Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s2.t1.56

c12.s2.t1.56

All these scenes come under the general heading of Uttarakuru, a theme which played an important part in the religious merriment of the people and therefore seen at length in all the great Stūpas of early Indian art. A complete analysis of the scenes at Bharhut Stūpa shows an assemblage of the worship of the Bodhi trees, Bodhi Ghara Stūpa, Chakra, Gaja-Lakshmī, Pūrṇakumbha, ring-stone of Śrī-Chakra medallions showing figure of Śrī-Devī inside a band of lotuses or of lions or elephants, two-storeyed divine mansion, Mahā-Bhūta Yaksha. [Fig. 74]. To the list of several cult scenes of the worship (Maha) of Yaksha, Nāga, Vaiśravaṇa, Vriksha we may add that of Suparṇa (Pkt. : *Suvaṇṇa*, Hindi : *Sauna*) shown here as Suparṇa Garuḍa on the top of a standard borne by a female horse rider being the earliest representation of Garuḍadhvaja [Fig. 28b] and of Gandharva, Kumbhāṇḍa, Apsaras, Chūḍā, Stambha, etc.