Amaravati stupa

Amaravati Stupa - Featured COMMENTS
Amaravati Stupa great monuments at Amaravati are all in ruins. Practically nothing is left on the site. however , a large number of slabs of white or grey limestone resembling marble that forms parts of panels, friezes, rails and pillars recovered from the old site
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1. AMARAVATI


Thegreatmonumentsat​Amaravathiareallinruins.Practicallynothingisleftonthesite.
however,alargenumberofslabsofwhiteorgreylimestoneresemblingmarblethatforms
partsofpanels,friezes,railsandpillarsrecoveredfromtheoldsite,testifytothepast
grandeurofitsmonumentsandthehighartisticskillofthesculptors.Mostofthemareinthe
Madras museum.



AmaravathiwasregardedtobeaveryimportantseatofBuddhismanditattractedpilgrims
fromdistantplaces.ItsGreatStupawasfamousasitcontainedtherelicsofBuddha.Itwas
surroundedbyasculpturedrailabout13feethigh.TheGreatStuparosetoaheightofabout
100feet.Therailwasformedofuprightslabsorpillarsabout10feethigh.Theinsideofthe
railwasrichlycarved.therailwasprobablythemostelaborateandartisticmonumentofthe
kindinIndia.TheStupameasuredabout435feetincircumferenceatthebase.Itwas
entirelyfacedwithslabsofrichsculptureuptothecapital.NootherBuddhistshrineinIndia
hasnosomanysculpturesasAmaravathi.Itisnotequalledbyanyinquality.HiuenTsang
rightlyobservedthatit“displayedallthemagnificenceofthepalacesofBacteria.”Itis
possiblethattheoriginalStupamighthavebeenbuiltbyAshoka.Mahadeva,oneofhis
missionaries,wenttoSouthIndiaandhesupposedtohaveestablishedacentrethere.Inthe
timeofHiuenTsang,Amaravathiwasfallinginruins.Inspiteofthat,therewereabout20
monasteriesstillingoodconditionandtheyprovidedresidencefornearlyathousandmonks

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2. belongingtovariousschoolsofBuddhism.ItwasatAmaravathithatHiuenTsangstudied
the Buddhist scriptures.




CriticsofartpointouttofourperiodsofdevelopmentoftheartatAmaravathi.Duringthefirst
periodwhichrangedfromabout200B.C.to100B.C..,thestylewassimilartothatof
Bharhut.Thespecimensofthisperiodareveryfewandthosealsomostlyinfragments.
Theyexhibitacertainamountofstiffness,voidofflexion.Wecomeacrosssomeanimals
with wings and eagle heads.

Thesecondperiodwasuptoabout100A.D.anditshowedadefinitestepforward.The
earlierstiffnesswaslessnoticeable.Forthefirsttime,wehavebuddharepresentedin
human form. Women are shown as dressed but they still appear to be nude.

ThethirdperiodcoveredthesecondcenturyA.D.Tothisperiodbelongstherailconstructed
aroundthegreatStupa.Wehavealargenumberoftheremainsoftherailandtheir
imposingcharactershowsthatitwasanoblestructure.Thefiguresherearedelicateand
thereisasofttouchinthem.Theycrowdinthescenesbutthereisalightfeelinginall.A
remarkablefeatureofthesesculpturesisthedelineationofdifferentplanes.Inthe
representationofscenesofactionandhumanemotions,thesculptorsoftherailperiodwere
complete masters.


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3. ThefourthperiodwasduringthethirdcenturyA.D.Thefiguresofthisperiodaresometimes
slightlytallerandslimmer.Occasionally,theyaresomewhatdiminutiveinsize.Thefinest
miniaturesculpturesinsmallcircularbossesinthefriezesandcasingslabsaretheworkof
thisperiod.Mostofthesculpturesofthisperiodarecarvedovertheoriginalearlycasing
slabs.

InevolutionofToranaorGatewayofaBuddhistStupa,theearliesttypeistobefoundat
Amaravathi.Itconsistedofonlyapairofpillarstowhichweretiedthetwoendsofafresh
wreathdailyorperiodically.Incourseoftime,itgaveplacetostructuralrepresentationsas
seenatBharhutandSanchi.TheprimitiveToranaasdepictedinthecontemporary
sculpturalrepresentationsoftheoriginalgreatStupaofAmaravationitsdecorativeslabs,
consistedoftwoslenderpillars.Theirtopswereguardedbytwoorfourlions.Connectingthe
four gateways the rail round the Stupa.



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4. Stupa of Amaravathi

AccordingtoDr.A.C.Sen,theartofAmaravatidevelopedoutoftheinspirationandstyleof
theartistsofAsoka.ItispossiblethatafterthefallofMauryanempire,someoftheartists
foundrefugeinthecourtsoftheSatavahanaswhowerethepoliticalsuccessorsofthe
Mauryas.TheseartistsdevelopedtheartoftheSatavahanas.TheartofAmaravatiwas
reflectedintheseventhcenturyatMahabalipuramfromwheretheinfluenceofAmaravati
spread to Greater India and its influence can be seen at Borobudur, Prambanan, etc.

Jainism And Buddhism In Pre Mauryan Period



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