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{{Short description|Archeological site in Madhya Pradesh, India}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Bharhut
| image = [[File:Bharhut stupa original layout.jpg|300px]]<br />[[File:East Gateway and Railings Bharhut Stupa.jpg|300px]]
| image_upright = 1.2
| alt =
| caption = ''Top'': Original layout of the Bharhut stupa. ''Bottom'': East Gateway and Railings, Red Sandstone, Bharhut Stupa, 125–75 BCE.<ref name="HPL"/> [[Indian Museum]], [[Kolkata]].
|relief=yes
| map_size = 250
| ___location = India
| coordinates = {{coord|24.446891|80.846041|display=inline,title}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Buddhism]]
| rite =
| region = [[Vindhya Range]]
| state = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| province =
| territory =
| prefecture =
| sector =
| district = [[Satna]]|
| circle =
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| consecration_year = 300–200 BCE
| status = Stupa ruins present
| functional_status = Artifacts Removed
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{{BuddhasHolySites}}
'''Bharhut''' is a village in the [[Satna district]] of Madhya Pradesh, central India. It is known for a Buddhist [[stupa]], unique in that each panel is explicitly labelled in Brahmi characters saying what the panel depicts. The major donor for the Bharhut stupa was King [[Dhanabhuti]].<ref name="SRQ11">{{cite book |last1=Quintanilla |first1=Sonya Rhie |title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE |date=2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004155374 |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA11 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="HPL"/>
The Bharhut sculptures are some of the earliest examples of [[Indian art|Indian]] and [[Buddhist art]], later than the monumental art of [[Ashoka]] ({{Circa|260 BCE}}), and slightly later than the early Shunga-period reliefs on railings at [[Sanchi Stupa No.2]] (starting circa 115 BCE).<ref name="HPL"/> It is more provincial in quality than the sculpture at [[Sanchi]], [[Amaravati Stupa]] and some other sites, a large amount of sculpture has survived, generally in good condition. Recent authors date the reliefs of the railings of Bharhut circa 125–100 BCE, and clearly after [[Sanchi Stupa No.2]], compared to which Bharhut has a much more developed iconography.<ref name="HPL"/><ref>Didactic Narration: Jataka Iconography in Dunhuang with a Catalogue of Jataka Representations in China, Alexander Peter Bell, LIT Verlag Münster, 2000 [https://books.google.com/books?id=77hHrXX4COgC&pg=PA18 p.18]</ref> The [[torana]] gateway was made slightly later than the railings, and is dated to 100–75 BCE.<ref name="HPL"/> Historian Ajit Kumar gives a later date to Bharhut, the 1st century CE, based on stylistic comparisons with datable works of art from the [[Art of Mathura]], particularly sculptures inscribed in the name of ruler [[Sodasa]].<ref name="academia.edu">{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Ajit |title=Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association |journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology |date=2014 |volume=2 |page=230 |url=https://www.academia.edu/10237709 |language=en}}</ref> Many of the Bharhut remains are now located in the [[Indian Museum]] in [[Kolkata]], with others in museums in India and abroad. Little remains at the site today.{{cn|date=December 2024}}
Buddhism survived in Bharhut until 12th century. A small Buddhist temple was enlarged around 1100 AD and a new statue of Buddha was installed.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.173273 Report Of A Tour In The Central Provinces Vol-ix, Alexander Cunningham, 1879 p.2–4 ]</ref> A large Sanskrit inscription from the same period that was found at the site appears to have been lost.<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/b/019pho000001003u01505000.html Buddhist Sanskrit inscription slab from about the 10th century A.D., (?)Bharhut, The British Library, 26 March 2009]</ref> This is different from the Lal Pahad inscription of AD 1158 mentioning the Kalachiri kings.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.35436/page/n47 Report Of A Tour In The Central Provinces In 1873–74 And 1874–75 Volume Ix, Cunningham, Alexander, 1879, p. 38 ]</ref>
Some recent reevaluations have tended to uncouple Bharhut from the [[Sunga Empire|Shunga period]], and rather attribute the stupa to the 1st century CE, based on artistic similarities with better dated [[Mathura art]] and a questioning of the antiquity of the Bharhut inscriptions (particularly the [[Dhanabhuti|Dhanabhuti inscriptions]]) suggested by traditional [[paleography]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Ajit |title=Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association |journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology |date=2014 |volume=2 |pages=223–241 |url=https://www.academia.edu/10237709 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Muzio |first1=Ciro Lo |title=Problems of chronology in Gandharan art. On the relationship between Gandhāran toilet-trays and the early Buddhist art of northern India |date=2018 |publisher=Archaeopress Archaeology |___location=Oxford |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ProblemsOfChronologyInGandharanArt/page/n130 123]-134 |url=https://archive.org/details/ProblemsOfChronologyInGandharanArt}}</ref>
==Bharhut stupa==
===Structure===
[[File:Bharhut-stupa.jpg|thumb|left|The Bharhut stupa, depicted on one of the friezes. [[Freer Gallery of Art]]]]
The Bharhut stupa may have been first built by the [[Maurya]] king [[Ashoka]] in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art, particularly the gateway and railings, were apparently added during the [[Śuṅga Empire|Shunga]] period, with many [[relief]]s from the 2nd century BCE, or later.<ref>{{cite book |last=Marshall |first=John |author-link=John Marshall (archaeologist) |title=A Guide to Sanchi |chapter=An Historical and Artistic Description of Sanchi (pp. 7–29) |url=http://www.sdstate.edu/projectsouthasia/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=875302 |page=11 |___location=Calcutta |publisher=Superintendent, Government Printing |year=1918 |access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> Alternatively, the sculptures made have been added during the reign of the [[Srughna|Sughana]]s, a northern Buddhist kingdom.<ref name="academia.edu"/>
The central [[stupa]] was surrounded by a stone railing and four [[Torana]] gates, in an arrangement similar to that of [[Sanchi]]. A large part of the railing has been recovered, but only one of the four torana gates remains.
