An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s2: 12.2 Censers
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s2
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12.2 Censers
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Censers for burning incense during rituals and ceremonies including daily worship consist of a thick bowl with a stemmed or pedestalled base, often with a handle connecting the rim and base of the bowl. Some handles are artistically shaped like an animal or human bust. Censers identified as such are rarely reported from Chalcolithic sites. One has however been found at NAVDATOLI. Specimens of copper/bronze, iron and clay are found in the 3rd century B.C. and onwards and are widespread during the early centuries of the Christian era. They also occur in later historical times. BAIRAT, RAIRH, SAMBHAR and VAIŚĀLĪ have yielded clay ones with handles. Some are conical-shaped with perforations for the insertion of incense sticks. The Śaka-Parthian levels of Taxila have produced some fine examples in copper/bronze, iron and terracotta. Some are standard censers or offering stands, others are handled ones. The copper/bronze ones have small shallow bowls resting on three legs and horizontal handles on one side. Others have handles shaped like winged lion (in copper) and candalebra (iron). Simple ones with and without handles datable to the early centuries of the Christian era come from BHITA, CAMPĀ, MAHESHWAR, SHAMALAJI and YELLESWARAM. RANG MAHAL (c. 200-450) has specimens with cylindrical pedestals and loop-handles having incised decorations, one with *nandi* shape; rims have small applied buds. At DEVNIMORI handleless ones come from the 4th-century *stūpa*. The ones from AHICCHATRĀ, with handles, are of the 6th-7th centuries; at HASTINĀPURA they continue to occur in medieval times.
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Fig. 44. Amulets
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Ghosh, A ., 1947-8, in *AI*, 4, pp. 62-4 (for Taxila). Marshall, J . 1951, *Taxila*, Cambridge, 2, pp. 421-4, 542-3, 595-6. For other sites see respective entries in vol. II.—C. MARGABANDHU