Creative Writing on

“Life of Buddha in Art”

Course Code: GED 418

Course Title: South Asian Art and Architecture

Section: 01

Fall 2021

Submitted To:
Ahmed Sharif
Senior Lecturer
General Education Program
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh
Submitted By:
Jannatul Ferdous
Student ID: 201011133
Department: BBA
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh

Date of Submission: 18. 01. 2022

 “Life of Buddha in Art”
During the previous year's holiday season in the month of December - 2021, I along with my
younger siblings and parents organized the most exciting trip to India for visiting different eye-
soothing Venues. I was incredibly thrilled to be in India because it had long been a bucket list
destination for me. I stayed there for the whole month of December and got the chance to visit
some of the most famous and beautiful Buddhist places. Besides the Taj Mahal, the Golden
Temple, and the Red Fort, I visited places like Sanchi Stupa, Ajanta Cave, Bodhgaya, Sun
Temple, and other places related to the life of Buddha and Buddhist culture. The most interesting
experience was the exhibition at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. During the last week of
December, they hosted the biggest and nicest exhibition of magnificent Buddhist artworks from
different places around the world.

Every time I went to explore a Buddhist venue, it always started with a guide giving a quick
introduction of the person who was behind the title “Buddha”. Their description indicates that -
Siddhartha Gautama who is often referred as Buddha is a very famous philosopher, teacher, and
a religious guide in history who is widely regarded as the originator of Buddhism which is a
complex religious and philosophical tradition with over 500 million adherents that spans 2500
years of history. Between the midst of 6th and 4th century B.C. Buddha is said to have resided
and taught in the location near the Boundary of present-day Nepal and India. The term “Buddha”
comes from the Sanskrit root “Buddh” which means “To wake up”. So the term Buddha literally
means the “Awakened One”. Buddha is claimed to be a title, not a personal name. The Buddha is
believed to be the one who has overcome the suffering of samsara by attaining nirvana, a term
that can be translated as awakening or enlightenment because once the Buddha has attained
Nirvana, he is no longer subject to samsara’s nonstop cycle of death and rebirth. The Buddha is
also someone who teaches the other beings to escape samsara as well. Hence, the title Buddha or
the awakened one represents that individual who has woken up to see the nature of reality while
all other beings stumble through samsara in a dreamlike ignorant state.
(Fig. 1 - Great Buddha, Bodh Gaya, (Fig. 2 - Belam Caves Buddha,
India) Andhra
Pradesh, India)

I visited the Indian Museum at Kolkata five days before returning back to Bangladesh. The
variety of Buddhist items they displayed from various locations of the world for the audience
literally blew my mind. I have got to see some outstanding masterpieces linked with the
miraculous birth of Buddha and his mother’s dream. My tour guide helped me understand the
interesting stories behind them. When I was browsing inside the galleries of the museum, I came
upon two beautiful pieces of artworks relating to the birth of Buddha- one is from the Kushan
period illustrating Buddha’s birth from her mother’s right side and another one is a circular panel
from Bharhut Stupa relating to Queen Maya’s dream. According to my guide’s interpretation:
Siddhartha Gautama was born into a
Kshatriya royal family about two and a half
thousand years back in Lumbini, Nepal. The
rectangular panel from the Kushan dynasty
here portrays Siddhartha’s Birth. The lady
who is in the center of the panel is queen
Maya who is seen gripping a branch of a
mango tree in an Indian Gesture linked with
the female nature spirits. Her hair and attire
can be seen as similar to a Roman matron.
(Fig. 3 - Buddha’s Miraculous Birth from
Just beside the queen, there is seen the baby his mother’s right side, Panel from
Kushan period, Indian Museum, Kolkata)
Siddhartha coming out of her right side with a
halo behind his head. The legendary Hindu God Indra is shown standing a little left of Maya
Devi on this panel. He appeared to attend Siddhartha’s miraculous birth. The other circular panel
from Bharhut Stupa illustrates the dream of Siddhartha’s Mother. My guide told me that “The
dream of Maya Devi” is an important aspect of the theme leading to the birth of Buddha. In most
of the early sculptures, the dream of Maya Devi has been represented in varied visual narrations.
He described that- the full image of the Bharhut panel which is also a Medalion, represents the
image of Maya Devi in a reclining or resting position on a “Charpay”. It can also be noticed that
3 of her assistants are seen seated
surrounding her and are possibly falling
asleep as well. The most important part of
this circular stone relief is the elephant with a
decorative headdress with bells. This animal
is portrayed as the Bodhisattva Buddha who
is descending down towards the earth from
heaven holding a lotus in its trunk. My guide
also gave me a glimpse of the background
story behind this relief. He stated that -
Queen Maha Maya had an unusual dream on
a full moon night while resting in the palace.