An epigraph on a pillar of the gateway of the stupa mentions its erection "during the rule of the ''Sugas'' by [[Dhanabhuti|Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti]]".<ref name="About INC-ICOM">{{cite web |title=Bharhut Gallery |url=http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html |website=INC-ICOM Galleries |publisher=Indian National Committee of the International Council of Museums |access-date=29 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235552/http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="academia.edu"/> The expression used is "''Suganam Raje''", may mean "during the rule of the Shungas", although not without ambiguity as it could also be "during the rule of the [[Srughna|Sughana]]s", a northern Buddhist kingdom.<ref>Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE by Patrick Olivelle [https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&pg=PA58]</ref><ref name="academia.edu"/> There is no other instance of the name "Shunga" in the [[epigraphy|epigraphical]] record of India.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Salomon |first1=Richard |title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 |page=141 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 |language=en}}</ref> The inscription reads:
{{Blockquote|[[File:Dhanabhuti_Bharhut_Torana_inscription.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The [[Dhanabhuti]] inscription]]
1. Suganam raje raño Gāgīputasa Visadevasa<br />
2. pautena, Gotiputasa Āgarajusa putena <br />
3. Vāchhīputena Dhanabhūtina kāritam toranām<br />
4. silākammamto cha upamno.<br />
During the reign of the Sugas ([[Srughna|Sughana]]s, or [[Shungas]]) the gateway was caused to be made and the stone-work presented by Dhanabhūti, the son of Vāchhī, son of Agaraju, the son of a Goti and grandson of king Visadeva, the son of Gāgī.|Gateway pillar inscription of Dhanabhūti.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Luders |first1=H. |title=CORPUS INSCRIPTIONS INDICARUM VOL II PART II |date=1963 |publisher=India Archaeological Society |page=[https://archive.org/details/corpusinscriptio014676mbp/page/n60 11] |url=https://archive.org/details/corpusinscriptio014676mbp}}</ref><ref>The Stupa of Bharhut, Alexander Cunningham, [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924016181111 p.128]</ref>
}}
If the attribution is to be taken as "Shungas", since King [[Dhanabhuti]] was making a major dedication to a Buddhist monument, and on the contrary the Shungas are known to have been [[Hindu]] monarchs, it seems that Dhanabhuti himself was not a member of the Shunga dynasty.<ref name="SRQ">{{cite book |last1=Quintanilla |first1=Sonya Rhie |title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE |date=2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004155374 |pages=8–9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8 |language=en}}</ref> Neither is he known from Shunga regnal lists.<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13"/> His mention of "in the reign of the Shungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Shunga ruler, only that he may have been a tributary of the Shungas, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as [[Kosala]] or [[Panchala]].<ref name="SRQ13">{{cite book |last1=Quintanilla |first1=Sonya Rhie |title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE |date=2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004155374 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA13 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="SRQ"/>
===Builders===
[[File:Bharhut gateways and railings.jpg|thumb|left|The gateways (left) were made by northern (probably [[Gandharan]]) masons using [[Kharosthi]] marks, while the railings (right) were made by masons using marks in the local [[Brahmi]] script.<ref name="Boardman 115"/><ref name="AC"/>]]
[[Stonemasonry|Mason]]'s marks in [[Kharosthi]] have been found on several elements of the Bharhut remains, indicating that some of the builders at least came from the north, particularly from [[Gandhara]] where the Kharoshti script was in use.<ref name="Boardman 115">The Diffusion of Classical Art in Antiquity, John Boardman, Princeton University Press, p.115</ref><ref name="Krishan"/><ref name="p.161">Buddhist Architecture by Huu Phuoc Le [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA161 p.161]</ref> Cunningham explained that [[:File:Bharhut ballustrades with Kharoshti mason marks.jpg|the Kharosthi letters were found on the balustrades]] between the architraves of the gateway, but none on the railings which all had Indian markings, summarizing that the gateways, which are artistically more refined, must have been made by artists from the North, whereas the railings were made by local artists.<ref name="AC">"These little balusters are of considerable interest, as their sculptured statues are much superior in artistic design and execution to those of the railing pillars. They are further remarkable in having Arian letters engraved on their bases or capitals, a peculiarity which points unmistakably to the employment of Western artists, and which fully accounts for the superiority of their execution. The letters found are p, s, a, and b, of which the first three occur twice. Now, if the same sculptors had been employed on the railings, we might confidently expect to find the same alphabetical letters used as private marks. But the fact is just the reverse, for the whole of the 27 marks found on any portions of the railing are Indian letters. The only conclusion that I can come to from these facts is that the foreign artists who were employed on the sculptures of the gateways were certainly not engaged on any part of the railing. I conclude, therefore, that the Raja of [[Shungas]], the donor of the gateways, must have sent his own party of workmen to make them, while the smaller gifts of pillars and rails were executed by the local artists." in The stūpa of Bharhut: a Buddhist monument ornamented with numerous sculptures illustrative of Buddhist legend and history in the third century B. C, by Alexander Cunningham [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924016181111 p. 8] (Public Domain)</ref>
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| header = Kharosthi letters on the Eastern Gateway of Bharhut
| total_width = 250
| image1 = Bharhut ballustrades with Kharoshti mason marks.jpg
| image2 = Kharosthi letters on eastern gateway of Bharhut.jpg
| footer_align = center
| footer = [[Kharoshthi]] (formerly called "Arian-Pali")<ref>"When these alphabets were first deciphered, scholars gave them different names such as 'Indian-Pali' for Brahmi and 'Arian-Pali' for Kharosthi, but these terms are no longer in use." in {{cite book |last1=Upāsaka |first1=Sī Esa |last2=Mahāvihāra |first2=Nava Nālandā |title=History of palæography of Mauryan Brāhmī script |date=2002 |publisher=Nava Nālanda Mahāvihāra |isbn=9788188242047 |page=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P19jAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> [[mason's mark]]s on the gateway.<ref name="HPL">{{cite book |last1=Le |first1=Huu Phuoc |title=Buddhist Architecture |date=2010 |publisher=Grafikol |isbn=9780984404308 |page=161 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA161 |language=en}}</ref> Five of the Kharosthi mason's marks (on a total of eight for the whole gateway) were discovered at the base of the small pillars of the gateway:<ref name="AC"/><br /><big>'''𐨤''' ''pa'', '''𐨀''' ''a'', '''𐨦''' ''ba'', '''𐨯''' ''sa''</big>
}}
According to some authors, Hellenistic sculptors had some connection with Bharhut and Sanchi as well.<ref>"There is evidence of Hellensitic sculptors being in touch with Sanchi and Bharhut" in The Buddha Image: Its Origin and Development, Yuvraj Krishan, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kDyJh--iaL0C&pg=PA9 p.9]</ref> The structure as a whole as well as various elements point to Hellenistic and other foreign influence, such as the fluted bell, addorsed capital of the [[Persepolitan]] order, and the abundant use of the Hellenistic [[flame palmette]] or [[honeysuckle]] motif.<ref name="Krishan">The Buddha Image: Its Origin and Development, Yuvraj Krishan, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kDyJh--iaL0C&pg=PA17 pp. 17–18 Note 3]</ref> Besides the origin of its contributors however, the gateway retains a very strong Indian character in its form.<ref name="Krishan"/>
It would seem the railings were the first elements to be built, circa 125–100 BCE.<ref name="HP 149">Buddhist Architecture Huu Phuoc Le, Grafikol, 2010 [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA149 p.149ff]</ref> The great gateway was built later, circa 100–75 BCE.<ref name="HP 149"/> On artistic grounds, the decorations of the railings are considered later stylistically than those of [[Sanchi Stupa No.2]], suggesting a date of circa 100 BCE for the reliefs of the railings, and a date of 75 BCE for the gateway.<ref name="HP 149"/>
===Excavation===
[[File:Bharhut pillar capital.jpg|thumb|Bharhut pillar capital with [[rosette (design)|rosette]], [[bead and reel|beads-and-reels]] and [[flame palmette]] designs.]]
