Railing pillar from the original shrine enclosure at Bodhgaya, Bihar. The upper roundels depict stories from the previous lives of the Buddha (Hamsa Jataka), early 1st century C. E., Kushan period, Bodhgaya, Bihar. Sandstone, 116 × 37 cm. Given by Surgeon-Maj. F. A. Turton, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The four gateways, which are additions to the original railing, fall artistically in to pairs, the East and West gates, showing a slight development in modelling and the use of light and shade. A little more than fifty years may have elapsed between their execution, the end of the first century B. C. E. being accepted as a general date for all four. The Southern gateway was prostrate when visited by Captain Fell in 1819. The Western gate collapsed between 1860 and 1880, but the Northern and Eastern gates have never fallen. All have undergone thorough repairs during recent years under the able direction of Sir John Marshall, the former Director-General of Archaeology in India. Sanchi has taken on a new lease of life and beauty in his hands, the more important remains of this huge site being carefully and exactly restored and preserved. The Sanchi gateways, or toranas, stand 10.36 metres high, and are all substantially alike, while differing much in detail:
Two massive square pillars, one on either side, 14 feet (4.3 metres) high, forming as it were the gate-posts, support an ornamental superstructure of three slightly arched stone beams or architraves placed horizontally, one above the other, with spaces between them. The topmost beam of each gate was surmounted by the sacred wheel flanked by attendants and the trisula emblem.
The faces, back and front, of the beams and pillars are crowded with panels of sculpture in bas-relief representing scenes in the life of Buddha, domestic and silvan scenes, processions, sieges, adoration of trees and topes, and groups of ordinary and extraordinary animals, among which are winged bulls and lions of a Persepolitan type and horned animals with human faces.
Dancing Peacock with full plumage. Two peahens gently approach from either side licking the claws of their dancing companion in appreciation, early 2nd century B. C. E., Sunga dynasty, Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh. Carved medallion of a cross bar, red sandstone. Indian Museum, Calcutta, West Bengal.
Humorous scene: Monkeys playing with an elephant who has been tied with a rope. It is quite likely that the elephant is a bodhisattva who begrudgingly bears the torture caused by the monkeys who are known for mischief, early 2nd century B. C. E., Sunga dynasty, Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh. Carved medallion of a cross bar, red sandstone. Indian Museum, Calcutta, West Bengal.
All critics are agreed that the gateways were built in pairs and that the southern gateway is one of the earliest of the four. The capitals of its gateposts are formed by four lions seated back to back, ‘indifferently carved’, and of the same type as those on Ashoka’s inscribed pillar already noticed. The marked decline in skill demonstrated by the contrast between the lions on the gate-post and those on the inscribed pillar is surprising considering the shortness of the interval of time, about a century, between the two compositions, or rather the essential difference between the Mauryan and the ancient Indian school. The difference is most easily verified by comparing the treatment of the lions’ paws on the gatepost capital and of the same members on the capital of the inscribed pillar, or the similar Sarnath pillar. The paws of the early Ashokan sculptures are correctly modelled with four large front claws and one small hind claw, the muscles also being realistically reproduced. In the later work five large claws, all in front, are given to the paws, and the muscles are indicated by some straight channels running up and down in a purely abstract manner.
The capitals of the gateposts of the northern gateway exhibit four elephants standing back to back, and carrying riders. Those of the eastern gateway are similar. On the capitals of the latest gateway, the western, four hideous dwarfs, clumsily sculptured, take the place of the elephants or lions.
All the Sanchi sculptures, like the Ajanta paintings, deal with Buddhist subjects if a composition seems in our eyes to be purely secular, that is only because we do not understand its meaning. Genre pictures, whether in paint or bas-relief, do not exist in the ancient art of India. The main object of the artist was to illustrate his Bible, and if, perchance, the illustration could be made into a pretty picture, so much the better; but anyhow, the sacred story must be told.
In addition to his desire to tell edifying stories in a manner readily intelligible to the eyes of the faithful, the old artist clearly was dominated by the feeling that he was bound to impress on all beholders the lesson that the dead Teacher, the last and greatest of the long line of Buddhas, had won and continually received the willing homage of the whole creation – of men, women, and children, of the host of heaven, the water-sprites, and the demons – nay, even of the monsters of romance and the dumb animals. And so, in all the ancient Buddhist art, whether at Sanchi or elsewhere, weird winged figures hovering in the air, snake-headed or fish-tailed monsters emerging from their caverns or haunting the deep, offer their silent homage to the Lord of all, and the monkeys bow down in adoration before the Master who had turned the wheel of the Law and set it rolling through the world. The early artists did not dare to portray his bodily form, which had forever vanished, being content to attest his spiritual presence by silent symbols the footprints, the empty chair, and so forth. But, whether the Master was imaged or symbolized, the notion of his adoration by all creation was continually present in the minds of the artists and influenced their selection of decorative motives. Although concerned in the main with thoughts of religion and worship they were not unmindful of beauty, which they often succeeded in attaining in no small degree.
In the early works, like those of Sanchi and Bharhut, the absence of images of Buddha has the advantage of saving the stone pictures from the formal symmetrical arrangements grouped round the central figure which often weary by their monotonous iteration in Gandhara and at Amaravati.
Chanda Yakshi wearing several ornaments such as a flat necklace and a Stanahara – a stringed necklace. The arm is raised up bending the branch of a blossomed tree the stem of which is held in the grip of the left leg, early 2nd century B. C. E., Sunga dynasty, Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh. Carved corner pillar, red sandstone. Indian Museum, Calcutta, West Bengal.
Rider carrying a royal standard with Garuda, figure of man and bird, on top (Garudadhvaja), early 2nd century B. C. E., Sunga dynasty, Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh. Relief of a railing pillar, red sandstone. Indian Museum, Calcutta, West Bengal.
In general way, the style of the Sanchi reliefs resembles that of those at Bharhut, compensation may be found in the elegant bracket figures, practically statues in the round, which are a specially pleasing feature of Sanchi art. A good example is a form of the woman-and-tree motif. The beautiful decorative details of the pillar are worthy of careful study. No nation has surpassed the Indians in the variety and delicacy of the floral designs enriching their sculptures and pictures.
The reliefs of the West and East gates may be taken as being typical of the Sanchi reliefs. At the bottom of the inside of the left pillar of the East Gate stands the Yaksha guardian of the door in princely dress. His fellow stands opposite gateway – him on the other pillar. They are comparable with the Bharhut Yakshas, but the treatment of figure and ornament is considerably more rhythmic. The tree in the background is a Bignonia and the devata holds one of its blossoms in his right hand. The upper panel of the relief represents the Buddha’s victory over the black snake and the conversion of Kasyapa at Uruvilva. The snake and the flames of the conflict and the astonished Brahmans, some of whom are attempting to fetch water, are all shown, but the figure of the triumphant Buddha is left