PRECIOUS STONES INSIDE NATURAL ROCKS (AJANTA, MAHARASHTRA)- Photos.

Excavated Buddhist Vihara of Sirpur (Chattisgarh, India).

These are photographs of excavated sculptures from a buried Buddhist vihara in Sirpur.  One of the photographs shows a semi oval stone structure on the ground, which was where the horses of the visitors were probably tied before they entered the vihara.  The vihara is dated to about 7th century C.E.  Sirpur is an ancient place and its name finds mention in the travel books of the Chinese of that time.  The city Sirpur fell on the ancient trade route.  Large monasteries were usually found close to trade routes probably to facilitate donations from wealthy traders passing by.

Sri Jagat Temple, Amber, Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Photos of this magnificient temple:

Unusual Ear Ring wearing place, from Maharashtra, India.

Ancient inscriptions and their meaning.

'Why should not a monument be raised by those possessing wealth, desirous of mundane happiness as also of liberation...'  

                           -- Cave 26 of Ajanta (translator: anonymous)

'As long as the sun shines with ray's reddish like fresh arsenic, even so long this spotless cave containing an excellent hall dedicated... be enjoyed.'  -- Ajanta cave (translator: anonymous)

'Blossoms are the ornaments of trees, It is the flashes of lightning that adorn the big rain clouds, The lakes are adorned by lotuses and water lilies by their intoxicated bees:  But virtues brought to perfection are the proper ornaments of living beings.'  -- ajanta cave.

                 (translated by Kern, Harvard Oriental Series, Vol 1)

For where ever a holy man of outstanding character, chooses to settle, the place becomes auspicious and delightful- it becomes an object of hermitage and pilgrimage. Cave 2. (anonymous author and translator)

Any one born in the human condition -which is not to be despised- who is of sound constitution and acute senses, who though death inevitably awaits him, is yet so reckless that he fails to do a good deed everyday, must be under some misconception. Cave 2.  ( anonymous author and translator)

Some observations about ancient Indian inscriptions:

Buddhist caves, such as Kondane Caves of MAharashtra, have an inscription that states that part of the cave was made by Balaka, the pupil of Kanha.  It shows that people of rahminical faith freely and openly followed other faiths as per their personal wishes (Kanha being Krishna's other name).

Names of women donors are frequently mentioned in the inscriptions (as in the caves of Pitalkhora); sometimes without accompanying male names.  Women in those times wielded a fair social equality in terms of freedom to profess their chosen religion, denounce family life in favour of spiritual life ( many nuns are mentioned in ancient inscriptions), donate personal wealth and getting social credit for who they were and for what they did in their individual capacity.  Men would also freely mention donations made by their wif, sister, daughter etc.  A translated inscription from Pitalkhora cave states that gift of cave cells by Magila, a Rajas physician, whose mother was of Vachha family, and of his daughter Datta and son Dattaka.  J Burgess states that

The prominence of the names of mothers and wives and daughters and nuns indicate that in ancient India, women enjoyed a much more public and honoured place than they have done for centuries past and this can be seen in ancient Sanskrit and Pali inscriptions.

Usually cave inscriptions record donations for merit making; but not so at Kuda caves.

Blacksmiths, gardeners, traders, lay people, women etc all kind of people from various backgrounds donated for construction of Buddhist cave temples.  Gifts were made not only for temple construction but also for paths leading upto the temple.

Karle Cave Inscription:

"Seth (trader) Bhutapala from Vejayanti has established a rock mansion - the most excellent in Jambudvipa (India)."

Junar Inscription:

"The meritorious gift of vivasenaka- a chief householder and upright merchant- a chetyagriha, dedicated for the welfare and happiness of the whole world."

Inscription at Ajanta:

"... May this hall, given out of affection, so long increase the comfort of saints, as the sun chases the darkness away with its Rays."

"... no happiness produced in the circle of birth produces (real) happiness."

