The Buddha and the Sacred Site

This fragment served as an elaborate frame for a carved sculpture (now absent). At the top, three small niches hold three Buddhas. The central Buddha is seated in the gesture of meditation (dhyana mudra); the standing Buddha on the right lowers his right hand in the gift-bestowing gesture (varada mudra); and the other raises his right hand in the gesture of protection (abhaya mudra). The roughly chiseled principal niche once contained a narrow relief sculpture secured to the back slab. The trefoil arch rising from columns and surmounted by hamsas (heavenly geese) would have complemented a sculpture of the Buddha in the earth-touching gesture, signifying his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.