Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculpture c7.10

c7.10

With the exception of the disparity in size, both the stelae are almost identical in other respects. In the centre of each of them is a large temple, the *śikhara* of which resembles that of the great temple at Bodh Gaya. Inside this temple, under a trefoil arch, Buddha is seated in the attitude of touching the earth, on a full blown lotus. The thunderbolt (*vajra*) is in each case shown in front of Buddha, on the top of the lotus throne, to mark it as the adamantine throne (*vajrāsana*), seated on which Buddha attained perfection. There is a slight difference in the arrangement of the throne on which this lotus is placed, the details of which are described below. Below the throne there are two rows of basreliefs one above the other, the upper one of which represents the attack of Māra's army on Buddha, the allurements of Māra's daughters, and the arrival of Māra and his wife on the scene. This part of the basrelief is connected with the figure of Buddha in the centre of the stele and represents the incidents immediately preceding the illumination (*sambodhi*). Surrounding this central group there is a band all round the stele which contains different incidents of the life of the Master, beginning with his birth and ending with his death. The scene of the birth is placed, in both stelae, inside a miniature shrine to the proper left of the main figure. In the stele from Bihar, we find Māyādevī standing under a *śāla* tree, clasping the neck of a female to her proper left, the child issuing from her proper right and two small figurines standing below; the arrangement of the details of this and the other incidents will be discussed below.