Early Buddhist Art
Artist: unknown
Title: Mahabodhi Temple, west side, east of the tree, vajrasana, detail
Material: Sandstone
Site: Bodh Gaya, India
Current Location: Bodh Gaya, India
Period/Date: Mauryan period (ca. 323-185 B.C.E.)
Iconography/Iconology: The pitha (seat) of the enlightenment
of Sakyamuni Buddha. This stone platform was originally placed under the
tree by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in approximately 250 B.C.E. Although
popularly called the vajrasana, it is actually an offering platform
ment to receive puja from devotees who came to worship the seat of
the enlightenment. The geese (hamsa) and foliate motifs were symbols
of prosperity and well-being during the Mauryan period. It may also be
that the goose carried its yogic symbolism of the "vital breath"
(prana) that is meditated on during yogic practices.
Stylistic Comments: The simplicity, realism, and refined carving
are all characteristic of the Mauryan period.
