Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c13.s2.4

c13.s2.4

A few of these Stūpas are illustrated in several bas-reliefs three of which are worth mentioning. The earliest one is hemispherical at the base and has a decreasing diameter towards the elongated top, ornamented with a circular ground railing, two intermediate railings, and a harmikā with a railing and a chhatra. This is being worshipped by Suparṇas and Kinnaras, and perhaps represents the earliest Stūpa built by Jainas at Mathura which may be identified with the Deva-nirmita Stūpa, and may be placed about the beginning of the second century B.C. [Fig. 129]. The next stage is shown by the Stūpa carved on the Loṇaśobhikā Āyāgapaṭṭa, and assignable to the first century A. D. It consists of a staircase leading to the first high terrace, the ground balustrade with a high gateway having all the details of a typical toraṇa, viz. bracket śālabhañjikās, three architraves, small uprights etc., path of circumambulation, the elongated drum and dome ornamented with two intermediate railings instead of one and the third railing round the harmikā. [Fig. 130]. The upright pillars carved with a number of lotuses and animals inside medallions belonged to the railing, known as padmavaravedikā of the first Stūpa, whereas the upright posts carved with female śālabhañjikā figures in alto-relievo formed part of the second Stūpa built in early Kushāṇa times. Besides these two Jaina Stūpas we have a specimen of a Buddhist Stūpa at Mathura carved on an architrave (M 3). It shows an elongated structural building with several storeys marked by vedikās, which is similar to the Stūpas in the Gandhara country of the Kushāṇa age. [Fig. 131].