Far from the din and bustle of city life, immense
mass of tapering artificial hill, near Paharpur,
has revealed the remains of the largest Buddhist
temple and monastery South of Himalayas. These
precious remains are located in East Pakistan,
happens to be a piece of poetic justice. Once
dominant religion of Indo-Pakistan subcontinent,
Buddhism, for all practical purposes, survives
only in East Pakistan, enclave with more than half
a million followers, while it has completely
disappeared from the land of its origin.
Rising to lofty height of about 80 feet above the
surrounding crop fields Paharpur, remains of
temple and monastery reared up under the royal
patronage of Pala emperors in 8th century AD, lay
thickly shrouded in trees, shrubs and fields.
So hidden behind cluster of bamboo were the
remains that till the early 19th century, it
aroused awe-inspiring curiosity among the local
people, and the stray adventurous tourists. The
huge tapering mass was covered by remarkably fine
banyan tree, visible from great distance as
familiar landmark. Obviously Paharpur derived its
name from this hill (or "Pahar" in
Bengali), under whose shadow it rested.
Ever since the monastery, now in ruins, must have
dominated the landscape of surrounding area for
centuries and provided sharp contrast to the
monotonous topography of the region. It was only
in the year 1933-34 that the entire remains,
isolated pile of conical earth mound, could be
completely exposed to view.
Paharpur is in insignificant border hamlet about
three miles West of Jamalgunj railway station, in
Bogra district of North Bengal on the main line of
Pakistan Eastern Railway. But the village, which
actually lies in Rajshahi district, is connected
with outside world only by un-metallic, dusty cart
track.
According to the epigraphic evidence recovered
from the excavations of the extensive remains
of Paharpur, the monastery was named Somapura
Vihara. Measuring 922 feet North-south and 919
feet East-west externally, monastery represents
the biggest single "Vihara" so
far known in the subcontinent.
This gigantic establishment with surrounding 177
monastic cells, elaborate gateways, votive stupas,
minor chapels, tank, refractory and multitude of
other ancillary structures is dominated by central
shrine conspicuous for its lofty height and
architectural peculiarities. The colossal temple,
measuring 356' 6" North-south and 314'
3" East-west, occupies nearly the center of
the immense quadrangle forming the monastery. The
ground plan consists of gigantic square cross with
angles of projection between arms.
The temple rose in several gradually receding
terraces, with ambulatory path enclosed on the
outers side by parapet wall around the monument in
each of the two upper terraces. Access to the
first and second terraces was obtained by the
extensive staircase provided on North.
The complete plan of the central cruciform temple,
from basement to the top along its various
component parts, seems to have been erected in
single period of construction and later repairs,
additions and alterations carried out in
subsequent periods did not fundamentally affect
the general arrangement and plan.
The whole scheme of this complicated pyramidal
temple, pivoted round a square hollow pile
shooting high up above the four terraces was, as
observed by the excavator, Mr. K. N. Dikshit,
certainly the result of premeditated development
of single central unit, in which future expansion
was, in a sense, premeditated in vertical
direction.
On each of its face is added rectangular
projection, consisting of ante-chamber and "Mandapa",
with marginal space left vacant at both the
corners of faces. All the rectangular projections
are equal in length, the resulting shape,
therefore, is square cross with projecting angle
between the arms of cross.
The temple, as it is visualized, appears to have
been lofty terraced edifice, with the shrine
crowning the top of three terraces, halls and
ante-chamber on the second floor, and ambulatory
passages on all the floors. This type of temple
architecture profoundly influenced similar
architectural efforts of South East Asia,
specially Burma and Java.
The basement wall is relieved with 63 stone
sculptures and above this line runs single row of
terracotta plaques, depicting the contemporary
folk art of Bengal. Similarly, the plain walls of
the double-rowed terraces are decorated on the
outer faces by bands of terracotta plaques, set in
recessed panels. Projecting cornice of ornamental
frieze separate two rows from each other.
The quadrangular monastic establishment at
Paharpur relates to to the late period of
development of such institutions, when they became
well-organized and self-sufficient. Its massive
enclosure walls, provided with only one elaborate
gateway complex and guard rooms on North, remind
one more of fortress than religious establishment,
where security from outside attack is given great
priority.
These late monastic establishments, removed far
from the mundane activity of urban life and
beyond, what may be aptly termed as, begging
distance of the city, on which the earlier
fraternity primarily depended for sustenance,
could only have come into existence, when the
profession of begging had fallen out of fashion. Viharas,
themselves became self-sufficient, often under
royal patronage, and consequently the proximity of
the city was no longer vital necessity. However,
they must have still remained the center of cult
and learning.
As already noticed, the plainness of the temple
walls is relieved on the outer face by projecting
cornice of ornamental bricks and bands of
terracotta plaques, set in recessed panels, which
run in single row all around the basement and in
double rows around the ambulatory passage in the
upper terraces.
In fact, the vast wealth of terracotta
plaques of this great Vihara play the most
dominant part in the scheme of decoration. There
are above 2000 plaques, which still decorate the
faces of the temple walls and about 800 more were
picked up loose from the site. These plaques are
dated to 8th century AD, as the majority of them
are contemporaneous with the building of the
edifice. No regular sequential arrangement has
been followed in fixing these plaques.