In her dream, a big white elephant showed up

(Fig. 4 - The Dream of Maha Maya,
with six tusks and a lotus blossom in its
Circular panel from Bharhut Stupa,
trunk. The elephant then proceeded to circle
Indian Museum, Kolkata)
her womb three times prior to entering her
right side. Finally, the elephant vanished, and the queen awoke. Soon after this dream, everyone
in the kingdom was delighted to hear that a child was to be born to their queen who would
become either a universal monarch or a great religious leader.

Some of the very nice Burmese manuscripts depicting significant events of the life of Buddha
were exhibited in the Museum of Kolkata as well. The middle portion of the manuscript below
this paragraph entails his early life as a royalty inside the castle living a luxurious life. My guide
informed me that - Siddhartha’s parents believed that he would become something extraordinary.
To know this for sure, they asked an astrologer to consult the stars about his future. It was
prophesied that he would become either a king or a great holy man. Siddharth's father,
“Shuddhodana” was the powerful king of a great Hindu Republic. However, he was worried that,
pursuant to the prophecy, Prince Siddhartha would become a great sage instead of inheriting the
kingdom. Hence, his father imprisoned him behind the royal walls and hid all human suffering
out of his sight in order to stop him from being an ascetic. Siddhartha stayed in a magnificent
castle, ate delicious meals, wore the finest clothes and fancy ornaments, and then married a
lovely woman named “Yasodhara”. His father expelled all of the ill, unattractive, and old
employees, and nobody was permitted to speak to Siddhartha regarding life's tribulations like
death. He was pampered by the singers and dancing girls, as well as had the best instructor
teaching him Archery. The middle portion of this manuscript successfully represents the lavish
lifestyle of Siddhartha inside the palace. In the center Siddhartha is seen sitting on the throne
next to his gorgeous consort “Yasodhara”. She is seated on a smaller throne at Siddhartha's left.
In Front of them, there is a woman who is dancing and some court musicians who are shown
singing and playing their musical instruments to entertain the prince and his wife.

(Fig. 5 - In the center, Prince Siddhartha is depicted on the throne in

his palace, being entertained by court musicians. A portrayal of the
prince’s lavish lifestyle when he was young.
https://a4.typepad.com/6a0192ac16c415970d01b7c706842c970b-pi)
My visit to the Exhibition at Kolkata Museum was really a mind-blowing experience. Inside a
room on the ground floor, there was an arrangement of a cinematic presentation of different
paintings representing important accounts of Buddha’s life. The moment I entered the room with
my guide, the projector started showing a beautiful painting describing the 4 sights encountered
by Siddhartha Gautama outside the palace. Then my guide started telling the story - It is said
that Prince Siddhartha’s life transformed significantly once he witnessed four specific events that
motivated him to figure out a solution to human misery. From the moment he was born,
Siddhartha had the most perfect lifestyle anybody could ever dream for. However, all his
activities were restricted within the boundaries of the castle. Therefore, He became extremely
restless to see his citizens and lands beyond the royal gates as he felt a deep sense of
dissatisfaction with this luxurious life of his. So, after much begging from Siddhartha, the king
carefully arranged a tour of the capital for him. Siddhartha was 29 years old when he was finally
allowed to venture outside the palace and explored the city of Kapilavastu with his gilded
carriage and Charioteer “Chandaka”. What he discovered surprised him. In the upper-left scene
of the painting, he saw an ill man eaten by disease. In the lower-left scene, he saw a wrinkled,
toothless, and crooked elderly man. The scenario on the upper right depicts Siddhartha
encountering a deceased being carried to a cemetery by his mourning relatives. These three
incidents made Siddhartha aware of
the harsh realities of human life that
nobody can escape. And finally, the
last scene on the lower right illustrates
Siddhartha meeting a homeless monk
who had given up everything he
owned. This guy seemed very wise
and happy. Inspired By the holy