Some observations on South Indian ancient inscriptions:

As per inscriptions records from the Vijaynagra dynasty, donations were made for groves around temples, for creation of flower gardens for the temple, paddy fields for feeding gods were also donated.  South Indian temples would normally have a courtyard, groves and flower gardens.  Gifts would also be made in the form of cows for ghee for the lamps, brass vessel for making offering to gods, flower garden for generating flower for temple decoration, donations for perpetual temple lamp, silver vessels, pendants (inset with precious stones), copper images of gods, well for the temple, donations for maintaining festive processions, fly whisks, white silk umbrella for use during processions etc.

... TO BE CONTINUED.

On Ajanta Cave Paintings -

Ajanta cave paintings are a source of visual delight for historians and art lovers.  The paintings are dated from 2nd century B.C.E (Mauryan period) to 6th- 7th century C.E. These paintings are colored photographs of ancient India!  Although most scenes depict Buddhist themes such as Jataka tales, boddhisatvas (beings on the way to enlightenment), the non Buddhist themes include animals and birds, vegetation, war scenes etc.

Ajanta caves were meant as shelters for Buddhist monks during monsoon period. Monsoon season in India is also the time when a lot of new life sprouts such as insects, soil creatures etc. Sheltering oneself during the monsoons not only protected the monks against nature but also spared the lives of the new creatures, an important precept of Buddhism.  These hand cut granite caves were probably cut by monks themselves, at least the first few caves.  Painting the inside of the caves was meant to decorate the caves as well as use the decorations for educational purpose.  Below is a black and white photo copy of Ajanta painting (source of the photocopy material unknown at the time of writing the blog).  Shown here is a woman holding an offering tray in a typical Indian manner i.e., on the palm of one of her hands and the arm is folded in a manner so that the hand is at shoulder level.  This manner of holding auspicious items such as holy water, offering tray, on the palm of a raised hand, is still practiced in villages in India.  Ajanta painting from the Gupta period (3rd century C.E) show that this very typical practice is an ancient Indian mannerism.  Looks beautiful!

In photo below shows a sculpture of a (2nd century A.D) woman carrying a pitcher
with a glass as its lid and grapes in the other hand.  (Source:  Mathura Museum, India)

 

.https://www.flickr.com/photos/11473477@N05/

The photo below is that of Goddess Ganga's sculpture (dated to 4th century A.D).  She is shown carrying holy water pitcher in one hand.  (Source:  National Museum, New Delhi)

 

The photo below is that of Yama, the God of death ( dated to 10th century A.D).   He is shown carrying a small tray in one of his hands, in a typical Indian manner. 

The photo below is that of Goddess Yamuna's sculpture.  She is shown carrying holy water in one of her hands.  Source:  National Museum, New Delhi.  The sculpture is dated to 5th century A.D.

The manner of carrying the pot vessel is again similar to that painted in Ajanta painting photo and is very much an indigenous Indian style of carrying pious items.

..

The concept of non violence in Buddhism extends to all living beings including animals and birds. In this story, the prince (bodhisattva i.e., Buddha himself in his last birth before he achieved enlightenment) was tested for his generosity. The neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga was in the grip of severe drought and to help people, the prince gave them an elephant that brought rain to his own kingdom. People of his own kingdom did not like this gesture and asked the king to turn the prince out of the palace. The king obliged and the prince left the palace along with his wife and 2 children. The scene in the painting shows the princess (with an umbrella over her) following the prince. To further test the generosity of the price, the Gods sent an evil Brahmin (also shown in the painting) to the prince on his way out who asked the prince for his 2 children so they would look after him. The prince again obliged and left for jungle with only his wife. Eventually the story ends happily. This is the Visvantra Jataka.

The blue pigment used in Ajanta paintings is Lapis Lazuli.

