The Age of the Imperial Guptas c9.80

Language: English

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In the main shrine at Sarnath, numerous *caitya*-windows were used in the older structure of the Gupta period, when that monument was rebuilt with stone. Some of these stones, specially the carved ones, were again used in the construction of the plinth when that temple was rebuilt in brick in the 9th or 10th century A.D. At this time, certain *caitya*-windows were used for the construction of the lowest plinth line. The comparison of the *cai-tya*-windows in stone, both fragmentary and entire, in the plinth of the main shrine at Sarnath enables us to declare that that shrine, as it was discovered in 1904-05, cannot be a monument of the early Gupta Age. The Museum of Archæology at Sarnath now becomes very useful to the student of Gupta Art, as it contains the best collection of *caitya*-windows of the Gupta period. Unfortunately for us, the learned compiler of its Catalogue, Rai Bahadur Pandit Dayaram Sahni, M.A., now Deputy Director of Archæology in India for exploration, could not find suitable terminology for the expression of his ideas, and therefore, it is extremely difficult to find out which section of the catalogue contains his description of this famous collection of *caitya*-windows. All of them are described under the heading " D(i).-Pediments and face-stones."¹ Some of them are undoubtedly pediments as they are stones from plinth-mouldings and string-courses of early Gupta buildings; but it is very difficult to understand what is meant by face-stones.

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As has been demonstrated above the *caitya*-window was used at Bhumra and Deogadh as a free-standing decorative motif and was used later on in relief against members of architecture. The large and small *caitya*-windows discovered at Bhumra were, no doubt, used along the cornice of the temple, alternately according to size, and as the majority of the Sarnath specimens belong to this variety, they should not have been styled "face-stones". As at Bhumra, the *caitya*-window of the Gupta period is really a trefoil in which the central arc is larger than the side ones and in which the side arcs are still leaf-shaped rather than arcs proper. In the middle of the larger arc is to be found a circular sunken panel, usually called the medallion. The rim or circumference of this medallion is enclosed by a line of beads, the place of which is sometimes taken by rosettes as at Deogadh. The rest of the interspaces, specially the space in the side wings is occupied with small lotus rosettes or arabesque.¹ The Sarnath Museum can boast of a much greater variety in the contents of these *caitya*-windows than any other site of early Gupta date. The best specimens show a seated or standing figure of some deity as in the Bhumra medallions and in certain cases only a running cupid.² In many cases the medallion is filled up with a large lion's head.

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At this stage, we are introduced to a new style in *caitya-window*s, the best examples of which are to be found on the lintel bearing the representation of the Kṣāntivādin *Jataka*. In this case the *caitya-window* motifs are placed in relief in front of a miniature temple crowned by an *Āmalaka*. The *caitya-window* has changed its shape by the metaphorposition of the circular medallion into a trefoil medallion. The sides of the circle have separated and between these two semi-circles is introduced an ellipsoid curve at the top. The introduction of this new member causes the *caitya-window* itself to become divided into two unequal parts with two side-wings on each side instead of one. The Central arc of the *Caitya-window* contains the curved end of the ellipse and is supported at the end of the upper part on two square pilasters. Such trefoils contain standing figures of deities.¹ In the second class, we find that though the *caitya-window* proper has become divided into two parts, with two side-wings on each side, there is no connection between the upper half and the lower. In the upper half the medallion is almost a complete circle and contains, in the majority of cases, a horned lion with arabesque as its mane. Such *caitya-window*s are interposed along the beam of the lintel between the larger ones. The medallion, in the lower part, is shaped roughly like an ellipse and consists of two semi-circles joined together by parallel straight lines.

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They contain figures of dwarfs of the Bhumra and Deogadh types.¹ The contents of such medallions in the Sarnath collection of free-standing *Caitya*-windows is varied, the most important among which are the types which contain figures of animals, not to be found in other schools except that of Benares. In certain cases we find Buddha, in others, figures of minor deities as at Bhumra, but in the majority of cases we find Kirttimukhas or lion’s heads. In one particular case the *caitya*-window being placed in an angle of a plinth-moulding its medallion is obscured and can hardly be seen. Here, the ingenuity of the artist is displayed by the representation of a portion of the lion’s face instead of the entire front. (D. i. 21.) In certain cases the front paws of the lion are also shown in addition. Many of the Sarnath medallions contain Buddhas in the *Bhūmisparśa mudrā*. In one case there is a four armed male holding a rosary, wheel, and a vase.² In certain cases, the medallion is a trefoil and contains the figure of a Buddha in the *Abhaya mudrā*. Many similar medallions contain a pair of pilasters with cruciform bracket capitals.³ In other cases there is a row of dentils, just below the *Caitya*-windows, shaped as grotesque lion’s heads.¹