SYMBOLISM IN BUDDHIST ART OF EARLY INDIA

Abstract

The present paper is for all those interested to know about the one main feature of the Early Buddhist art in India- the initial absence of the Buddha image. Historians have given various views on the subject and also discussed the subsequent evolution of the Buddha image in the early centuries CE. However, only passing references have been made to the use of Symbols. Through this article an attempt is being made to provide an overview of ‘Symbolism’ in the Buddhist art of Early India with the hope that besides stimulating the interest of the readers in the subject, it will also introduce them to other related topics such as the Stupa, Buddhist iconography, etc. The paper has been divided into two sections. In the first section, various types of symbols used by the artists to denote ‘Buddha’s presence’ have been discussed. Debates regarding the theory of ‘aniconism’ have also been touched upon. The second section deals with the iconic phase i.e. the phase when the anthropomorphic image of the Buddha came into being, and ‘Symbolism’ was accorded new significance.