In 1873, [[Alexander Cunningham]] visited Bharhut. The next year, he excavated the site.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cunningham |first=Sir Alexander |title=The Stûpa of Bharhut: a Buddhist monument ornamented with numerous sculptures illustrative of Buddhist legend and history in the third century B.C. |year=1879 |___location=London |publisher=[[Virgin Books|W. H. Allen]]}}</ref> [[Joseph David Beglar]], Cunningham's assistant, continued the excavation and recorded the work through numerous photographs.
A pillar capital in Bharhut, dated to the 2nd century BCE during the [[Shunga Empire]] period, is an example of Bharhut architecture thought to incorporate [[Persian art|Persian]] and [[Hellenistic art|Greek]] styles,<ref>Early Buddhist Narrative Art by Patricia Eichenbaum Karetzky [https://books.google.com/books?id=9LjmXHFXju4C&pg=PR16 p.16]</ref><ref>Early Byzantine Churches in Macedonia & Southern Serbia by R.F. Hoddinott [https://books.google.com/books?id=WoSuCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA17 p.17]</ref> with recumbent animal (in the style of the [[Pillars of Ashoka]]), and a central [[anta capital]] with many [[Hellenistic]] elements ([[rosette (design)|rosette]]s, [[bead and reel|beads-and-reels]]), as well as a central [[palmette]] design, in a style similar to that of the [[Pataliputra capital]].<ref>The East: Buddhists, Hindus and the Sons of Heaven, Architecture in context II, Routledge, 2015, by Christopher Tadgell [https://books.google.com/books?id=DaTbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA24 p.24]</ref><ref>India Archaeological Report, Cunningham, p185-196</ref><ref>Age of the Nandas and Mauryas by Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri [https://books.google.com/books?id=YoAwor58utYC&pg=PA376 p.376 sq]</ref>
The complex in Bharhut included a medieval temple (plate II), which contained a colossal figure of the Buddha, along with fragments of sculptures showing the Buddha with images of Brahma, Indra etc.<ref>{{cite web |title=General view of remains of Buddhist temple of later date than the Stupa, Bharhut |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/g/019pho000001003u01504000.html |website=Online Gallery |publisher=[[British Library]] |access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> Beglar also photographed a 10th-century Buddhist Sanskrit inscription,<ref>{{cite web |title=Photograph of a slab with a Buddhist sanskrit inscription |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/b/019pho000001003u01505000.html |website=Online Gallery |publisher=[[British Library]] |access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> about which nothing is now known.
The ruined stupa—nothing but foundations of the main structure (see Gallery)—is still in Bharhut; however, the gateways and railings have been dismantled and reassembled at the [[Indian Museum]], Kolkata.<ref name="About INC-ICOM"/> They contain numerous birth stories of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]]'s previous lives, or [[Jataka]] tales. Many of them are in the shape of large, round medallions. Two of the panels are at the [[Freer Gallery of Art]]/[[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery]] in Washington.<ref>[https://asia.si.edu/?s=Bharhut Freer/Sackler]</ref> Some years ago a pre-Devanagari inscription, from the time of King Balaldev, was found on Bharhut mountain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bharhut sculpture {{!}} Description & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Bharhut-sculpture |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
The sculptures and reliefs were removed by Alexander Cunningham and were being transported to London Museum for an exhibition on SS Indus from Clacutta to London via Colombo, Sri Lanka.<ref>http://www.themua.org/collections/files/original/c74cd043c12638725b66b414f8de9e2c.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=July 2025}}</ref> However, the ship ran aground in 1885 near the town of Mullaitivu in northeastern Sri Lanka. The ship wreck was lost for more than a hundred years, being re-discovered in 2014.<ref>{{cite web | title=Liner Wrecks - P&O - Indus (2) | url=https://www.linerwrecks.com/po/wrecks/indus_2.html }}</ref>
==As representative of early Indian art==
[[File:Bharhut Pasenadi Pillar - Dharmachakra.jpg|thumb|left|Relief from Bharhut.]]
[[File:Side railing.png|alt=An image of a Side guard railing around Bharhut Stupa.|thumb|262x262px|Side Guard Railing.]]
In conformity with the early [[Aniconism in Buddhism|aniconic phase]] of [[Buddhist art]], the Buddha is only represented through symbols, such as the [[Dharmacakra|Dharma wheel]], the [[Bodhi tree]], an empty seat, footprints, or the [[triratana]] symbol.<ref name=ArtofBuddhism>{{cite web |title=The Art of Buddhism |url=http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/buddhism/india2b.htm |year=2008 |website=The [[Freer Gallery of Art]] and [[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery]] |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |access-date=29 September 2014 |archive-date=17 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220917160302/https://asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/buddhism/india2b.htm/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The style represents the earliest phase of Indian art, and all characters are depicted wearing the Indian [[dhoti]], except for one foreigner thought to be an [[Indo-Greek]] soldier, with Buddhist symbolism.<ref name="Antiquity, John Boardman 1993, p.112">"The Diffusion of Classical Art in Antiquity, John Boardman, 1993, p.112</ref> The Bharhut carvings are slightly later than the [[Sanchi Stupa No.2]] reliefs and the earlier [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]] frescos.
