Buddha statues found during field study (1993-2012) - Thanjavur district
After registering for my M.Phil., in Madurai Kamaraj University during 1993 I decided to visit the Buddha statues exhibited in museums. After seeing the Buddha statues of the Chola country in Thanjavur Art Gallery, Tamil University Museum, Chennai Government Museum and State Archaeology of Government of Tamil Nadu, I was in search of the Buddha statues which were identified by other scholars. During field study I came to know that some of the statues were missing. During such a field work I got information about two new granite Buddhas and one Nagapattinam bronze Buddha.
AYYAMPET (1999)
After registering for my research, I started searching Nagapattinam Buddha bronze. Since 1856 more than 350 Buddha bronze statues were found in Nagapattinam. They are exhibited in various museums in and outside India. Though I searched for such a bronze Buddha since 1993, I could able to identify one Buddha only in 1999, with the help of Mr Ayyampet Selvaraj. During the field study carried with him I had the chance of seeing one Nagapattinam Buddha bronze at Ayyampet in Thanjavur district. The Buddha was worshipped as Munisvaran. It was found in bhumisparsa mudra. In my collections I have one such photograph of Nagapattinam Buddha bronze from National Museum, Kolkata.
GOPINATHAPERUMALKOVIL (FEBRUARY 2002)
Though I came to know that there were Buddha statues in and around Pattiswaram, Pazhayarai, Tiruvalanjuzhi, Cholanmaaligai and Muzhaiyur it took much time to reach out those Buddhas. For this I had to undertake many field trips either individually or with my friends or with other scholars. During one such a trip I found a Buddha in a coconut grove. It was found without head in a place called Gopinathaperumalkovil at a distance of 2 km from Pattiswaram in Pattiswaram-Tiruvalanjuzhi road in Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. The statue was found in sitting dhyana posture. On the right palm dharmachakra mudra was found.With broad shoulders it was very beautiful to look. It had all the regular iconographic features of the Chola Buddhas.
GOPINATHAPERUMALKOVIL (JUNE 2002)
After four months when I had been there once again to see the Buddha, I am surprised to a stone upside down. Later I came to know it was also a Buddha statue. The resting legs on the pedestal proved it was Buddha. Like the above Buddha, this Buddha also had dharmachakra mudra. This Buddha was also without head. Never in my field study I found two Buddhas like this within a short distance.
After more than a decade, in August 2011, I wanted to see those Buddhas and went there. To my shock I saw in the coconut groves so many banana trees. The Buddha statues were not there. I searched in and around that place but in vain. When I enquired about those Buddhas, I learnt that they were missing since 2006 or 2007. The remnants of history now became the thing of the past, for which I felt much.
In toto, during my field study in Thanjavur district, I got information about one Nagapattinam Buddha bronze and 17 granite Buddhas. In the Chola country - Thanjauvur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Trichy, Karur, Perambalur and Ariyalur - only Thanjavur district had much number of Buddha statues. Let us discuss about the experiences which I had faced in these places after some time.
My thanks are to Mr Ayyampet Selvaraj who was instrumental to find the Nagapattinam Buddha bronze which was under worship in Ayyampet. My thanks are also to Tamil Murasu (1.2.2002), Dinamalar (2.2.2002), Dina Thanthi (2.2.2002), Dinamani (3.2.2002), Dinakaran (3.2.2002), Dina Boomi (3.2.2002) and Kalaikkathir (3.2.2002) which published the newsitem about the Gopinathaperumalkovil Buddha which I found during field study. Some of the news clippings are found in the followig link
http://www.facebook.com/buddhismincholacountry
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SOME MORE TO SHARE
Recently we went to Manthralaya and Hampi. The tour experiences of our family members are shared by my wife Mrs Bagyavathi in her article in Dinamani 28.4.2013. I hope you will enjoy it in the following link.
 |
| Nagapattinam Buddha bronze in Ayyampet (1999) Photo: Dr B Jambulingam |
GOPINATHAPERUMALKOVIL (FEBRUARY 2002)
Though I came to know that there were Buddha statues in and around Pattiswaram, Pazhayarai, Tiruvalanjuzhi, Cholanmaaligai and Muzhaiyur it took much time to reach out those Buddhas. For this I had to undertake many field trips either individually or with my friends or with other scholars. During one such a trip I found a Buddha in a coconut grove. It was found without head in a place called Gopinathaperumalkovil at a distance of 2 km from Pattiswaram in Pattiswaram-Tiruvalanjuzhi road in Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. The statue was found in sitting dhyana posture. On the right palm dharmachakra mudra was found.With broad shoulders it was very beautiful to look. It had all the regular iconographic features of the Chola Buddhas.
 |
| Buddha in Gopinathaperumalkovil, near Pattiswaram, Thanjavur district (February 2002) Photo: Dr B Jambulingam |
After four months when I had been there once again to see the Buddha, I am surprised to a stone upside down. Later I came to know it was also a Buddha statue. The resting legs on the pedestal proved it was Buddha. Like the above Buddha, this Buddha also had dharmachakra mudra. This Buddha was also without head. Never in my field study I found two Buddhas like this within a short distance.
After more than a decade, in August 2011, I wanted to see those Buddhas and went there. To my shock I saw in the coconut groves so many banana trees. The Buddha statues were not there. I searched in and around that place but in vain. When I enquired about those Buddhas, I learnt that they were missing since 2006 or 2007. The remnants of history now became the thing of the past, for which I felt much.
In toto, during my field study in Thanjavur district, I got information about one Nagapattinam Buddha bronze and 17 granite Buddhas. In the Chola country - Thanjauvur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Trichy, Karur, Perambalur and Ariyalur - only Thanjavur district had much number of Buddha statues. Let us discuss about the experiences which I had faced in these places after some time.
My thanks are to Mr Ayyampet Selvaraj who was instrumental to find the Nagapattinam Buddha bronze which was under worship in Ayyampet. My thanks are also to Tamil Murasu (1.2.2002), Dinamalar (2.2.2002), Dina Thanthi (2.2.2002), Dinamani (3.2.2002), Dinakaran (3.2.2002), Dina Boomi (3.2.2002) and Kalaikkathir (3.2.2002) which published the newsitem about the Gopinathaperumalkovil Buddha which I found during field study. Some of the news clippings are found in the followig link
http://www.facebook.com/buddhismincholacountry
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PREACHING OF BUDDHA
Pare ca na vijananti - mayamettha yamamase
Ye ca tattha vijananti - tato sammanti medhaga.
Ye ca tattha vijananti - tato sammanti medhaga.
QUARRELS CEASE THROUGH RIGHT THINKING
"The others know not that in this quarrel we perish; those of them who realize it, have their quarrels calmed thereby" -The Dhammapada6
Story
A trivial incident led to an unfortunate dispute amongst the monks in the city of Kosambi. The quarrelsome monks did not listen even to the Buddha. In the end the Buddha retired to a forest and spent the raiy season there. Owing to pressure brought on them by the laity, the monks approached the Buddha and, imploring His pardon, invited Him to the city. The Buddha then admonished them.
(The Dhammapada, Narada Thera, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, ROC, 1993)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SOME MORE TO SHARE
Recently we went to Manthralaya and Hampi. The tour experiences of our family members are shared by my wife Mrs Bagyavathi in her article in Dinamani 28.4.2013. I hope you will enjoy it in the following link.
Many times I get confused. How do we make out that the statue is of Buddha or some jain theerthangkara. I feel they look similar.
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