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Loriyan Tangai: Life of the Buddha - Great Departure
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Loriyan Tangai: Life of the Buddha - Great Departure
PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar; circa 2nd–3rd century; Schist; H: 48 cm; Indian Museum, Kolkata, India
The sculpture was unearthed from a temple site in Loriyan Tangai, Peshawar. The relief depicts the scene in the Lalitavistara Sutra where Prince Siddhartha rides away from Kapilavastu in the dead of night. The prince can be identified by the nimbus around his head. Riding his horse Kanthaka, he holds the reins in his left hand while his other hand is raised in acknowledgment of the deities who come to greet him. Beneath the horse, two figures are seen supporting the hooves so that they make no sound.
Chandaka, the charioteer, holds a parasol over the prince. Behind him there is a column that represents the city gates. Vajradhara is located above Chandaka, holding the vajra from which he gains his name. The two figures in front of the horse are Brahma and Sakra. Brahma, with his hair tied into a topknot and dressed plainly, joins his palms in reverence. Sakra, wearing a turban and a royal chain, holds a scepter of office. Three deities look on in the background. The one in the center, wearing a diamond-patterned turban and returning the prince’s greeting, is believed to be the guardian deity of Kapilavastu. |