monk, Siddhartha started to search for

(Fig. 6 -The Four Sights in Buddha’s life which
a way out of suffering. He decided to forced him to abandon royal life)
leave behind life at the palace
including his wife and child in a
search for a solution to the problem of suffering. So he set out from his life in the palace and
lived the life of a wandering religious beggar.
On the 4th of December, I visited the most famous and excellent Buddhist site, The Sanchi
Stupa. When I reached there, a few tour guides were standing at the entrance gate offering their
services & I hired Mr. Bhadauria to accompany me. My experience with him was the best guide
experience I have ever had and I would recommend him to anyone who visits there. The
enormous gateways at Sanchi have a plethora of story representations surrounding different
chapters of Buddha’s life. One such story is the “Great Renunciation” or the “Great Departure”
of Siddhartha Gautama which is represented as an inscription on the middle arch of Sanchi’s
Eastern Torana. This depiction is so enthralling that while I was listening to the story of Buddha
exiting the royal palace from Mr. Bhaduria, I could not help portraying myself as the characters
inside the story. The momentous departure of Siddhartha Gautama is depicted in a chronological
narrative that flows from left to right across the panel. A big architectural complex depicting the
city of Kapilavastu can be seen on the far left side of the panorama. It is thought to be
considered a representation of the Sakyas' palace. The Great Departure commemorates Prince
Siddhartha's escape from the mansion in quest of the truth of life. It is late at night when Buddha,
accompanied by his chief charioteer “Chandaka” and his favorite horse “Kanthaka”, decides to
depart the city of Kapilavastu. The divine “Yakshas” are depicted by the attendant figurines who
are spotted lifting the horse’s hoof up in the air. Mr. Bhaduria added that the logical explanation
supporting this scene is that- the sound of the horse’s footsteps would shatter the night’s silence
thereby arousing his family members and guards from their sleep. Therefore, the “Yakshas'' are
helping Prince Siddhartha in order to leave the royal household by carrying the horse on their
hands. It can be noticed that the horse has been represented multiple times with a “Parasol” or
“Chattravali” over its head highlighting Buddha’s aniconic presence. “Chandaka”, Prince
Siddhartha’s charioteer is pictured holding the parasol and he is the one who introduced Buddha
to the three bitter truths of life: Mortality, disease, and old age. When the prince arrived at the
forest he is said to have thrown away all his royal possessions and entrusted his horse to
“Chandaka'' to be brought back into town, symbolizing how he withdrew the world's
materialistic connotations. At the far right, there is shown a large pair of footprints or the
“Buddhapada” which is a symbol marking the presence of the Buddha and they are also sheltered
by the royal umbrella thus indicating that Buddha has reached the forest. At the very right of the
panel below Buddha's footprints is shown the reverse direction of his horse and attendant spirits
which indicates the return of his followers to the town. The only images that had not traveled
back are the footprints and the parasol. A big Bodhi tree stands in the center of the panel
separating the episodes of the forest from those of the city.

(Fig. 7 - Buddha’s Great

Renunciation, East Torana,
Great Stupa of Sanchi, India)

While I was walking through the galleries of the Indian Museum at

Kolkata, one great illustration of a skeletal figure indicating the
fasting Buddha inside the Gandhara Gallery really struck my eyes.
The artwork represents Buddha’s rigorous meditation under the
Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya. In accordance with my guide’s
explanation-Siddhartha fled his affluent lifestyle within his father's
palace at the age of 29 after becoming aware of the hardships of
human life and made the decision to become a wandering monk in
quest of a solution to life's problems. Over the course of the
following six years, Siddhartha roamed from location to location
and learned the technique of meditation from India’s greatest yoga
and meditation gurus. Then he went to the forest and joined a team (Fig. 8 –Skeletal
Buddha portraying
of hermits/monks who disciplined their lives via strict fasting and Rigorous meditation,
intensive meditation. During these 6 years of his life as a monk, Gandhara Gallary,
Siddhartha starved extensively for the search of enlightenment, Indian Museum,
Kolkata)
causing his physique to deteriorate. The artwork here portrays a similar story of Buddha’s
extreme fast as only the bones of his body are visible and he is seen posing the Dhyana Mudra
which resembles the mudra of rigorous meditation.

