Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t2: South Gateway
Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t2
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South Gateway
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This was the earliest gateway to be added to the great Stūpa. It was restored in 1882; as it stands it has three architraves. The top one shows the figure of *Śrī-Lakṣmī* standing in the midst of a lotus grove (*Padmavana*) and attended by two elephants which form a very charming representation of the scene. Foucher would take it as Māyādevī but it was more properly the cult *Śrī-Lakṣmī* (or *Sirimā Devatā* as seen at Bharhut). On the middle architrave is depicted the visit of the emperor Aśoka riding in a chariot and followed by elephant riders to the Stūpa at Rāmagrāma which was defended by Nāga guardians. Above the Stūpa are Suparṇas holding garlands. On the lowest architrave the dwarfish pot-bellied figures of squatting and sprawling *Kumbhāṇḍas* are holding pearl necklaces in their hands and spouting forth the lotus creeper of Life and Fortune from their mouth. This was a very significant motif of early Indian art relating to the cult of Kumbhāṇḍa gods whose chief was Virūḍhaka, the Lokapāla of the southern direction. It should be noted that the circular ends of the architraves on the two sides were occupied by a design of seven zones (*chakravyūha*) now termed as "spiral". The two cubicals separating the architraves on left show the Bodhi Tree and Stūpa and the Bodhi Tree and *Śrī-Lakṣmī* on right. The false capitals or the corresponding portions of the architraves themselves, both on the right and left show pairs of couchant animals with riders, e. g. horses (*haya-saṅghāṭa*), stags (*mṛiga-saṅghāṭa*). This was a decorative motif seen also on the pillars in the Western Indian caves and elsewhere at Bharhut, Mathura, etc. and occurs in the literary descriptions of the Jainas.
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BACKSIDE : Top Architrave—In the central section are three Stūpas alternating with four trees with thrones in front of them worshipped by human and divine figures. These represent the six previous Mānuṣī Buddhas and Gautama Buddha—three symbolised by their Stūpas and four by their Bodhi Trees. The Śirīṣa Tree belongs to Krakuchchhanda, the Udumbara to Kanakamuni, the Nyagrodha to Kāśyapa and the Pippala to Śākyamuni.
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On the dome of the central Stūpa is the inscription, already mentioned, referring to Ānanda, the royal architect of King *Śrī Sātakarṇi*.
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MIDDLE ARCHITRAVE—The story of Chhaddanta Jātaka showing the Bodhisattva born as the king of a herd of elephants besporting himself in the lotus lake and walking to the central Banyan tree, while the hunter Soṇuttara hidden among the rocks makes ready his bow.
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LOWEST ARCHITRAVE—It depicts the war of the relics which the chiefs of seven other clans waged against the Mallas of Kuśīnārā for the possession of the Buddha's Dhātus. In the centre of the architrave is shown the seize of Kuśīnārā. To right and left the victorious chiefs are departing in chariots and on elephants. After the war, Stūpas were erected for Buddha's relics at Rājagṛiha, Vaiśālī, Kapilavastu, Allakappa, Rāmagrāma, Veṭhadipa, Pāvā and Kuśīnārā.
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The ends of the three berms are occupied by the Chakravyūha motif, the dies on the east and west ends by Pūrṇakumbha, Bodhi Tree worship of the three Buddhas, and the false capitals. The gateway is supported on two square pillars which are also profusely sculptured with several panels on their front, inner and back faces, e. g. the left pillar of the South Gateway shows on its front face three panels, the top one showing the worship of the Dharmachakra supported on a stepped base. The wheel has thirty-two spokes terminating in thirty-two Triratna symbols on its outer rim. The Dharmachakra is topped by a parasol and garlands and the octagonal shaft of the pillar is rooted in a Full Vase. The crowded company of worshippers and the herd of deer on the two sides makes it one of the most vivid pictures of the Buddha's Dharmachakra.
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FRONT FACE : Second Panel—Emperor Aśoka in his chariot with his retinue round him.
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INNER FACE : Top and second panels—Aśoka with his two queens at the Bodhivṛiksha-prākāra at Bodhgaya. This was the temple built by Aśoka himself around the sacred Pipal Tree. Aśoka has fainted at the sight of the withering tree.
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INNER FACE : Lower Panel—The worship of the Bodhisattva's hair and head-dress, same as the Chūḍāmaha in a Bharhut relief. A company of deities in the trayastrimśa heaven is worshipping the hair of the Bodhisattva. On the corresponding panel on the front face of this pillar the deities on foot, on horse back and on elephant are hastening to do homage to the Buddha's lock. The figure on elephant is Indra with his queen.
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LEFT PILLER : On the west face of this pillar there is a very interesting scene of which the true significance has not been understood up to now. In a meandering lotus creeper are three scenes of the Uttarakuru country showing three mithuna figures with ornaments and clothes being produced from the branches of the mythical Kalpa-vrikshas. Such Mithuna figures became a favourite motif of early Indian art being represented particularly at Bhājā in the so-called Indra panel which is actually the scene of King Māndhātā's visit to the Uttarakuru country. Here at Sanchi in the lowest wave we see the mithuna or male and female couple seated in forest with flowers, fruits, birds and lions. The female figure has a pair of anklets near her feet and holds in her hands a necklace of amulets or auspicious signs (*maṅgalaka mālā*) the use of which was considered effective to ward off evil and which was taken as a distinctive mark of the idyllic land of Uttarakuru. It may be seen that such a necklace is worn by the female figure in the couple carved in the next wave. Two such amulet strings (*maṅgalaka mālā*) are illustrated on the east pillar of the northern gateway. The couple in the lowest panel is playing on a harp and this is also seen in the Bhājā scene where seated under a Kalpavṛiksha tree they are witnessing the dance of a female figure. This became in Śuṅga art also a subject of detached terracotta plaques the meaning of which was well-understood as a version of life in the Uttarakuru land, such specimens having been found at Mathura, Rajghat and Patna.
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RIGHT PILLAR: Top Panel—It depicts the episode of the Buddha in the form of a Boddi Tree and the Nāgarāja Muchalinda, surrounded by four Nāgī queens with one hood only. In the middle panel are four Lokapālas with four attendants offering the begging bowls to the invisible Buddha. The bottom panel shows the merchant Prapusha and Bhallika passing through Uruvilva seated in their chariot.
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INNER-FACE: Top Panel shows the Bodhi Tree of Buddha Vipassin with a woman prostrating before the Throne.
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Middle Panel shows the grass-cutter holding a sickle who presented a sheaf of straw for spreading on the Buddha's throne.
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The Fourth Panel shows the Sambodhi Throne with male and female worshippers, the latter with ewers of water. Bottom Panel shows the *Chaṅkrama* or Promenade of the Buddha.
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The capitals on the pillars of the southern gateway consist of pairs of lions (*Siṅgha saṅghāṭa*) seated back to back, two on the front side and two on the back, on the northern and eastern gateways, of similar pairs of elephants (*Gaja saṅghāṭa*) and on the western gateway, of standing Atlantes or *Kīchaka* figures.