The relief and statues of ancient India-The golden age of Buddhist Art

Document Type : Research Article

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Abstract

Two important religions were appeared in India during the 6th century B.C.Janinism and Buddhism, were two religions that had profound influence on the culture and the art of India from the 3rd century B.C. up to the 7th century A.D. In fact these two factions were appeared in processes of Hinduism`s evolution which answered the abstruse case of Indian life, emancipation from Karma law and Samsara (the successive cycle of death &birth), and solve that abstruse enigma in different way. Buddhism that had more influence than Jainism on ancient India, led to creation of many wonderful traces on relief and statue. Hinduism or Brahman believed that Buddha was the ninth manifestation of Vishnu, one of the Gods of Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva). But Buddha, himself, claimed a new religion and so Buddhist did not introduce themselves as Hindu.
Buddha in Buddhist art, on its most mankind form, is again the symbol of Buddha. In India art symbols of Buddha classify to three groups:
1. Non-icon symbols, such as Darma wheel, nenuphar
2. Semi- icon symbols, such as stupa, empty throne, track
3. icon symbols
with respect to remnant of reliefs and statues, the main distinction of Buddhist art with other art of ancient India, is that icon of Buddha always have a cover. All of these traces allude to life and training of Buddha.

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