National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities

Allahabad Museum, Allahabad

Identification
Name of the Museum /Institution संग्रहालय/संस्था का नाम	Allahabad Museum, Allahabad
Reference Number / संदर्भ संख्या	NM-ALH-UP-111691
Title/ Name of Object वस्तु का शीर्षक/नाम	Pillar
Type of Object / वस्तु की किस्म	Sculpture - प्रतिमा
Dynasty /वंश	Gupta - गुप्त
Period / तारीख/युग
Style / शैली
Provenance / उद्गम/क्षेत्र	Bhita Allahabad District
Material / सामग्री	Sandstone - बलुआ पत्थर
Sub Material / उप.सामग्री
Location at the Museum / संग्रहालय में कहा पर अवस्थित है।	Display
State/UT राज्य/संघ राज्य क्षेत्र	Uttar Pradesh
Measurement/Weight माप/वजन
Length(cm) / लंबाई
Width(cm) / चौड़ाई
Height(cm) / ऊंचाई
Weight(gm) / भार
Diameter(cm) /व्यास
Thickness(cm)/मोटाई
Depth(cm) /गहराई	x 33 cm
Description / विवरण
Description / विवरण	The pillar consists of a square, gently tapering shaft, one face of which is plain. It rests on a ghata-pallava base, and is clasped above by a band composed of floriated kirttimukhas spouting pearl festoons. Above the band are demi-medallions with headed borders containing a goose with floriated tail, a lotus, and a Yaksa whose body is floriated from the waist down. He holds a lotus in his hand. Next is a short octagonal section, again clasped by a hand of floral scrolls and festoons surmounted by lotus demi-medallions separated from each other by blue lotuses, and then a sixteen-sided section topped by a petaled molding above which is the ghata-pallava capital proper, surmounted by a plain square abacus. BHUMARA During the course of excavations at Bhumara, K. D. Banerji discovered a large number of fragments consisting of rectangular slabs of stone divided into panels generally filled with ganas alternating with floral or other decorative motifs cf. PRASI, WC, 1920-I, p. 96 and R. D. Banerji, Siva Temple at Bhumara, p. 2 . Several of these were removed to the Indian Museum at Calcutta and most of the remainder to the Allahabad Museum where they form a very important part of the Gupta collections. Banerji considered these fragments to have constituted a kind of dado around the lower wall of the mandapa, but the discovery and study of a temple dedicated to the Vamana incarnation of Visnu at Marhia, Jabalpur District, M.P., leads me to suggest that they were instead part of the superstructure, and constituted the walls of the stepped bhumis storeys of the sikhara. See Pramod Chandra, A Vamana temple at Marhia and some reflections on Gupta architecture, Artibus Asia, XXXII. This is contrary to the commonly held view that the Siva temple at Bhumara was flat-roofed but the presence of other fragments, notably cornice moldings, candrasalas, and amalasarakas makes such a conclusion inescapable. The rectangular paneled slabs can be divided into four groups. The first group, Type 1 , which is the largest in size average ht. .330 m. , is divided by means of pilasters with a shaft that is square at the base and octagonal and sixteen-sided above. The capital consists of a pot resting on a circular molding. A lunate containing a half-lotus adorns the top of the square section of the shaft, and the square abacus is also decorated with floral motifs. The pilasters are so spaced that they form panels of two sizes, the narrower ones containing figures of ganas, generally shown dancing playing on musical instrument or holding weapons while the large ones are filled with a variety of floral ornaments and grasamukhas. The second group Type 2 is very similar to the first but, smaller average ht. .200 m. , and without the pilasters. Instead, plain vertical bands are used as dividers and the top corners are sometimes filled with a motif that resembles a roll bracket. The third group Type 3 average ht. .235 m. also lacks pilasters, and the floral motif too are omitted. A consistent arrangement is followed with regard to the decoration so that we have repeated group in which panels containing standing figures in tribhanga pose, obviously worshippers, and panels containing dwarf ganas, alternate with empty arched niches. The standing figures, visible only above the knees, hold a flower in the right hand, the left hand resting on the thigh. The ganas frequently stand in a similar posture. The fourth group Type 4 is a variant of the third. It is of nearly the same use average ht. .240 m. , but mithuna couples and floral panels instead of the standing figures and ganas alternate with arched niches.
Identification Marks / पहचान चिन्ह
Identification Mark Images / पहचान चिन्ह का छायाचित्र
Condition / वस्तु की अवस्था
Condition Description / स्थिति का विवरण
Source
From where acquired / अधिग्रहण का स्थान

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