________________
The other Excavated Artefacts of Mathurā
141
21) Āyāgapața accn. no. J.264 LM.
This is a fragment of svastika. Its outer ring holds the adorant yaksis
same as in the Āyāgapața of svastika. 22) Āyāgapața accn. no. J. 254 LM.
It has a record of installation of Vardhamāna pratimā.
23) Ayāgapata accn. no. J.618 LM.:
This fragment shows sankha-nidhi and winged animal.
5.5
Railing Pillars: The railing pillars with female figures of Mathurā School are most cheerful, elegant and charming depicting day to day life activities of Indian female. The explorations at K. T. Mathurā, in the year 1888 to 1891 in three seasons resulted in the great bulk of Jaina antiquities including railing pillars. On the basis of palaeography and style of art motifs, scholars agreed that the rail posts and toraṇas belonged to two Jain stūpas, one existed in early Sunga age and another was present in Kuşāņa period, survived till destroyed by the invader. The very rich art specimens of railings are analysed by art historians and opined that the School of Mathurā is more related to Bhārhut than to Sāñchi recognised by some fragmentary-sculptures of the second century B.C.25. Though not a single complete stūpa was found at Mathurā but from the available toranas, and railing pillars at Mathurā one can judge that they were Jaina and Buddhist stūpa enclosures. The railing with its various components was the main object of early Indian art for demonstrating both architectural grandeur and figural carving. The embellished stupendous railings round the Buddhist stūpas of Bhārhut, Sāñchi (stūpa II) and Bodhagayā and at Jaina stūpa at Mathurā (Kankāli Tilā) are the fine example of the art26. The female figures carved on the railing pillars are the finest creations of the Mathurā School, displayed in very attractive and joyous attitudes without any hint of sensuous narration or degraded in the name of art. The upright pillars with female figures are sometimes joined together by three cross bars inserted in the mortises cut into the same & held on top and at bottom, by stones (fig. 132). They are 4.5 ft high adorned
25 Coomarswami, HIIA, (London, 1927), pp 37 26 P.K. Agrawal, Mathurā Railing..., 1966., pp 2