An unusual feature of the Bharhut panels is the inclusion of text in the narrative panels, often identifying the individuals.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |editor1-last=Luders |editor1-first=H. |editor2-last=Waldschmidt |editor2-first=E. |editor3-last=Mehendale |editor3-first=M. A. |title=Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum |volume=II |chapter=Bharhut Inscriptions |year=1963 |___location=[[Ootacamund]] |publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]}}</ref>
==Inscriptions==
The inscriptions found at Bharhut are of considerable significance in tracing the history of early Indian Buddhism and Buddhist art. 136 inscriptions mention the donors. These include individuals from [[Vidisha]], Purika (a town somewhere in the [[Vindhya Range|Vindhya mountains)]], [[Pataliputra]] ([[Bihar]]), [[Karad|Karhad]] ([[Maharashtra]]), [[Bhojakata]] ([[Vidarbha]], eastern Maharashtra), [[Kosambi]] ([[Uttar Pradesh]]), and [[Nasik]] (Maharashtra). 82 inscriptions serve as labels for panels depicting the [[Jataka]]s, the life of the [[Buddha]], former [[Kassapa Buddha#Manushi Buddhas|Manushi Buddhas]], other stories and [[Yaksha]]s and Yakshinis.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
==Structure and details==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto;" align="center" colspan="2" cellpadding="3" style="font-size: 80%; width: 100%;"
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#CD853F; font-size: 100%;"| '''The Bharhut Stupa'''
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#DEB887; font-size: 100%;"| '''Gateway'''
|-
|[[File:Bharhut Eastern gateway.jpg|250px]]<br />Bharhut eastern gateway.
|The Bharhut eastern gateway is the only remaining of four original gateways. It was made in 100-75 BCE (most probably 75 BCE based on artistic analysis), and is therefore posterior to the railings.<ref name="HPL"/><br />
[[File:Bharhut capital restoration.jpg|thumb|upright|One of the pillar capitals, with lions, [[flame palmette]] in their back, [[rosette (design)|rosettes]] and [[bead and reel|beads-and-reels]] (reconstitution).]]
The craftsmen are thought to have been from northwestern India (probably [[Gandhara]]) as they inscribed mason's marks in [[Kharosthi]], the script of Gandhara, throughout the gateway structure (7 such Kharoshthi mason's marks have been recorded on the gateway).<ref name="Boardman 115"/><ref name="AC"/><ref name="HPL"/> Gandhara was a core territory of the [[Indo-Greek]] kingdom at the time, and these craftsmen probably brought Hellenistic techniques and styles to the manufacture of the gateway.<ref>"There is evidence of Hellenesitic sculptors being in touch with Sanchi and Bharhut" in The Buddha Image: Its Origin and Development, Yuvraj Krishan, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kDyJh--iaL0C&pg=PA9 p.9]</ref> On the contrary mason's marks in the local [[Brahmi]] script have not been found on the gateway, but exclusively on the railings (27 Brahmi mason's mark found), indicating that local craftsmen probably created the railings.<ref name="Boardman 115"/><ref name="p.161"/><ref name="AC"/>
The structure as a whole as well as various elements point to Hellenistic and other foreign influence, such as the fluted bell, addorsed capital of the [[Persepolitan]] order, and the abundant use of the Hellenistic [[flame palmette]] or [[honeysuckle]] motif.<ref name="Krishan"/> Besides the origin of its contributors however, the gateway retains a very strong Indian character.
|-
|[[File:Bharhut gateway front architraves.jpg|250px]]<br />Architraves (front)<br />[[File:Bharhut gateway back architraves.jpg|250px]]<br />Architraves (back)
|[[File:Bharhut ballustrades with Kharoshti mason marks.jpg|thumb|Reconstitution of the architraves, with position of five of the Kharosthi mason's marks.]]
The architraves display scenes of animals who show their devotion to the Buddha (symbolized by the empty throne in the middle). The top architrave (front only) has two lions, one [[griffin]] (left), and one lion with a human head ([[sphinx]] or [[manticore]]). The bottom architraves shows four elephants and two human devotees around the symbolic Buddha.<br />
Between the architraves, are balustrade columns, some of them decorated with Indian figures. Five of the Kharosthi mason's marks (on a total of eight for the whole gateway) were discovered at the base of these columns.<ref name="AC"/><br />
There were similar balustrade columns between the top and the middle architraves, but they have been lost.
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#DEB887; font-size: 100%;"| '''Railings'''
|-
|[[File:Bharhut railings.jpg|250px]]
|The railings are dated to 125-100 BCE, and most probably 100 BCE based on artistic analysis.<ref name="HPL"/> The designs are very developed, and considered as posterior to those of [[Sanchi Stupa No.2]].<ref name="HPL"/>
All the mason's marks are in the local [[Brahmi]] script, of which 28 were found, indicating that local craftsmen probably created the railings.<ref name="AC"/>
The railings are almost entirely covered in reliefs, and display a variety of scenes, from the previous lives of the Buddha called [[Jatakas]], to events of the life of the historical Buddha, to devotional scenes. There are also many individual medallions, thought to represent devotees or donors.
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#D3D3D3; font-size: 100%;"| '''Scenes of devotion'''
|-
|align="center" style="font-size: 100%; width: 1%;"|[[File:Adoration of the Diamond Throne and the Bodhi Tree Bharhut relief.jpg|250px]]
|'''[[Diamond throne]] and [[Mahabodhi Temple]] around the [[Boddhi tree]]'''. According to the inscribed Bharhut relief related to the Diamond throne, the original [[Mahabodhi Temple]] of Asoka was an open pavilion supported on pillars.
[[File:Diamond throne discovery.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Diamond throne]] shown rather exactly in the relief, was rediscovered in the 19th century.]]
In the middle is seen the Diamond Throne or ''Vajrasana'', decorated in front with four flat pilasters. Behind the Throne appears the trunk of the Bodhi Tree, which rises up high above the building, and on each side of the Tree there is a combined symbol of the [[Triratna]] and the [[Dharmachakra]], standing on the top of a short pillar. On each side of the Vajrasana room there is a side room of the same style. The top of the Throne is ornamented with flowers, but there is no figure of Buddha.<ref name="C4">Mahâbodhi, Cunningham [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924008747788 p.4ff] Public Domain text</ref>
The relief bears the inscription: "Bhagavato Sakamuni Bodhi" ("The Bodhi (Tree) of the divine [[Shakyamuni]]"), thereby confirming the meaning of the relief.<ref name="C4"/>
|-
|[[File:Bharhut elephants medallion.jpg|250px]]
|'''Tikutiko Chakamo'''. The inscription above this relief mentions the "Tikutiko Chakamo", or "Three-pointed wheel" (of the law). The scene depicts seven elephants and one great three-headed Serpent (or Naga) together with two lions showing their devotion to this quite particular [[Dharmachakra|Wheel of the Law]].
|-
|colspan=2|<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
File:Worship of Bodhi Tree - Sandstone - ca 2nd Century BCE - Sunga Period - Bharhut - ACCN 294 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2016-03-06 1561.JPG|Worship of the [[Bodhi tree]].
