Sanchi: West Gate, detail of lower two lintels, from west
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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Abstract
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Beautifully displayed on the top and middle lintels of the West gate are the two most significant Buddha Jatakas, as far as this gateway is concerned, and the most familiar legend-wise in terms of popular recognition, The upper architrave shows Buddha's sermon at the Deer Park: his first after his Enlightenment when he 'sets the wheels of the law in motion,' Symbolizing this particular aspect of the Buddha sermon is the Great Wheel of the Law carved above the throne beneath the Bodhi tree, From everywhere, animals as well as people have come to hear Buddha speak suggesting the master's universal appeal to all living things, Beneath this architrave is a panel showing the veneration of the Bodhi tree by the king of elephants, Chhassanta, Here too, the Bodhi tree is festooned with garlands brought by adoring followers, Though the composition may at first appear crowded, and there are indeed a good many figures included in the small space, closer inspection reveals that the many figures are carefully juxtapositioned [sic] to those around them and that overlapping is adeptly engineered to suggest a convincing amount of depth to accommodate the movement within,
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Type
Archives Series
Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
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This image is provided for research purposes only and must not be reproduced without the prior permission of the Archives Program, Australian National University.
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Restricted until
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