While exploring the Sanchi Stupa, I bumped into an illustration linked to two of the most crucial
episodes prior to Buddha's awakening. The events were engraved on the interior of the Northern
Gateway and they are the offering of Sujata and Mara's seduction. According to my Guide, Mr.
Bhaduria - On the left side of this artifact, the Buddha is depicted via the Bodhi tree under which
he meditates for enlightenment. Sujata is the little figurine carrying a bowl slightly underneath it,

( Fig. 9 – Sanchi’s Northern Gateway’s interior illustrating

Sujata’s offering and the temptation by the wicked demon
Mara)

and Mara with his demon legions are seen in the middle and right portion of the representation.
As per Buddhist legend, a young woman named Sujata is said to have given the Future Buddha a
bowl of milk-porridge. She mistook the seated Buddha as the god of the forest to whom she
came to give an offering. However, Buddha took the food. Fasting had previously brought the
Buddha bliss. But he soon realized that it clearly did not work as it damaged his body. Therefore,
he gave up the idea of starving himself and consumed Sujata’s offering. Having eaten the milk-
rice provided him with the power and sustenance he needed to focus his thoughts. According to
my guide, the figure seated a little left to the middle portion of this artifact represents the evil
character of demon Mara who is a metaphor for the wants, obsessions, and attachments that tie
humans to the material world. While Buddha was meditating under the Bodhi tree and almost on
the threshold of enlightenment, the wicked Rakshasa Mara attempted to disturb his
concentration. Apart from dispatching his wicked troops to terrorize the Buddha, Mara is also
claimed to have sent his three daughters known as Craving, Delight, and Discontent to seduce
him. In this artifact, the daughters are seen just next to the right side of the Bodhi tree. Unluckily,
they failed to lure the Buddha. He refused to get swayed by Mara’s daughters and continued his
meditation till he attained enlightenment. Then with the help of the goddess of the earth, Buddha
successfully vanquished Mara and his hoards.

Another Piece of art on the left wall of

Ajanta’s 26th cave really drew my attention
which depicts the similar story of the
marvelous moment of Buddha’s triumph
over Mara and his troops as well as the
moment of his grand enlightenment. My
guide illustrated that - In this panel, the

wicked monster Mara is seen seated atop a

(Fig. 10 – Mara and his daughters
giant elephant on the upper left side and his disturbing Buddha while he was meditating
armies are portrayed attempting to interrupt for “Nirvana”. Ajanta’s 26 th cave,
Buddha’s focus prior to his grand Maharashtra, India)

enlightenment. Mara’s daughters below the seated Buddha are also seen with the intention of
breaking his meditation. They represent the human desires that keep people bound to a life of
pain in the material world. At the center of this relief is the Buddha sitting on top of a podium
under a Bodhi tree posing both the Varada Mudra with his right and Dhyana Mudra with his left
hand. Despite Mara's greatest efforts to annoy Buddha, he failed because after meditating for 49
days under the Bodhi tree Gautama finally attained Nirvana. Therefore, a disappointed and
frustrated Mara is seen seated with his daughters and holding head with his hands in the lower
corner on the right. At the grand moment of Nirvana Buddha posed a gesture of touching the
earth indicating the Bhumisparsha Mudra. Besides the Ajanta artifact, I observed a stunning
vertical relief illustrating several incidents in Buddha’s life while touring the exhibition at the
Museum of Kolkata. My guide interestingly illustrated the whole relief. He described that - the
2nd panel from the bottom of this relief is a beautiful depiction of the famous Bhumisparsha
Mudra which reflects the moment of Buddha’s enlightenment when Buddha summoned the earth
to witness his grand awakening and expel Mara. Beneath his seat, there is a feminine figure
portraying mother earth. A snake named “Kala” is also seen right next to her who appeared to
greet the monk while he was meditating.

