Essay name: Buddhist iconography in and outside India (Study)
Author:
Purabi Gangopadhyay
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture
This work aims to systematically present the development and expansion of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist iconography from India to other countries, such as China, Korea, and Japan. This study includes a historical account of Indian Buddhist iconography and the integration of Brahmanical gods into the Mahayana-Vajrayana phase.
Chapter 2: Indian Buddhist Iconography (a Comparative Study)
14 (of 27)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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divinity he is represented as either seated or standing.
The
seated posture may be a Padm膩sana and the deity sits on a mouse
or sometimes on a lion. Images in this pose is seen with left
leg as folded horizontally and rests on the pedestal or seat.
He is pot-bellied and his legs are crossed. When he is repre-
sented as standing he is either in Dvibhanga, Tribhanga or
Sambhanga postures. He holds a Cakra and a plate of sweetmeat
in his two hands. Sometimes Padma, Noose, Rosary, P膩sa, Parasu
are also added as his attributed. He is also regarded as the
bestower of diedom, and knowledge.
wisdom
In Buddhist Inconography, Ganapati or Vinayaka is some-
times regarded as an evil spirit or as a demon. Sometimes he is
represented as a Hindu deity and wears the Jata-mukuta of 艢iva
which resembles the Hindu god Ganesa or Ganapati.
In the Buddhist pantheon Ganapati is generally regarded
as red in complexion. He is also seen as twelve-handed and a mouse
is represented as his V盲hana. Here also he is bedecked with
the Jat盲-mukuta of Siva which is sometimes regarded as the iden-
tification mark of the god.
We may mention here about a figure of seated Ga峁噀艣a,
which was discovered from Nalanda (Pl.XVIII. Fig. 1. ). This
image is made of bronze. The deity is two-armed and holds two
different attributes. A beautiful hallo is placed behind him.
But this Vinayaka or Vighne艣a form of the deity is placed
