International Conference on Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature

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Elephant Sculptures in the Buddhist Rock-Cut Architecture of Maharashtra
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Bhagat, Y.
There are around 1200 Buddhist rock-cut architectural sculptures in India and of them 1000 are in Maharashtra. They date from 3rd BCE to 12th CE thus depicting in rock 1500 years of cultural, political, religious, social and technological history in general and history of changing philosophy of Buddhism [Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana] in particular. The rock-cut architecture- popularly called as ‘caves’ [wrong nomenclature given by the western scholars] have large and small motifs of elephants in many groups. They are seen since the beginning and have undergone changes with time. This paper is an attempt to study the aspect of the elephant in rock-cut architecture. After the general survey of elephant sculptures from the 1000 excavations we can categorize them into different phases.  When the architect was not confident about the strength of the rock, very shallow sculptures in relief of elephants were carved. This could be the first phase of the elephant sculptures. In the Bhaje leni, sculptural depiction in relief of the elephant trampling the tree is still unidentified and controversial. This phase also has the Gajalakshmi in small relief on the doorways of the Pitalkhora leni, Thanale leni.  At a glance some elephants look like the sculptural decoration, but if studied carefully they are part of the architectural scheme and are portrayed as the load bearers of the structure. This happens in the second phase of the architecture. The colossal elephants taking the load of the entire vihara on their shoulders at Pitalkhora leni, or the elephants taking the load of the verandah in the Karle leni is seen in this phase.  The third phase could be the three dimensional pillar capitals of elephants with riders seen at Karle, Bedse, Nasik and so on. The life-size, free standing elephants on the entrances, mostly two on either side of the gateways, could also be put in this phase like the elephants at Kuda leni. The fourth phase again comes into the sculptures where the elephant is beautifully portrayed at Ajanta cetiyaghara at the sambodhi panel of the Buddha. It is the battle with the Mara and he on his Girimekhala charges on the meditating Buddha. Thus this paper is an attempt to study the elephants from the rock-cut architecture and place them in phases according to the chronology and see whether the changes occurring are according to the political, religious, economical or philosophical changes.
Gajalakshmi: The Evolution and Development
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Jambhulkar, S.; Bhagat, Y.
The word ‘Gajalakshmi’ is made up of two words gaja plus lakshmi. It is the name given to the sculpture in relief or to the motif of two water sprinkling elephants flanking a female either seated or standing on the blossomed lotus. The elephants are also standing on blossomed lotus on their hind legs. The motif is very popular in India today and is worshipped as the goddess of wealth and abundance. Though everybody in this world needs wealth and prosperity and worships the gajalakshmi, the trader and merchant community is the one who worships the gajalakshmi fervently. The earliest archaeological evidence of these motifs is of Bharhut and Sanchi stupa date back to 2nd BCE. Though most of the scholars trace the earliest motif in the Buddhist sculptures and Buddhist sites, they do not identify the motif as Mahamaya or the dream of Mahamaya or the birth of the Buddha. In fact had it not been seen on the earliest Buddhist sites, these motifs would never have been identified as anything related to Buddha and his birth. It is to be understood that though Buddhism was lost from India from 12th CE, the popular Buddhist motifs remained, but the symbolism changed and new meanings were given to the same motifs. Something similar has happened to the motif of Gajalakshmi. The motif of Mahamaya in the course of time has become Gajalakshmi and has been adopted by everybody as the goddess of wealth. This paper ventures into the possibility of a connection between Buddhist traders and merchants, trade routes and trading with Roman Empire to gain wealth and gold and the archaeological findings of gajalakshmi on the trade routes of Maharashra. It also questions the placement of the gajalakshmi on the torana-s, later on the gateways or doorways of the temples, or even on the entrances of the forts or entrance gates of the cities. The finding of the gajalakshmi relief sculptures on the trade routes from konkan to pathar of Maharashtra on the ghat belonging to the Satavahana period, definitely signifies much more than just the goddess of wealth worship. This paper is an attempt to study the evolution of the gajalakshmi from the dream of Mahamaya as the birth of the Buddha to the development of gajalakshmi seen on the trade routes and now the worship of the gajalakshmi fervently by the trading community.
The Study of the ‘Elephant’ from Satavahana Coins
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Bhagat, Y.; Ramteke, S.
The Satavahana dynasty became prominent in 3rd B.C.E after the fall of the Mauryan Empire and occupied vast territories in Western India and Deccan. Their rule lasted for more than 400 years and they issued a large number of coins which have been discovered from Malwa region, Krishna Godavari river belt and several other places of Deccan and Central India. In South India the Satavahana coins are most widely circulated coins after the punch-marked coins. The issuer of these coins are Sri Pulumavi, Siva Sri Pulumavi, Skanda Satakarni, Sri Yajna Satakarni, Vijaya Satakarni, Pulumavi, Saka Satakarni, and so on of the Satavahana dynasty. The coins are mostly both lead and copper. In Maharashtra and Vidarbha, a large number of copper or potin coins are also found. The elephant, bull, lion and horse are commonly found on Satavahana coins. The animals sometimes have religious or regional relevance, but the coins mostly shows the spread of the dynasty and the trading and the commercial activities of the dynasty. However, the uniqueness of the Satavahana coins is in their animal motifs, chronology, language, legends and portraiture. This paper is an attempt to study the depiction of the elephant on the Satavahana coins. In fact the elephant is found on a majority of the Satavahana coins, especially in South India. The elephants figures are variously depicted, facing /walking towards right or left and are widely found with their trunk raised or hanging, with and without the rider with the Ujjain symbol on the obverse. The different minting techniques along with the different place of minting through the centuries is also helpful to understand the different motifs of the elephant. Thus the study of the elephant from the coins of Satavahana might throw some light on the religious inclination of the Satavahana dynasty according to the chronology and legends, supported by other symbols seen on the coinage.