An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s11: 12.11 Votive Tanks
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s11
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12.11 Votive Tanks
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Votive tanks are hand-modelled terracotta miniature tanks and/or shrines, used as popular ritual objects with certain peculiar features. They have been generally assigned to the period between the 3rd-2nd century B.C. and the 4th century A.D., though most of them belong to the period between the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D. They are distributed from Taxila to CHIRAND in the e. and Kolhapur in the s. Their occurrence farther s. is not reported except stray specimens from NAGARJUNAKONDA and a doubtful one from ARIKAMEDU. Among the important sites are Taxila (both Bhir Mound and Sirkap), AHICCHATRĀ, HASTINĀPURA, PURANA QILA, SONKH, SANGHOL, SAMBHAR, BAIRAT, RAIRH, AHAR², BESNAGAR, UJJAIN, BHITA, MASAON, RAJGHAT⁴, CHIRAND, RAJGIR, NAVDATOLI, SHAMALAJI, DEVNIMORI, NAGAR, NEVASA, PAUNAR, NALA SOPARA, TER, BHOKARDAN, KAUṆḌINYAPURA and BRAHMAPURI (Kolhapur).
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The following features are present in varying combinations giving rise to different types: (1) rectangular, squarish, oval or circular plan with a walled enclosure; (2) applied lamps on rims (Taxila, AHAR², AHICCHATRĀ, UJJAIN, BAIRAT, SAMBHAR, NAVDATOLI, NALA SOPARA, PAUNAR, BHOKARDAN, TER and BRAHMAPURI); (3) a flight of steps on one side of the walled enclosure (Taxila, RAJGHAT⁴, NAVDATOLI, NEVASA, BHOKARDAN, PAUNAR, TER, KAUṆḌINYAPURA and BRAHMAPURI); (4) birds with spread-out wings, perched on the rim (Taxila, AHICCHATRĀ, SAMBHAR, BHOKARDAN, KAUṆḌINYAPURA and <p>BRAHMAPURI); (5) aquatic animals on the floor (Taxila, BHITA, SAMBHAR, BHOKARDAN, PAUNAR, TER and BRAHMAPURI); (6) snakes in relief on the floor or side (Taxila, BHITA, UJJAIN, SAMBHAR, BHOKARDAN and BRAHMAPURI); (7) drummers or musicians having foreign features (AHICCHATRĀ, HASTINĀPURA and CHIRAND); (8) a female figure with archaic features, possibly a mother goddess (Taxila, UJJAIN, AHICCHATRĀ, TER and BRAHMAPURI); (9) a separate enclosure or shrine attached to one side of the tank (Taxila, BHITA, RAIRH and TER), and (10) a roofed-house-like arrangement (Taxila, SONKH, SAMBHAR and BHITA).
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Lamps, steps, birds and aquatic creatures are seen in tanks of most of the sites whereas other features are less common. The combination of almost all these features, except the presence of drummers, is seen in a rectangular tank from Taxila (Sirkap), while the earlier examples from Bhir Mound are circular with a series of lamps on the rim. The circular type continues at Sirkap, AHAR², SAMBHAR, UJJAIN, PAUNAR, etc., but the rectangular or squarish is a widely prevalent type. The roofed-house type is not very common. Among the later specimens BHITA shows a unique type 'with seven figurines (*sapta-mātṛkas*?) and an attached shrine.
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The prototypes of the tanks can be seen in the *ex-votos* at Hephaestia in the Isle of Lemnos and Nuzi in Iran and the soul-houses of Egypt and China. In India they are believed to have come through the Sakas or Parthians as suggested by Marshall, Gordon and Agrawala. The drummers in the tanks of Ahicchatrā show, according to Agrawala, a close similarity with those of Seleucia during the period of the Parthians. The representation of birds (doves), snakes, aquatic animals, the goddess idol and drummers suggests very possibly a link with the cult of the mother goddess in her Hellenized-Parthian form. Marshall also suggests a connection with the dead and draws attention to the Yama-Pukur rite in the worship of Yama, the god of death, performed by unmarried girls in Bengal where similar tanks are used to this day. However it has not been conclusively shown that this ritual is connected with the tanks of the ancient period. Besides, votive tanks have not been reported from the early Bengal sites.
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Agrawala, V.S , 1947-8, in *AI*, 4, pp. 125-6 (for Ahicchatrā). Gordon, D.H., 1937, in *Antiquity*, 11, pp. 74-6 (for Gandhāra). Marshall, J., 1951, *Taxila*, Cambridge, 2, p. 463. For other sites see respective entries in vol. II.—D. DESAI</p>