2019 – Posted in: Daily News

Stucco Sculpture

For: Preliminary

News Flash

Indian archaeologists recently unearthed a rare life-sized biggest ever stucco sculpture from a Buddhist site at Phanigiri in Suryapet, Telangana.

Stucco

Traditional stucco is made of lime, sand, and water. Modern stucco is made of Portland cement, sand, and water.
Stucco is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture.

Highlights

The stucco is about 1.73 metres in height and 35 cm in width.
The unique sculpture found in the excavations is the biggest, most important and a rare finding in the country.
These excavations brought to light a Mahastupa, apsidal chaitya grihas, votive levels, sculptural panels with Brahmi inscriptions, belonging to Satavahana period from first century BC.
According to officials of department of heritage, the life-size figurine found in the excavations is thought to represent one of Bhodhisattva in Jathaka Chakra.
It was created nearly 1,700 years ago by craftsmen at Phanigiri at peak of Ikshavaku dynasty.

Bhodhisattva

A Bodhisattva is an ordinary person who takes up a course in his or her life that moves in the direction of Buddha. In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is any person who is committed to the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of others.

Ikshavaku dynasty

The Ikshvaku dynasty, in Puranic literature, was a dynasty founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku. The dynasty is also known as Suryavamsa (the Solar dynasty). Lord Rama belonged to the Ikshavaku dynasty. Twenty-two out of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankara belonged to this dynasty. Rishabha is present in both Hindu as well as Jain mythology. Both refers to the same person. According to the Buddhist texts, Prince Siddhartha belonged to this dynasty.

Source: Times of India

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