(Fig. 11 – 2nd panel from the bottom representing Buddha’s enlightenment by the earth
touching gesture, Indian Museum, Kolkata)

The scene of the first sermon of Gautama Buddha is one of the most common and interesting
episodes of his life found in different locations in India and around the world. I came across a
variety of representations relating to Buddha’s first sermon during my visit to the exhibition at
Kolkata Museum, Ajanta Caves, Buddhist Stupas, and other sacred locations. While touring the
Ajanta cave, I encountered a giant figurine of Buddha inside cave 1 in a sitting position where
his hand is seen expressing the teaching mudra or Dharmachakra Mudra. According to my Guide
- On both his right and left side are seen two attendants with fly-whisk or “Chauri”. At the
middle of the podium, there is a wheel between the two seated deer. This wheel here signifies the
“Wheel of Dharma” and the deer on the base illustrates the deer park at Sarnath indicating the
location of Shakyamuni’s very first sermon. This is an event after his enlightenment at Bodh
Gaya. During this sermon, Buddha taught about the way of eliminating suffering from life which
refers to Buddhism’s ultimate purpose. The five small human figurines seen near the left deer on
the base represent Gautama Buddha’s earliest five disciples. There are some other human-like
figures on the right side of the platform as well indicating some other disciples of the Buddha.
Because of the contribution of Buddha’s greatest pupils, his doctrines have extended and
improved around the world for decades.

(Fig. 12 – Buddha’s First Sermon at the deer park in Saranath, Cave 1, Ajanta,
Maharashtra, India)

Now, I would like to share another nice experience of mine at

the Kolkata Museum. While I was at the exhibition at Kolkata, I
came upon a beautiful Gandharan relief linked to the Four Noble
Truths. My guide told me that, in this illustration, The Four
Noble Truths are seen being taught to Buddha's five earliest
followers which can be understood by the three wheels of
Dharma on the upper right side as the wheel represents Buddha’s
teaching. Then I showed my interest to know about what the

Four Noble Truths really mean. After receiving my question, the

(Fig. 13 – Buddha
guide smiled and gave me a brief description. He said the First explaining the four noble
truths to his core
disciples, Gandharan
relief, Indian museum,
Kolkata)
Noble Truth of Buddhism is that suffering is an inescapable part of life. The Second Noble Truth
is that this suffering stems from the greed, ignorance, and hatred that arises in people’s minds.
The Third Noble Truth is that one can put an end to it if he resists desiring. And finally, The
Fourth noble truth is the Buddha’s guideline for achieving happiness, virtue, and eventually
nirvana. It is the Eightfold path of understanding; positive intentions; skillful speech, actions and
livelihood; making the right kind of efforts; cultivating mindfulness and lastly mastering
meditation.

My second week was jam-packed with thrills and interesting excursions. On the 10th of
December, my family and I started a five-day trip to Orissa at 4:30 in the morning when the sun
was still hiding behind the darkness of night. My main intention for this trip was to view the
gorgeous Konark Sun Temple. My dream came true on December 12th when my taxi dropped
me at the entrance of the Sun Temple. When I entered its premises a guide offered me a tour of
the area. There I saw a wonderful stone relief of a wheel with 8 spokes representing the eight
noble paths followed by Gautama Buddha himself and his disciples. Then my guide gave me a
brief information about the eightfold path. Pointing his finger to the spokes of the wheel he
described that- according to Buddha, by following the noble eightfold path also known as the
middle way, an individual can put an end to life’s frustration. The noble eightfold path is an
eight-step guide to deprogramming the desire-addicted brain. The eight paths are Right View,
Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Actions, Right livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness,
and finally Right Concentration. “Right View” is accepting the 4 noble truths. One should accept
the fact that suffering exists and by following the Buddha’s teaching there is a way out of it. In
the context of “Right Thought”, the Buddha instructed not to let negative thoughts like anxiety,
fear, and greed confuse the mind. He advised people to surround themselves with positive
thoughts such as love, kindness, and compassion. Then there is the need for “Right speech”
which indicates that one should focus on using positive words and should stay away from the
negative ones like gossip, lies, and backbiting. Then the Buddha taught the philosophy of the
“Right Action” signifying nonviolence or Ahimsa. Instead of hurting others, one should try to
have endless love for all life. Good actions include conquering anger with love, evil with good
meanness with generosity, and lies with truth. Besides, “Right livelihood” tells people to avoid
jobs that involve deaths, weapons, slavery, the harm of animals and any kind of exploitation. But
livelihood is not just occupation. One definitely should be an honest and kind parent, friend, and
partner. The last 3 paths are related to meditation which are “Right Effort”, “Right Mindfulness”,
and “Right Concentration”. “Right Effort” builds on “Right Thoughts” which means putting
effort into welcoming and creating good thoughts and pushing out the bad ones. Buddha said
that, using the “Right Effort” helps people to control greed and obsessions over worldly desire.
Right Mindfulness is paying pure attention in every moment without getting distracted. Lastly,
“Right Concentration” is what people should use while focusing their mind on a single thing
while meditating. The Buddha thought that the eightfold path would free people from suffering.
Therefore, after attaining Nirvana, he is said to have taken the responsibility of teaching the
importance of following this eightfold path in different locations like Southern Nepal, Bihar, and
Uttar Pradesh till his death.

