In search of imprints of Buddhism : Ayyampet

After registering for research, among others, I started to search for a new Nagapattinam Buddha bronze in the study area. I attempted to find one such bronze since 1993. But only in 1999, I had the chance of seeing it. This is the second finding, the first one being the moustach Buddha.

 

Since 1856 more than 350 Buddha bronzes were unearthed, from Nagapattinam. They are exhibited in many museums in India and abroad. During the field study carried out alongwith Mr Ayyampet Selvaraj, we found a new Nagapattinam Buddha bronze sculpture in Ayyampet, Thanjavur district. The family members who came from Nagapattinam and settled at Ayyampet worship the Buddha as Munisvaran, for the past three generations. It is of 9 cm height. 

The left hand rests on the lap while the right hand is in bhumisparsa or earth-touching attitude. The face, body, and the upper garment are not clear. The iconographical feature of this image resembled one of the Nagapattinam Buddha bronzes exhibited in the Indian Museum in Kolkata. (The following newsclippings pertaining to this finding were from Tamil dailies Dinamalar, Malai Murasu, and Tamil Murasu)

 

In the press release Mr Ayyampet Selvaraj discusses about the sculpture. After giving a detailed account about the Buddha he quotes my work in it. "....The above information is confirmed in the photographic documentation of Nagapattinam Buddha bronzes by Jambulingam, who is doing a doctoral research in the School of Philosophy of Tamil University, under the title Buddhism in Chola Nadu....." 

 

In the Government Museum at Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, large number of Nagapattinam Buddha bronzes are exhibited. In the Art Gallery of Thanjavur, one such bronze is found. Now, Ayyampet gets the place of having such sculpture. These types of Nagapattinam sculptures were found in many places in the Chola country in recent times.  

The field study to Ayyampet to see the Buddha and the media reports about the finding are unforgettable to me. This is the only Nagapattinam Buddha bronze found during field trip. In my Ph.D. thesis submitted to Thanjavur, Tamil University, I enclosed the news clipping pertaining to this finding. 

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Thanks: Mr Ayyampet Selvaraj, dailies  

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தமிழில் வாசிக்க : பௌத்த சுவட்டைத் தேடி : அய்யம்பேட்டை

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