Bharhut

• 1. Conflicting Dates And Donors

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  A village in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh holds a Buddhist stupa that has puzzled historians for over a century. The site features stone railings and gateways with explicit labels written in Brahmi characters identifying every scene. King Dhanabhuti stands out as the major donor who funded this massive project. Scholars argue fiercely about when these structures were built, creating two distinct camps of opinion. Some researchers date the railings to between 125 BCE and 100 BCE based on artistic comparisons with Sanchi Stupa No.2. Others point to stylistic similarities with Mathura art from the 1st century CE to push the timeline forward. Historian Ajit Kumar supports the later date by comparing inscriptions to works attributed to ruler Sodasa. The inscription mentions the erection occurred during the rule of the Sugas, which creates further ambiguity. This phrase could mean Shungas or a northern Buddhist kingdom called Sughanas. No other instance of the name Shunga appears in the epigraphical record of India. King Dhanabhuti does not appear on any known Shunga regnal lists either.

• 2. Masons Marks And Foreign Hands

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  Alexander Cunningham examined the gateway balustrades and found letters engraved on their bases and capitals. These Kharosthi marks indicate that some builders came from the north, specifically Gandhara where the script was used. He noted that twenty-seven Indian letters appeared on the railings while only eight Kharosthi marks existed on the gateway. The foreign artists who worked on the gateways were certainly not engaged on any part of the railing according to his conclusion. The Raja of Shungas sent his own party of workmen to make the gates while local artists executed smaller gifts like pillars and rails. Hellenistic sculptors had contact with both Sanchi and Bharhut as evidenced by specific architectural elements. A fluted bell and an addorsed capital of the Persepolitan order appear alongside abundant flame palmette motifs. One panel shows a Greek warrior wearing short curly hair and a royal headband holding a grape plant. His boots and tunic mark him clearly as Yavana or Indo-Greek despite being co-opted into guarding a temple gate. The sheath of his broadsword features a nandipada symbol representing Buddhism.

• 3. Labels On Narrative Panels

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  Eighty-two inscriptions serve as labels for panels depicting Jatakas and events in the life of the historical Buddha. An unusual feature of these panels is the inclusion of text often identifying individuals within the scene. A relief showing Maya's Dream depicts the virgin conception when a white elephant entered her body. Three attendants surround the sleeping queen, one flicking a chauri near a water-pot at the foot of the bed. Another inscription reads Bhagavato Sakamuni Bodhi confirming the meaning of a relief showing the Diamond Throne. Seven elephants and a three-headed Serpent stand together with two lions showing devotion to this Wheel of the Law. A medallion displays four deer running away while a man with a bow stands on the far right. The pregnant doe lies down looking at the antlered deer who takes her place before slaughter. The antlered deer sits preaching to a king listening respectfully with folded hands nearby. These labels allow viewers to understand complex stories without needing prior knowledge of Buddhist scriptures.

• 4. The Great Gateway And Railings

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  A large part of the stone railing has been recovered but only one of the four torana gates remains today. The great gateway was built later around 100 BCE to 75 BCE based on artistic analysis. It is therefore posterior to the railings which date to circa 125 BCE or 100 BCE. The architraves display scenes of animals showing their devotion to an empty throne in the middle. Two lions and one griffin appear on the top front architrave alongside a lion with a human head. Four elephants and two human devotees surround the symbolic Buddha on the bottom architraves. Five Kharosthi mason's marks were discovered at the base of balustrade columns between the architraves. The railings are almost entirely covered in reliefs displaying previous lives of the Buddha called Jatakas. Scenes include events from the life of the historical Buddha and various devotional moments. Many individual medallions thought to represent devotees or donors dot the surface of the structure.

• 5. Excavation And Shipwreck Loss

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  A Buddha sculpture datable to the 11th or 12th century was found alongside a Sanskrit inscription belonging to a vihara structure. This demonstrates that Buddhism survived well until the 11th or 12th century despite gaps in the archaeological record. A small Buddhist temple was enlarged around 1100 AD and a new statue of Buddha was installed there. A large Sanskrit inscription from the same period appears to have been lost before it could be fully studied. Buddhism continued to be used as a monastic center for more than a millennium like Sanchi nearby. Several minor stupas and statues discovered near Bharhut date up to the 12th century CE. These include finds in Banshipur village, Madighat in Rewa district, and Bilahri in Katni. The region shows that Buddhism was widespread and not just confined to major centers like Sanchi. It declined greatly after the

• 6. Medieval Survival Until Twelfth Century

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  9th or 10th century but persisted longer than many other sites.