Nagarjunakonda valley, Guntur district, Andhra prades
Find Place
Nagarjunakonda valley, Guntur district, Andhra pradesh
Style
Nagarjunakonda art.
School
Late phase of Amaravathi school
Patron/Dynasty
Ikshavakus
Period / Year of Work
C. 3rd/4th century CE
Dimensions
120 X 94 X 12cm
Brief Description
Lime Stone - Stupa-slab. Bottom Buddha shown seated in a
preaching pose. Scenes from Soundarananda are carved on the
dome.
Detailed Description
Drum-slab depicting an evolved, ornate stupa of Ikshvaku
period. It shows Buddha seated on a throne with right hand
raised in pravacha-mudra (posture of exposition), in the back
ground of a Bodhi tree as the central piece. Above this in
the ayaka-pata of the stupa proper the scene of
mahabhimiskramana is carved within a rectangular frame. On
the sides are seen devotees adoring the dharma-stambha. The
dome part of the relief of the stupa contains minute carvings
devoted mainly to the narration of scenes from the story of
the conversion of Prince Nanda mainly inspired from the
Saundarananda Kavya of Asvaghosha. On either side of the
harmika a group of Vidyadharas flying in graceful movement
are symmetrically positioned to achieve compositional
balance.
It gives a clear picture of the elevational grandeur
of the stupas and their ornamental vocabulary of the 3rd-4th
century AD at Nagarjunakonda.
