Gandhara Art , is a style of Buddhist visual art that developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1st BCE and the 7th CE.
The sculptures and carvings of this era are breathtaking and i had the good fortune to see a complete tableau of Lord Buddha’s life in Humboldt Forum in Berlin in schist from 2-3rd CE
Photo1: Queen Maya’s dream where she dreams of a white elephant which descends from heaven & enters her right hip. That is interpreted as birth of an extraordinary child
photo 2: The miraculous birth of Lord Buddha where the baby arrives from the right hip and the Gods Indra and Brahma greet the new born
photo 3: After his birth the baby takes 7 steps and is bathed by heavenly beings and mother and child return home on an elephant
photo 4 : Flight from the palace assisted by celestial beings
photo 5: farewell to horse Kanthaka and servants . The spiritual quest starts.
photo 6: The great fast and finding of the middle way in a cave near Bodh Gaya
Photo 7: As Lord Buddha sits under the Bodhi tree he is attacked by Mara ( symbolic figure in Buddhism for entanglement in suffering). Lord Buddha frees himself through meditation
photo 8: The Gods Indra and Brahma entreat Buddha to deliver his first sermon.
Photo 9: Lord Buddha’s semon to a group of monks
photo 10: Buddha as an itinerant preacher.The Buddha and his monks arrive in a city (right), and is welcomed by the people. The Buddha then debates with the well to do people of the city as seen from their elegant dress.
In the left side he moves away with a drummer preceding him
Photo 11: Lord Buddha’s passing away at age 80. Weakened he lies Ina grove to die. He gives his monks encouragement one last time & instructs them what to do with his mortal remains.
photo 12: The cremation of Lord Buddha
The Buddha ‘s corpse is to be cremated. But the mortal remains can only be ignited after one of his most important disciples Mahakashyapa who arrived late has honoured the feet of Lord Buddha.
Photo 13: The Buddhist relics kept in a stupa