File:Bharhut (Madhya Pradesh), pilastro di vedika, II sec. ac..JPG
File:Worship of Chakra - Sandstone - ca 2nd Century BCE - Sunga Period - Bharhut - ACCN 305 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2016-03-06 1563.JPG|Worship of the [[Dharmachakra]].
File:Worship of Bodhi Tree - Sandstone - ca 2nd Century BCE - Sunga Period - Bharhut - ACCN 293 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2016-03-06 1568.JPG|Worship of the Bodhi tree, with [[Yakshini]].
File:A Royal Couple Visits the Buddha, from railing of the Bharhut Stupa, Shunga dynasty, early 2nd century BC, Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh, India, sandstone - Freer Gallery of Art - DSC05134.JPG|A Royal Couple Visits the Buddha.
File:Bharhut Pasenadi Pillar - Dharmachakra.jpg|Adoration of the Dharmachakra.
</gallery>
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#D3D3D3; font-size: 100%;"| '''Life of the Buddha'''
|-
|[[File:Dream of Maya at Bharhut.jpg|250px]]
|'''Maya's Dream: The virgin conception of the Buddha'''.<br />
This carving of the Dream of [[Maya (mother of the Buddha)|Maya]] relates when the Buddha's mother had a dream of a white elephant entering her body. This is the moment of the Buddha's conception. The sleeping queen is surrounded by three attendants, one of whom flicks a chauri. A water-pot is placed near the head of the bed; at its foot is an incense-burner. The theme of the virgin conception of the Buddha was repeated for many centuries, and was also an important theme in the [[Greco-Buddhist art]] of [[Gandhara]].<br />
The story was also known in the Western world as [[Archelaus (bishop of Carrhae)|Archelaus of Carrhae]] (in 278 CE) and [[Saint Jerome]] (in 340 CE) both mention the Buddha by name and narrate the tradition of his virgin birth.<ref>Intercourse Between India and the Western World: From the Earliest Times to the Fall of Rome, H. G. Rawlinson
Uppal Publishing House, 1992, p.142</ref> It has been suggested that this virgin birth legend of Buddhism [[Buddhism and the Roman world|influenced Christianity]].<ref>The Shape of Ancient Thought, Mc Evilley, Allworth Press, 2001, p.391</ref>
<gallery>
File:Maya's dream Sanchi Stupa 1 Eastern gateway.jpg|Maya's dream, [[Sanchi]], 1st century BCE.
File:MayaDream.jpg|Māyā's dream, [[Gandhara]], 2–3rd century CE.
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Dream of Mayadevi, Mardan (9218153969).jpg|Dream of Mayadevi, [[Mardan]].
File:Maya's Dream and its Interpretation, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century AD, schist - Ethnological Museum, Berlin - DSC01634.JPG|Maya's Dream, [[Gandhara]], 2nd-3rd century CE.
</gallery>
|-
|[[File:Bharhut Ajatasattu Pillar - Siddhattha's Hair.jpg|250px]]
|'''Worshipping Siddhartha's Hair'''
[[File:Trayastrimsa Heaven.jpg|thumb|120px|The same scene at [[Sanchi]].]]
In the lower part of the panel is a company of deities in the [[Trayastrimsa]] heaven, where [[Indra]] held sway, rejoicing over and worshiping the hair of the [[Bodhisattva]]. The story told in the Buddhist scriptures is that, before embracing a religious life, Gautama divested himself of his princely garments and cut off his long hair with his sword, casting both hair and turban into the air, whence they were borne by the devas to the Trayastrimsa heaven and worshiped there.<ref name="Marshall 50">A Guide to Sanchi, John Marshall [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.459148 p.50ff] Public Domain text</ref>
|-
|[[File:Bharhut Ajatasattu Pillar - Descent From Tavatimsa.jpg|250px]]
|
[[File:Descent of the Buddha from the Trayastrimsa Heaven Sanchi Stupa 1 Northern Gateway.jpg|thumb|120px|Descent of the Buddha from the Trayastrimsa Heaven, [[Sanchi]].]]
'''Descent of the Buddha from the [[Trayastrimsa]] Heaven at [[Sankissa]]'''.
The descent of the Buddha from the [[Trayastrimsa]] Heaven, where [[Maya (mother of the Buddha)|Maya]], his mother, had been reborn and whither he himself ascended to preach the Law to her. This miracle is supposed to have taken place at [[Sankissa]] (Sankasya). In the center of the relief is the miraculous ladder by which the Buddha descended, attended by [[Brahma]] and [[Indra]]. At the foot of the ladder the tree and throne, symbols of the presence of the Buddha, with devotees on either side, indicating that the Buddha has returned again to earth.
|-
|[[File:Bharhut Jetavana.jpg|250px]]
|[[File:Anandabodhi2.jpg|thumb|upright|The Jetavahana Monastery today.]]
[[File:Jetavana Garden at Sravasti Bodh Gaya relief.jpg|thumb|upright|An even earlier depiction of the [[Jetavana]] Garden story at [[Sravasti]], [[Bodh Gaya]] [[Mahabodhi Temple]].]]
'''The [[Jetavana]] Monastery.''' The following inscription, which is placed immediately below the sculpture, gives the name of the monastery, as well as that of the builder [[Anathapindika|Anatha-pindika]]: "Jetavana Anadhapediko deti Kotisanthatena Keta" ("Anathapindika presents [[Jetavana]], (having become) its purchaser for a layer of kotis."), kotis being gold coins.
