Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s3.t2.6

c12.s3.t2.6

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.