar. The Buddha is seated in full lotus position under the broad-leaved Bodhi tree with his hands in dhyana (meditation) mudra. Dharma wheels, as a sign of his enlightenment, are on his palms and the soles of his feet. A simple robe is thrown roughly over his left shoulder and he wears a woven skirt beneath. His head is not yet shaved and the hair is tied at the top. Brahma kneels with hands held in reverence on the left, imploring the Buddha to remain in the world and teach the Dharma. Other turbaned deities stand behind him, one of them with hand raised and whistling through his fingers.