A householder named Anathapindika had purchased the garden of Jeta for a layer of kotis, for 18 kotis of gold, and began to build. In the midst he built Buddha's pavilion. Several monastic buildings were erected by Anathapindika at Jetavana, until [[Gautama Buddha]] came from [[Rajagriha]] to [[Sravasti]], where he was met by the wealthy man [[Setthi]]. The Blessed One, followed by a great company of monks, entered the Monastery of Jetavana. Then Anathapindika asked him, "Lord, how am I to proceed in the matter of this monastery? Since you ask me, householder, bestow this monastery upon the Buddhist clergy, present and to come.' And the great man replied, "It is well. This monastery of Jetavana I give to the clergy, present and to come, in all parts of the world, with the Buddha at their head."<ref name="C84">Mahâbodhi, Cunningham [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924008747788 p.84ff] Public Domain text</ref>
The sculptor has apparently aimed at giving a view of the great Buddhist Vihara of Jetavana, whilst illustrating the story of its establishment by Anathapindika. In the foreground there is a bullock cart, with the bullocks unyoked sitting beside it, and with the yoke tilted up in the air to show that the cart has been unloaded. In front are two men, each holding a very small object between his thumb and forefinger. These are Anathapindika himself, and his treasurer, counting out the gold pieces brought in the cart. Above them are two other figures seated, and busily engaged in covering the surface of the garden with the gold coins, which are here represented as square pieces touching one another, as the price of its purchase. To the left are six other figures, probably Prince Jeta and his friends; and in the very middle of the composition there is Anathapindika himself carrying a vessel, just like a tea kettle, in both hands, for the purpose of pouring water over Buddha's hands as a pledge of the completion of his gift.<ref name="C84"/>
Anathapindika, who became known for his foremost generosity and character upon death entered the [[Tushita]] heaven, and became a [[Bodhisattva]].
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#D3D3D3; font-size: 100%;"| '''Previous lives of the Buddha (Jatakas)'''
|-
|[[File:Bharhut Mahakapi Jataka.jpg|250px]]
|[[File:Railing - 2nd Century BCE - Red Sand Stone - Bharhut Stupa - Madhya Pradesh - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 1852.JPG|thumb|The Mahakapi Jataka is the centerpiece of this railing section.]]
'''[[Mahakapi Jataka]]''' In this [[jataka]] tale, the Buddha, in a previous incarnation as a monkey king, performs an act of self-sacrifice by offering his own body as a bridge, by which his fellow monkeys can escape from a human king who is attacking them. A short section of the river, across which the monkeys are escaping, is indicated by fish designs. Directly below that, the impressed humans are holding out a blanket to catch him when he falls from his position. At the very bottom (continuous narrative), the now recovered Buddha-to-be preaches to the king. (Mahakapi Jataka. Bharhut, c. 100 BCE. Indian Museum, Calcutta.)<br />
The Mahakapi Jataka is also visible at [[Sanchi]] [[:File:Mahakapi Jataka.jpg|in this relief]].
|-
|[[File:Ruru Jataka.jpg|250px]]
|'''Nigrodha Miga Jātaka'''. The Nigrodha Miga Jātaka (Banyan Deer Birth-story, #12 in the E.B. Cowell Jātaka stories, Volume 1) is the story of how in a past birth, born as a golden deer, Bodhisattā rescues a pregnant doe from death by slaughter. The medallion represents 3 scenes: (1) The four deer running away and one of them looking back at the far left and the man with bow at the far right represent the first scene: that of the hunt. (2) The doe lying down at the bottom left looking at the antlered deer represents the second scene: that of the pregnant doe being subjected to the slaughter today but Banyan deer tells her to go and takes her place. Cook/Butcher behind the Banyan deer watches this [and then he goes to tell the King, who comes with his entourage]. (3) The antlered deer sitting in the middle and preaching to the king [who is listening respectfully with folded hands] and his entourage is the third scene: that one should associate with good people.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/j1/j1015.htm | title=The Jataka, Volume I: Book I.--Ekanipāta: No. 12. Nigrodhamiga-Jātaka }}</ref>
|-
|[[File:Bharhut Kurunga Miga Jataka.jpg|250px]]
|'''Kurunga Miga Jataka'''. This story is about three friends who lived in a forest: an [[antelope]], a [[woodpecker]] and a [[tortoise]]. One day, the antelope was caught in the noose of a hunter, and the tortoise endeavoured to bite through the noose to free the antelope, while the woodpecker, was making cries of ill-omen, so that the hunter would remain in his hut. The antelope escaped, but the tortoise, exhausted by her efforts, was caught by the hunter. The antelope then enticed the hunter to follow her in the forest, so that the tortoise was able to flee. The antelope was the Bodhisatta, that is the Buddha in a former life, [[Sāriputta]], a disciple of the Buddha, was the woodpecker, [[Maudgalyayana|Moggallana]], also a disciple, was the tortoise in his former life. [[Devadatta]] however, a traditional enemy of the Buddha, was the hunter.
This story is meant to demonstrate the wickedness of Devadatta, as well as the friendship and collaboration between the Buddha and his disciples, even in previous lives.
|-
|[[File:Muga Pakha Jataka 2.jpg|250px]]
|'''Muga Pakaya Jataka'''/ '''Mugapakkha Jataka'''/ '''Temiya Jataka'''. This is the story of "The dumb Prince". Chanda Devi, the wife of the king of [[Varanasi]], had no son. Sakka, the king of the [[Deva (Buddhism)|devas]], decided to help her. He persuaded the [[Bodhisattva]] (the future Buddha), who was then in the realm of the [[Tavatimsa]], to descend into her womb so that she could bear a child. The Bodhisattva thus entered the womb of the Queen, and when he was born was called Temiya.
Temiya then realized that his father was a king, but having himself been king of [[Varanasi]] in a previous life, a rule which ended with 20.000 years in hell, he did not want to inherit the throne. He thus decided to play dumb and inactive to avoid the inheritance. Being worthless, his father arranged for his death, and ordered the charioteer Sunanda to perform the crime. When Sunanda was digging the grave in preparation, Temiya explained to him his stratagem. Impressed, Sunanda then wanted to be an ascetic and follow Temiya.
Temiya then gave a sermon to the King and the Queen. They were impressed and also expressed the wish to become ascetics. Soon, all the citizens of the kingdom, as well as two neighboring kingdoms, become followers of Temiya.<ref>The Illustrated Jataka & Other Stories of the Buddha by C.B. Varma [http://ignca.nic.in/jatak058.htm The Story of the Dumb Prince] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029223357/http://ignca.nic.in/jatak058.htm |date=2017-10-29 }}</ref>
The relief shows Temiya as a baby in the king's lap (top left). Temiya is then seen standing behind charioteer Sunanda in the cemetery, who is digging the grave (bottom right). Temiya, as an ascetic, then gives a discourse to the people (top right).
|-
|align=center colspan=2|<gallery mode="packed">
File:Bharhut Asadrisa Jataka.jpg|Asadrisa Jataka.
