[Y-Indology] (Fwd) Labelled image of Asoka found

[Guest guest]

Friends,

It was only yesterday that I saw the slide of the inscribed image of Asoka at

the national colloquium on Palaeography and Epigraphy at Dharwad. The face of

the standing Asoka resembles the face of the 'Indra' of the Bhaja cave.

--Shreenand

 

>naga_ganesan (AT) hotmail (DOT) com >INDOLOGY >To:

INDOLOGY >[Y-Indology] (Fwd) Labelled image of Asoka

found >Thu, 07 Jun 2001 19:44:34 -0000 > >IndiaArchaeology, Y

Malaiya wrote: > >FROM ELLA DATTA > >New Delhi, June 5: >The first labelled

image of King Asoka has been found. > > >In what has been described as a

"momentous discovery", the >Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed

a panel at >Kanganhalli Mahastupa in Karnataka that depicts the emperor with

his >queen surrounded by several women. The veneering slab is inscribed in

>Brahmi script with the words "Rayo Asoko" (Asoka the Great). > >An image in

Sanchi had earlier been interpreted as Asoka's, but it was >not specifically

labelled as such. > >The archaeological survey stumbled onto the image while

examining an >area in Gulbarga district where the government wanted to

construct a >barrage on the Bhima river and had sought environmental clearance.

The >ASI was brought in as the location of the proposed barrage was close >to

Sannathi, an existing Buddhist site with Asokan rock edicts, on the >left bank

of the Bhima. The ASI had not even declared the area as >protected. > >A survey

team led by K.P. Poonacha explored the proposed area. The >trial excavations

began in 1997 and the digs soon yielded enough >material to undertake

excavation on a large scale. The efforts yielded >an archaeological treasure.

Says ASI director-general Komal Anand: >"Some 65 big panels carved with

bas-relief have been unearthed. These >are thought to belong to the period

stretching from the 1st century BC >to the 2nd century AD." > >The excavations

have uncovered the remains of a stupa with a diameter >of 19 m and a preserved

lower and upper drum stretching up to a height >of 3.1 m. According to an ASI

note, the site spans both the Hinayana >and the Mahayana phases of Buddhism. >

>Apart from the discovery of the inscribed image of Asoka, the >excavation had

other immense significance, said senior archaeologists. >One is that the

vibrant, robust style of bas-relief sculptures is >close in spirit to the

Amaravati sculptures of Andhra Pradesh, now >housed in the British Museum in

London. > >This style was patronised by the regional dynasty of Satavahana

kings >of the south. They also share a kinship with the Sanchi and Hharhut

>styles of sculptures patronised by the Sungas. The Kanganhalli site is

>another prime example of the heydays of Sunga/Satavahana art. > >The carvings,

made of limestone, represent emblems of Buddhist >religion, Jataka stories,

seated sculptures of Buddha and so on. The >second key feature of the

Kanganhalli excavations is that many of the >decorative features carry

inscriptions mentioning names of donors, who >came from a large cross-section

of society. > >More significant, representations in high relief of Satavahana

rulers >in procession depict rulers such as Simukha, Pulamavi. > >The remains

of the stupa lie scattered over an area of 2,000 sq m. The >ASI is now working

on reconstructing the stupa. Work has stopped now >because of the scorching

heat, but will resume in July, Anand said. > >The organisation is also

acquiring some surrounding land and will >create a garden to promote the site

as a tourist spot. Needless to >say, it is now a protected site now and one can

bid goodbye to the >barrage across Bhima. > > >(http://www.telegraphindia.com) >

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[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, "SHREENAND BAPAT" <shreenandbapat@h...> wrote:

 

> Friends,

>It was only yesterday that I saw the slide of the inscribed image of

>Asoka at the national colloquium on Palaeography and Epigraphy at

>Dharwad. The face of the standing Asoka resembles the face of

>the 'Indra' of the Bhaja cave.

>--Shreenand

 

Upon reading the news item, I was thinking that it should

only be an idealized portrait, done centuries after Asoka.

Even portrait sculptures of Pallava, Chola and other dynasty

members of India is highly stylized and idealized.

 

We've problems in exact identification of who wrote in letters

a major kAvya, or in stone an Alaya.

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan