There is a beautiful statue of Buddha standing at
Rajarajeshwari Ghat in the Pashupati area. Other ancient statues of Buddha are
also found in abundance in the area. The statues made in different periods are
expressing the history, culture, society, and epistemology of that time. Each
of the idols found there has its characteristics and should be considered
remarkable, be it a Shaivite idol or a Vaishnava idol, a Shakta idol, or a
Buddhist idol. There is a long discussion about the Buddhist statues, but
because of the focus on the statues mentioned here, it is also one of the other
statues of the Buddha.
There is a beautiful Kaligadhi of the idol and its antiquity is also
noteworthy. This is another idol of Chabahil which is considered to be older
than the one at Rajarajeshwari Ghat, but since it was stolen a few decades ago,
it should be considered as the oldest idol.
In the middle of the road at Rajarajeshwari Ghat, the Buddha statue was
placed on the ground below the knee until a few years ago. This is how it was
kept open. Even then, the statue seemed to be in full swing. But because it was
buried in the ground, it was not known what it looked like below the knee and
whether there was an inscription on the pedestal or elsewhere. Therefore, the
matter below the knee was a matter of curiosity for curious or researchers. The
visible part was also somewhat broken. It is unknown at this time what he will
do after leaving the post. The right side of the flame behind the head is also
somewhat broken. At present, the statue has been lifted from the ground so that
it can be seen in full condition and a kind of window has also been constructed
to protect it from the sun.
The face of the idol is gentle and calm. Batulo's face is flushed. The
limbs of this idol, which has a shapely and strong body, have also been found.
The left-hand shows the chiropractor falling from the shoulder. It can be
understood that the artist has worked very hard to make Chiver transparent. The
only reason to show the strong breasts of the breasts is to show that the
chewing gum is transparent. It can be called a masterpiece of art.
This statue of Buddha is believed to have been made before the
sixth-seventh century of Vikrama. Pratapaditya Pal in his book 'The Arts of
Nepal' mentions that this statue dates back to the eleventh century AD. So Dr.
Govinda Tandon does not agree with Mr. Pal's statement. At the time the tent
saw the statue, it was between the dirt and the bushes, and the mold was
growing all over the statue. This is the reason why Dr. Tandon is upset.
Looking at the features inherent in this statue, it is difficult to say whether
such a magnificent and attractive statue was made after the sixth-seventh
century of Bikram, he mentions in his research work.
Buddha statues depicted in such a manner are very popular not only in the
Kathmandu Valley but also elsewhere. Such small idols can be seen not only in
the Pashupati area but also in the Khasti Mahachaitya (Buddhist) premises. The
famous idol of Ajanga in the west corner of the Swayambhu Mahachaitya is
famous. The statue, which was originally placed west-facing outside the north
lane of the Swayambhu book, has been relocated during the reconstruction of the
book and is now facing east in a corner at the back of the book. There was a
problem when the picture of this idol of Swayambhu was placed on the cover of
the biography book titled 'Gautam Buddha'. Although it is a statue of Buddha,
the fact that Gautama is not Buddha raised many questions. Some say Dipankar
Buddha, some others. Hemraj Shakya in his book Srisvayambhu Mahachaitya calls
this idol Devavatar Bodhisattva but also Buddha in the prophetic posture. On the
one hand, there is the question of who the Bodhisattva is, and on the other
hand, no such idol will be made for the Bodhisattva. Everything, including Urna
and Ushni, indicates that it is a statue of the Buddha, according to
iconography. Since these types of Buddha statues are found in abundance in the
Kathmandu Valley and Dipankar Buddha is also considered to be the same, it can
be assumed that Dipankar belongs to Buddha, although no scripture has been
found in the Kathmandu Valley in this regard. Such idols are also found
elsewhere besides Nepal. With few exceptions, these statues are often presented
as Gautama Buddha. During the search, it came to be known as the Buddha statue
of Mahaprasthan mudra. However, the cover photo was changed in the second edition
of the book. This is a Buddha statue of the same tradition, also this statue of
Pashupati Rajarajeshwari Ghat.
The statue may have been in the open for a long time, but it has been directly affected by the sun and wind. The stone papyrus is uprooted. Is broken Since it is on the way and there are no other idols and other things around it, people's attention has not been paid to it. It is not enough to try to save now. It is learned that the idol was not originally installed in this place but was found in Bagmati. Later it is picked up from there and placed on the shore and is understood to be here. If so, that doesn't mean it has to be kept in the same place now, to be transferred to a museum for protection.
Author: Basanta Maharjan
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