Title
Model of the Bodhgaya temple
Year/Period
11th-12th centuries
Region
Bodhgaya, Bihar, India
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: H 18.4 x W 5.5 x L 9 cm
Accession No.
1997-04794
Collection of
This model of a temple is richly carved with images of Buddha in meditation and teaching. The tall with tapered form has a shrine at the base with an entrance supported by two pillars. Originally, there were four small spires at the corners of the shrine. The tower has many tiers of gavaksha (window) openings in descending order. At the base of the upper level there is an arched doorway overlooking the main entrance while at the rear is a bodhi tree. The lowest section of the wall has seated images in single niches separated by plasters. This temple has been restored many times in the past, the most significant being the 11th-century restoration by the Burmese king Kyanzittha (1048-1112) and his son Alaungsitthu.