(Fig. 14 -The Dharma chakra or the wheel of the law with eight spokes
portrays the Eightfold Path. Konark Sun temple in, Orissa, India.)

Now I will share how Mr. Bhaduria made me understand the beautiful gist behind the famous
Jataka tales linked to Buddha. He told that the telling of stories was how ancient civilizations
passed on their ideals and culture. The Jataka stories, which were delivered by Buddhists to
encourage people with ethical principles, are amongst the earliest story-telling traditions.
Alongside the verbal and textual versions, Jatakas connected with the laity and hermits via
artworks which proved to be a strong instrument for disseminating Buddhist convictions and
philosophy to a large audience. The Jataka stories contained powerful and motivational messages
linking to benevolence, empathy, generosity, charity, self-sacrifice, nonviolence, and the
willingness to resist greed or obsession. Every one of those tales has the Buddha as the central
protagonist either as a human or a non-human character. They recount events from his prior
existences as the Bodhisattva. The term "Bodhisattva" relates to Buddha throughout his former
lifetimes as well as the first half of his current life prior to achieving enlightenment or moksha
which indicates the solution to escape from samsara, the never-ending cycle of rebirth. The
Jataka tales are found frequently depicted in paintings and sculpted relics within Buddhist
temples, caves, and Stupas which are Buddhist sanctuaries having dome-like constructions. India
is regarded as the vast repository of wonderfully crafted Jataka tales with sites like Sanchi,
Bharhut Amravati, Nagarjunakonda, and Ajanta as they feature visual portrayals of these Jataka
stories. These narrative illustrations have been viewed and applauded by hundreds and thousands
of people from everywhere around the world.