File:Bharhut Bull and Tiger Jataka.jpg|Bull and Tiger Jataka.
File:Bharhut Dasaratha Jataka.jpg|Dasaratha Jataka.
File:Bharhut Chhandantiya Jataka.jpg|Chhandantiya Jataka.
File:Bharhut Isi Singi Jataka.jpg|Isi-Singe Jataka.
File:Bharhut Latuwa Jataka.jpg|Latuwa Jataka.
File:Elephant with Crab Fish and Swan - Sandstone - Circa 2nd Century BCE - Bharhut - ACCN 289 - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2014-02-14 9260.JPG|Naga Jataka.
File:Yavamajhakiya Jataka - Medallion - 2nd Century BCE - Red Sand Stone - Bharhut Stupa Railing Pillar - Madhya Pradesh - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 1836 Cropped.JPG|Yavamajhakiya Jataka.
File:Bharhut Yambumane-Avayesi Jataka or Andha-Bhuta Jataka.jpg|Yambumane-Avayesi Jataka or Andha-Bhuta Jataka.
File:Bharhut Kinara Jataka.jpg|Kinara Jataka.
File:Bharhut Hansa Jataka.jpg|Hansa Jataka.
File:Monkeys riding on an elephant. Bharhut, c. 100 BC. Indian Museum, Calcutta ei05-68.jpg|Monkey Jataka.
File:Monkey Jataka - Medallion - 2nd Century BCE - Red Sand Stone - Bharhut Stupa Railing Pillar - Madhya Pradesh - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 1855 Cropped.JPG|Monkey Jataka.
</gallery>
|-
|state = {{{1<includeonly>|collapsed</includeonly>}}} align=center colspan=2 style="background:#D3D3D3; font-size: 100%;"| '''Individuals'''
|-
|align="center"|[[File:Bharhut Stupa Yavana symbolism.jpg|250px]]
|[[File:Foreigners in Greek dress playing carnyxes and aolus flute at Sanchi.jpg|thumb|150px|Other Greek-looking foreigners, in Greek dress and playing [[carnyx]]es and [[Musical system of ancient Greece|aolus]] flute, are known from the Stupa at [[Sanchi]].]]
'''The [[Bharhut Yavana]].''' The Greeks (specifically the [[Indo-Greeks]]) were evidently known at this date to people in the middle of India and called "[[Yavanas]]"; here, a Greek warrior has been coopted into the role of [[dvarapala]] (Guardian of a temple gate). The evidence includes his hairstyle (short curly hair with Greek royal headband), tunic, and boots. In his right hand he holds a grape plant, emblematic of his origin. The sheath of his broadsword is decorated with a [[nandipada]], symbol of Buddhism.<ref>Faces of Power: Alexander's Image and Hellenistic Politics by Andrew Stewart [https://books.google.com/books?id=1SUw29Q_SeMC&pg=PA180 p.180]</ref><ref name="Antiquity, John Boardman 1993, p.112"/>
There is an inscription above the relief, classified as Inscription 55 in the Pillars of Railing of the SW Quadrant at Bharhut,<ref>[http://www.photodharma.net/Guests/Kawasaki-Bharhut/Cunningham-Bharhut.pdf The Stupa of Bharhut, Cunningham, p.136]</ref> is in the Brahmi script and reads from left to right:<br />
"Bhadanta Mahilasa thabho dânam"<br />
"Pillar-gift of the lay brother Mahila."
|-
|[[File:Lakshmi Bharhut.jpg|250px]]
|[[File:Coin of Azilises showing Gaja Lakshmi standing on a lotus 1st century BCE.jpg|thumb|120px|Lakshmi on a coin of [[Indo-Scythian]] king [[Azilises]].]]
Buddha's mother Mahamaya.also known as '''Māhāmāyā''' and '''Māyādevī''', was the queen of [[Shakya]] and the birth mother of [[Gautama Buddha]], the sage on whose teachings [[Buddhism]] was founded. She was the wife of [[Śuddhodana]], the king of the Shakya kingdom. She was sister of [[Mahapajapati Gotami|Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī]], the first Buddhist nun ordained by the Buddha. But she also used to be an important deity in Buddhism, where she was also a goddess of abundance and fortune, and was represented on the oldest surviving stupas and cave temples.<ref>"The Goddess Lakshmi in Buddhist Art: The goddess of abundance and fortune, Sri Lakshmi, reflected the accumulated wealth and financial independence of the Buddhist monasteries. Her image became one of the popular visual themes carved on their monuments" in Images of Indian Goddesses: Myths, Meanings, and Models, Madhu Bazaz Wangu, Abhinav Publications, 2003, p. 57 [https://books.google.com/books?id=k8y-vKtqCmIC&pg=PA57]</ref><br />
In this typical iconography, called [[Gajalakshmi|'''Māhāmāyā''' and '''Māyādevī''']], she is shown standing on a lotus and being lustrated by two elephants pouring water on her.<br />
Lakshmi already appeared on [[:File:Pantaleon with Lakshmi and Lion.jpg|Indo-Greek coinage as early as 180 BCE]] (as a female dancer holding a lotus flower), and later on [[Indo-Scythian]] coins in the 1st century BCE.
|-
|align=center colspan=2|<gallery mode="packed">
File:Lotus Roundel. Bharhut, c. 100 BC. Indian Museum, Calcutta ei05-26.jpg|Devotee
File:Female Bust - Medallion - 2nd Century BCE - Red Sand Stone - Bharhut Stupa Railing - Madhya Pradesh - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 1846 Cropped.JPG|Female bust
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Female Figure holding a Lotus (9217589463).jpg|Female Figure holding a Lotus
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Female Figure holding a Torch (9220343944).jpg|Female Figure holding a Torch
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male and Female Figures (9217651747).jpg|Male and Female Figures
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male Figure (9217597681).jpg|Male Figure
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male Figure on top of Column (9220336438).jpg|Male Figure on top of Column
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male Figure (9220366388).jpg|Male Figure
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male Figure holding a Lotus (9220374350).jpg|Male Figure holding a Lotus
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male Figure holding a Flower (9220352488).jpg|Male Figure holding a Flower
File:Indian Museum Sculpture - Male Figure (9220381946).jpg|Male Figure
</gallery>
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto;" align="center" colspan="2" cellpadding="3" style="font-size: 80%; width: 100%;"
|-
|align=center colspan=2 style="background:#DEB887; font-size: 100%; width: 1%;"|Bharhut at the time of discovery.
|-
|align=center colspan=2|<gallery mode="Packed" heights="150px">
File:Bharhut rail East Gateway excavation.jpg|East Gateway
File:Bharhut pillar with devotees.jpg|Railing post.