Ancient mounds of RakhiGarhi (Hissar District, Haryana, India)

Rakhigarhi mounds are associated with Harappa Civilization. Many artifacts have been excavated (terracotta objects, beads, burial skletons) from these mounds that establish that Rakhigarhi was an important and large Indus valley civilization site. The following photo (which shows pigeon holes) shows a mound which is yet to be excavated. It shows evidence of a busy settlement as many human made objects are seen jutting out of the soil. When compared to Dhankot mound (district gurgaon), the dhankot mound (photo below with tree roots) does not show buried items as seen in the Rakhigarhi mound. It therefore indicates that Dhankot mound was not, even remotely, settled as extensively as the Rakhigarhi mounds. Dhankot mound photo is being shown here as a sort of 'control', for comparison with the Rakhigarhi mound. 

Above photo with pigeon holes is Rakhigarhi mound.

On Buddhist Stupa at Sanchi.

Sanchi stupa in Madhya Pradesh is one of the oldest standing structure in India (dated 2nd century B.C.E).  It was first built by king Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty.  Later other dynasties such as the Sunga, Satwahana, and Malwa kings etc continued to protect and expand the Sanchi Stupa.  It is believed that Buddha relics are stored inside the stupa.  Hence, it is one of the most revered Buddhist monument in the world.  
Ashoka's wife was from Vidhesha- a town adjacent to Sanchi.  Ashoka himself is believed to have been a Governor of Vidhesha, before he became a great emperor.  Ashoka chose Sanchi to build the stupa as he found Sanchi to be a peaceful, quiet place, away from the hum drum of city life of Vidhesha.  These days, Sanchi is a bustling city with train whistles, temple and mosque announcements/songs on the loud speaker, people shouting while playing cricket in the near by parks, disturbing the peace and quiet of the stupa.  The location of the stupa is still very beautiful, with rolling hills and greenery around it as far as eye can see.  
The most beautiful part of the Sanchi Stupa are its torana (gateways).  These torana were made by the Sunga kings (1st century B.C.E) who are otherwise also known for giving India the most beautiful sculptures.  The women sculptures are damn beautiful and attractive!  I think, if it were not for the beautiful women sculptures, the beauty of the torana would not have been what it is with them.  The design of the gateway is very unique and beautiful i.e., parallel beams on top which extend artistically beyond the gateway.  The Sanchi Stupa is a must see for those who want to understand India and also for those who appreciate art.

On Khajuraho Temples (India).

khajuraho temples are located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.  Khajuraho is a village where these temples were discovered in the midst of jungle, about 250 years ago.  It is stated that at the time of their discovery, the temples were known to few, mostly people of nearby villages.  Vines, cree

pers were found growing inside and over the temple walls.  The Chandela kings built them in 9th and 10th century C.E.  One unusual feature about these beautiful temples is the erotic art that decorates it.  As per ancient hindu belief system, gods and goddesses have similar day to day concerns in their lives as ordinary human beings i.e., family life, wars, enemies, prayers etc.  Through numerous temple sculptures such ordinary activities that sustain life can be seen.  It was common practice (dating as far back as 2nd century B.C.E) to show gods and goddesses as intimate couples (i.e., shiva and Parvati, Lakshmi and Narayan etc).  The intimacy was a reflection of the acts of ordinary human beings of the society.  At Khajuraho, the extent of sexual intimacy is somewhat further than previously shown in the hindu temples, but nevertheless, it still resonates as true reflection of societal practices, which are depicted quite openly in a public space i.e., a temple wall.  The Chandela kings were true pioneers, for they unhesitantly have shown sexual intimacy, some of it perhaps taboo and unconventional, on temple walls in a way that had not been done before.  However, the idea of showing hindu gods and goddesses in intimate positions is an older concept, on which which the Chandela kings built the Khajuraho temples.  These temples are very beautiful even today.

As kings, it was their future to provide means of wealth to their society.  Through their unique way  of decorating Khajuraho temples, the Chandela kings even today, continue to attract wealth for Khajuraho residents through tourists who come here not only from India but far away countries as well.

On women and ancient Indian temples.

