Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s4.4

c12.s4.4

A strong point at Bodhgaya is the representation of animal figures, e.g. winged lion; winged horse; winged elephant; fish-tailed human being (*nara-machhcha*); bull, ram, goat, makara and several other *Ihāmṛiga* or fabulous animals (Fig. 94). On one of the pillars is shown a figure riding on a fish-tailed elephant (*jalebha* or *gaja-machchha*) and another on the same pillar riding on a lion-headed fish-tailed aligator (*magara-machchha*), other mythical land and water animals rendered in beautiful friezes are shown on the copings and provide a handsome introduction to the subjects in the art of Sanchi and Mathura. It is clear that the carvers at Bodhgaya elaborated their legecy from Bharhut and passed it on to their successors at Sanchi and Mathura in a more elaborate form. They show their originality in evolving new subjects, specially the winged figures and in developing a style which is more direct, simple and unified, avoiding as far as possible complex or synoptic treatment as found at Sanchi. They also had formulated their own ideas of perspective and isometric rendering as seen on a pillar where a rather complex design with two sides of a bigger railing enclosing a smaller railing round a tree and another pillar with a railing on one side shows a contingent of complex buildings.