File:Bharhut post reliefs.jpg|Post with reliefs.
File:KITLV 87943 - Unknown - Relief on the Bharhut stupa in British India - 1897.tif|Donators.
File:Sunga period couple in Bharhut India.jpg|Devotees.
File:CunninghamBharhut.jpg|Yakshini.
File:Bharhut pinnacles.jpg|Restoration plans.
</gallery>
|}
==Survival in 11-12th century==
[[File:Bharhut later.jpg|thumb|Buddha sculpture at Bharhut 11-12th cent]]
A Buddha sculpture datable to 11-12th century was also found, in addition to a Sanskrit inscription, belonging to a [[vihara]] structure.<ref name="AC4"/> This demonstrates that Buddhism at the site survived well until 11-12th century, although nothing datable to the intervening period has been found.<ref name="AC4"/>
{{Blockquote|In addition to the magnificent stone railing of the old Stupa, there are the remains of a medieval Buddhist Vihara, with a colossal statue, and several smaller Buddhist figures which cannot be dated much earlier than 1000 A.D. It seems probable, therefore, that the exercise of the Buddhist religion may have been carried on for nearly 15 centuries with little or perhaps no interruption. Everywhere the advent of the Muhammadans gave the final blow to Buddhism, and their bigotry and intolerance swept away the few lingering remains which the Brahmans had spared.|[[Alexander Cunningham]], ''The Stûpa of Bharhut''.<ref name="AC4">{{cite book |last1=Alexander Cunningham |first1=Great Britain India Office |title=The Stûpa of Bharhut: A Buddhist Monument Ornamented with Numerous ... |date=1879 |publisher=W.H. Allen and Co. |page=[https://archive.org/details/stpabharhutabud00offigoog/page/n16 4] |url=https://archive.org/details/stpabharhutabud00offigoog |language=en}}</ref>}}
Although the best known remains are from the 1st centuries BCE/CE, Bharhut, just as [[Sanchi]], continued to be used as a Buddhist monastic center for more than a millennium.<ref name="WMJ643">{{cite book |last1=Johnston |first1=William M. |title=Encyclopedia of Monasticism |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-78716-4 |page=643 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iepJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA643 |language=en}}</ref>
But the monuments of Bharhut were ultimately destroyed and most of the remains were used by local villagers as building material.<ref name="WMJ643"/>
==Recently found Buddhist remains in region near Bharhut and Sanchi==
Several minor Stupas and Buddhist statues have been discovered in the region near Sanchi and Bharhut dating up to 12th century CE. They demonstrate that Buddhism was widespread in this region and not just confined to Sanchi and Bharhut, and survived until 12th century, like the Sanchi complex itself, although greatly declining after 9-10th century. These include:
* Banshipur village, Damoh <ref>Buddhist stupas of Gupta period unearthed, Indian Express, June 17, 1999</ref>
* Madighat in Rewa district<ref>The Statesman, New Delhi, 17/06/99</ref>
* Buddha Danda, Singrauli <ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/68664009.cms Madhya Pradesh: Swastika-shaped 6th century Stupas found, TOI April 1, 2019]</ref>
* Bilahri, Katni <ref>[https://buddhistartnews.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/buddha-stolen-from-bilhari-in-central-india/ Buddha Stolen from Bilhari in Central India, November 30, 2012]</ref>
* Kuwarpur, Sagar Dist/Bansa Damoh Dist<ref>Y.K. Malaiya, “Research Notes,” Anekanta, Vol. 24, No. 5, November 1971, pp. 213-214</ref>
* Damoh Museum Buddha
* [[Deur Kothar]], Rewa
* Devgarh, Lalitpur <ref>[http://navayan.com/buddhavihar.php?city=lalitpur&name=ancient-buddha-vihar-devgarh, Ancient Buddha Vihar, Devgarh]</ref>
* Khajuraho (Museum)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MDkUAQAAMAAJ&q=%22An+inscribed++Buddha+image+at+Khajuraho%22 An inscribed Buddha image at Khajuraho, Devangana Desai, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Volume 79, p. 63]</ref>
* Mahoba,<ref>[http://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/6676.pdf Six Sculptures from Mahoba. BY. K. N. DIKSHIT, New Delhi, 1921]</ref> 11-12th cent. sculptures
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Bharhut yavan.jpg|Bharhut excavation, with the [[Bharhut Yavana]]
File:Statue at Bharhut Stupa.JPG|The [[Yaksha]] relief at Bharhut being worshipped as [[Hanuman]] by local villagers
File:Bharhut Stupa.JPG|The ruined Bharhut Stupa; seen behind it is the Lal Pahadi (Red Mountain)
File:Bharhut inscription1.png|Inscriptions
File:Bharhut inscription2.png|Inscriptions
File:Bharhut inscription3.png|Inscriptions
File:Bharhut inscription4.png|Inscriptions
File:Railing - 2nd Century BCE - Red Sand Stone - Bharhut Stupa - Madhya Pradesh - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2012-11-16 1853.JPG|Railing section at Indian Museum.
</gallery>
==See also==
* [[Sanchi]]
* [[Deorkothar]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Bharhut}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060515043510/http://ignca.nic.in/asp/all.asp?projectid=ac09 Bharhut sculpture images]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100210094456/http://flonnet.com/fl2417/stories/20070907505406400.htm Birth of classic form, BENOY K. BEHL, Frontline, Volume 24 - Issue 17 :: Aug. 25-Sep. 07, 2007, covering the art of the Bharhut Stupa]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060909003459/http://www.stolaf.edu/courses/2002sem2/Art_and_Art_History/265/images3.html Life of the Historical Buddha on the Bharhut Railing]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051120174324/http://ignca.nic.in/asp/showbig.asp?projid=rar26 Medallions from Barhut]
* [http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/NorthIndia/Calcutta/Bharhut01.jpg Railing at Indian Museum]
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