There are some auspicious symbols in Indian culture, that adorn its ancient temples.  Temples are meant to a beautiful and spiritual place for the community.  Acceptable motifs on the entrance, (not necessarily restricted to it), are creepers, foliage, flowers, Devi such as Ganga and Yamuna (for they bear water and hence cleanse and comfort the dusty and tired visitor), lovers and couples (indicative of fertility) etc.  Young, decorated women figures are used to beautify temple premises as in shalbhanjika (i.e., woman holding tree branches), or as a couple (mother, lover).  Goddess Lakshmi is an auspicious symbol on the temple door jambh (entrance).  Women in Indian culture are considered auspicious for attracting wealth.  Goddess Lakshmi, being a beautiful woman, is the goddess of wealth i.e., creates/ increases wealth in a community.  This is especially true as men desire fertile women, and when men do, they quite invariably end up creating wealth through their labor in the community, so as to sustain the woman they love and likely their offsprings.  In Indian culture, as per the available sculptures, full bodied women, are desired as they are considered beautiful and fertile i.e., they are perfect conduits for attracting wealth in the community in which the women live.  Ancient Buddhist temples are also found decorated with beautiful women/couple figures.  Ancient Indian society, whether Buddhist or Hindu, was a beautiful amalgamation of spirituality and physical desires.

Indian temples in olden days, were self sustaining due to public donations. High emphasis on temple decoration with both religious and non religious sculptures, is a representation of the psyche of the society of its time.  Public donations in a temple were likely to increase if the temple was beautiful and spiritual in the eyes of the public and as per the acceptable social norms should represent society's psyche.  In this sense, temples were indeed a reflection of society.  The ancient Indian society was deeply spiritual at its core and women (through men), were the threads of societal fabric that made the society prosper.  Thus women were held in high esteem.  They still are, in philosophical sense at least.



Appearance of warrior female deities, like Durga, Kali etc seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon.  Why did women deities need to take such violent forms?  Is it in response to the changed attitude of men in society or else to protect the society against external threats or something else?

On Indus Valley Civilization.

I came across an interesting research article on the causes of decline and disappearance of Indus Valley Civilization.  On the outset the reason is climatic alongside biological and social.  The society was discriminated on name less factors and a certain section of society suffered more violence and disease burden and were buried piled up.  The findings, to me, also go on to show that people were not aware that cremation was a better option than burial to contain spread of infectious diseases such as leprosy and tuberculosis.

Anyway.  The link and abstract of the article is posted below:


Read the open-access, full-text article here:
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0084814

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Infection, Disease, and Biosocial Processes at the End of the Indus Civilization

Abstract:

In the third millennium B.C., the Indus Civilization flourished in northwest India and Pakistan. The late mature phase (2200-1900 B.C.) was characterized by long-distance exchange networks, planned urban settlements, sanitation facilities, standardized weights and measures, and a sphere of influence over 1,000,000 square kilometers of territory. Recent paleoclimate reconstructions from the Beas River Valley demonstrate hydro-climatic stress due to a weakened monsoon system may have impacted urban centers like Harappa by the end of the third millennium B.C. the impact of environmental change was compounded by concurrent disruptions to the regional interaction sphere. Climate, economic, and social changes contributed to the disintegration of this civilization after 1900 B.C. We assess evidence for paleopathology to infer the biological consequences of climate change and socio-economic disruption in the post-urban period at Harappa, one of the largest urban centers in the Indus Civilization. Bioarchaeological evidence demonstrates the prevalence of infection and infectious disease increased through time. Furthermore, the risk for infection and disease was uneven among burial communities. Corresponding mortuary differences suggest that socially and economically marginalized communities were most vulnerable in the context of climate uncertainty at Harappa. Combined with prior evidence for increasing levels of interpersonal violence, our data support a growing pathology of power at Harappa after 2000 B.C. Observations of the intersection between climate change and social processes in proto-historic cities offer valuable lessons about vulnerability, insecurity, and the long-term consequences of short-term strategies for coping with climate change.

Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur.

Nahargarh fort felt like home.  It was a great experience enjoying cup of coffee in the winter sun in the courtyards of one of the restaurants on the fort premises.