While touring different Buddhist sights across India, the Mahakapi Jataka which illustrates the
tale of the great monkey king really caught my attention. At Sanchi, there is a demonstration of
the Mahakapi Jataka on a pillar of the Western Torana of Stupa 1. The story is inscribed on a
vertical panel and is enclosed by a beautiful flowery frame. As per the description of Mr.
Bhaduria- The entry of the ruler of Benaras seated on a horse and escorted by his armies is
portrayed in the first scene which is shown at the base on the left side. A soldier is seen carrying
a chatra or parasol on top of the king’s head, which denotes his regal rank. The depiction of
musicians accompanying the monarch piqued my interest since it may be intended to emphasize
the king's royal designation by indicating that he journeys with a retinue of assistants and
musical accompaniment. A shooter with his bow and arrow is spotted to the king's right aiming
towards the Bodhisattva who here is the Great Monkey king. Bodhisattva was once born as a
monkey in the Himalayan Mountains and was the king of a troop of 80,000 monkeys. On the
banks of the Ganges River, there stood a massive mango tree. The monkey king was worried that
if any of the mangoes drop into the river and end up in the hands of humans, it would surely
mean the doom of the monkeys. So he ordered his monkeys to pluck all the mangoes that hung
on the branch over the river no matter how small they were. However, one large mango escaped
the monkeys’ notice and fell into the river, and floated down towards the land of men. The
human king of that region happened to discover the fruit floating in the river and after tasting it
he knew he had to have more. The king commanded his soldiers to help him take control of the
mango tree in the mountains. When he arrived there he found 80,000 monkeys climbing on the
tree eating mangoes. The monarch commanded his soldiers to kill the monkeys. The monkeys
knew they were trapped when they saw all the soldiers and their bows. The monkey king, on the
other hand, refused to let his subjects crumble and sought a solution. At Sanchi’s relief, his
solution is depicted on the top middle portion where the Bodhisattva is seen as the bridge holding
on to the branches of two trees with the support of his arm and feet. He thus created a gateway
for monkeys to cross over using his back and shoulder and helped them to catch up with the
others of their clan in the jungle. The tree on the upper left corner of the artifact is the great
mango tree. The smaller monkey figure found in the center of this mango tree is a monkey
named Devdatta who was the evil and jealous cousin of the Bodhisattva. Hence, while crossing
the bodhisattva bridge he planned a wicked
revenge to get rid of his rival. When the evil
monkey got to where the monkey king was, he
jumped high in the air and landed on the
monkey king’s back. He crashed against the
king's body so aggressively that it fractured his
back. The human king witnessed everything
and was touched by the noble monkey king’s
actions and great sacrifice. He withdrew his
attack to kill the monkeys and assigned his
soldiers to help the mighty Bodhisattva. In this
relief work, two men are seen obeying the
king’s instruction on the left of the flowing (Fig. 15 - Mahakapi Jataka or the story
of the great monkey king, Western
river full of busy fish. They are holding a sheet gateway, Stupa 1 (the Great Stupa),
of fabric beneath the monkey king to safeguard Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India)
him as he drops down after protecting all his
subjects. There is a scene under the mango tree on the left side of this relic where the king and
the Bodhisattva are seen seated facing each other. Here, King Brahmadatta apologized to the
Bodhisattva king and learned the significance of becoming the righteous monarch from him.
Bodhisattva explained how a virtuous ruler should constantly guarantee the protection of his
subjects. According to the story, King Brahmadatta took excellent care of the dying monkey and
offered him a regal cremation once he died. He conducted Bodhisattva’s final rituals with the
highest admiration and honor. Sanchi has masterfully illustrated this narrative with adequate
visual detail.

Also within one month of my stay

in India, I have seen multiple
locations having outstanding
renditions of Buddha’s
Mahaparinirvana. One example
that captivated me was a statue of a
reclining Buddha inside Ajanta's
26th cave. According to the guide
(Fig. 16 –Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana, Cave 26, who helped me explore the caverns
Ajanta, Maharashtra, India) - this statue illustrates a profoundly
emotional scenario of the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha when he finally breaks free from the
human world at the age of eighty. The figure of this reclining Buddha is about 22 feet long. Here
Buddha is lying peacefully on his side keeping his right hand under his head. His famous disciple
Ananda is seen grieving in a seated position near Buddha’s feet on the
right. He here seems depressed, devastated, and heartbroken because
of the loss of his ‘Guru’ he admired deeply. A similar sentiment is
expressed by several of the monks seated beneath the Buddha. The
momentous event of Buddha's escape from the realm of illusions is
celebrated by celestial musicians above his figure.
After describing the relic my guide shared a piece of extra information
about Buddha’s death. According to him, Buddha died in Kushinagar,
presumably as a result of a sickness brought on by rotten meat or
(Fig. 17 –
mushrooms. When he departed, it is claimed that he advised his
Buddha’s sad
supporters not to follow anybody except themselves. The Buddha is Disciple Ananda)
without a question one of the most important personalities in historical
records. His ideologies have not only influenced various religions but also the philosophical and
literary context both inside India and beyond.

My journey came to an end on January 3rd, 2022, when my jet arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport. But my mind was still wandering back to the exhilarating journeys,
particularly inside the life stories of Buddha. My first trip to India was unlike any other vacation
I had ever experienced before. I had no idea how many places I had visited. I've also gained a
wealth of information about Buddha's life, which I will never forget for the rest of my life.