This great wealth of plastic art faithfully
represents contemporary folk art of Bengal and
excels most in the exuberance and richness of
their subject matter. They depict gods and
goddesses, human beings in various movements,
animals, semi-divine beings, grotesque animals,
subjects from the vegetable kingdom, popular
legends and folk tales of Bengal, and in fact, any
conceivable subject, which flashed across the
minds of those simple rural artists.
Technically, however, these plaques are crude and
often disproportionate in physiognomic details. In
modeling them, artists show little flexibility of
the figure; toes and fingers are, in most cases,
indicated only with incised lines and the long
round. bulging eyes are set almost on round faces.
Basement of the great temple is relieved with as
many as 63 stone sculptures in alto-relieve but
strangely, all the images represent Brahmanical
icon, except the only Buddhist image of Padmapani
fixed in the middle of Southern side. Apparently
this striking inconsistency of such vast number of
Brahman deities installed in the niches of this Vihara
at once attracts notice.
Similar sculptures representing Brahman gods and
goddesses are very common in Nalanda Maha
Vihara also. Their presence in Paharpur
Vihara suggests that these were probably
collected from some earlier monument, which stood
in its neighborhood and fixed up all around its
basement as its embellishment.
One can easily distinguish in these sculptures
three distinct groups with marked difference in
style and artistic excellence. The first group,
which, in fact, constitutes the majority of
sculptures was undoubtedly made at the time of the
construction of the main fabric of the temple and,
therefore, they are contemporaneous (8th century
AD).
Large number of them depict legendary scenes from
the life of Krishna, as the eternal lover, and his
exploits as the divine hero, while others
represent scenes from the great epics, Ramayana
and Mahabharata and also scenes from the daily
life of the ordinary village folks, which
obviously had wider popular appeal. This group, in
artistic style and subject matter, is closely
analogous to the vast mass of terracotta plaques
already noted.
The second group, although it shows affinity to
the first, deserves to be treated separately for
its manifest exclusiveness. Its figures are
distinguished by their general heaviness of form,
coarseness of drapery and ornamental details. It
is marked by dull rigidity and stiffness of form
of the figures, bereft of the plastic form of the
classical Gupta tradition. These sculptures are
supposed to have been produced during the
transitional phase, between the fading Eastern
Gupta period and flourishing period of Pala school
by indigenous Bengali artists.
The third group, of which only few specimens
exists, may aptly be accepted as Eastern version
of Classical Gupta art. The dominant theme of this
group is Radha-Krishna legend and also includes Yamuna,
Sina and Balarama reliefs. This
group is characterized by soft and tender modeling
of form, which is usually associated with Gupta
classical art. Figures of this group are
characterized by elasticity and refinement of
treatment.
Among a number of mutilated stone-sculptures, such
as Manasa, Kuvera, Bodhisattava
etc. found loose during excavations, particularly
striking image of Hevajra, in close embrace
with his Sakti or female counterpart, is
noteworthy. The god is represented with 6 heads
and 16 hands, the central pair holds Sakti,
while each of the seven on either sides holds
skull-cup filled with some indistinct object.
Third eye appears on the forehead of each one of
the heads and garland of skulls runs around the
body.
The image is made of black basalt and is dated to
the late 11th century. The cult of Hevajra
is not common in Indo-Pakistan subcontinent and
belongs to the late phase of degenerated Buddhism,
before it passed into Tibet, where the deity holds
very important place in their pantheon.
Among the collections of Muslim coins, discovered
in this site, ranging mostly in date from 1540 to
1547 AD and unrelated to the period of great Vihara,
particularly interesting round, silver coin of Caliph
Haroun-or Rashid, dated 788 AD, picked up from the
surface, is undoubtedly noteworthy. Although
obviously this coin was never currency here, it
happens to coinside with the general dating of Paharpur
Vihara and most have traveled by way of trade.
Another important discovery of the site
constituted the inscribed copper plate grants and
stone inscriptions, which throw light on the
history of the site. The earliest is Copper Plate,
dated 159 of Gupta era (497 AD), found from the
monastery area. It records the purchase and grant
of land by Brahman couple, for maintenance of
Arhats and resting place at Vihara,
presided over by Jaina teacher Gahanandin
and his disciple, and disciple of disciples. But
how this Jaina record of land grant of
earlier date found its place in later Buddhist
monastery of Somapura is a matter of great
controversy.
A number of stone pillar inscriptions (4 belonging
to 10th and 12th centuries) discovered at the site
and excavation, contain records of the donation of
pillars referring to either Buddha or Tri-Ranta
(Three Jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma
and Sangha).
Considering the immense size and important of
great Vihara, the number of metal images
found at the site of the excavation is indeed
insignificant. This small group consists of one
ornamental bronze image of Hara Gauri in
conventional style, bronze image of standing
Buddha in the attitude of Protection (Ahhaya
Mudra), standing naked Jaina image and
bronze images of Kuvera and Ganesha.
Apart from large collection of vvarious types of
pottery and other minor terracotta antiquities are
4 mutilated stucco Buddha heads of about 8th09th
century AD.
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