Jaina Stupa At Mathura Art And Icons

Author(s): Renuka J Porwal
Publisher: Prachya Vidyapith

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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
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West were collaborating, as ever, through their art creations no less than through exchange of goods as attested by Periplus and Pliny, Strabo and Virgil".2
As observed by Dr. Ghosh, Gandhara art style is said to be a Hellenic art with Indian influence. This shows that artists were migrating to develop the art schools of their own where the creativity was never restricted within limits of states and boundaries.
The place Gandhara denotes ancient Indian Territory covering Peshawar, Swat (previous name is Uḍḍiyāna), Bunāra in the North region up to the Indus in the east and the neighbouring districts as well as Takṣaśilā in the south east. The whole region was divided mainly into two parts - Puskalāvatī3 and Takṣaśilā1.
3.3 The impact of Gandhara Art style on Mathura School:
The influence of Hellenistic work is traced on some of the Ayagapaṭas and capital brackets from Mathurā - viz. the wine-creeper on a side of an Ayagapaṭa (fig. 106) donated by Śivaghosaka's wife, a pair of lion with a human face flanking the symbol of three jewels on an Ayagapaṭa of a wheel (fig. 108), a border of wine creeper on the back of an Ayagapata (Q 3 MM.), the veneration of stūpa (fig. 19, 20) by centaurs (Kinnaras) and harpis (Suparnas), etc. These are the excellent examples of adoption of Assyrian art by Mathura artists.5
Gandhara was connected with many road routes for easy transportation. Even Megesthenese travelled through Royal road from Gandhāra to Pataliputra. The people from Greece, Persia, India, China, Mesopotemia etc. resided together in Gandhāra to develop their business and art. The traditional and cultural art depicted on stones by the Gandhara artists have left ever lasting impression on Buddhism and Jainism, viz. life incidents of Buddhas and Jinas as well as śālabhañjikās showing women delicately engaged in their routine work.
The influence of the western art entered Gandhāra territory under the Parthian patronage, became the characteristic of Gandhāra art style which
Ghosh, Art pilgrimage..., 612.
It is called Carsada, but again changed to Puṣkalāvati as per the lecture on Indus Civilisation in seminar (Bombay Uni., 2007).
East Gandhāra now Taxila.
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Smith V., Jaina Stupa at Mathura, 1900., pl. - XLIII, pl. - XXXVII, pl. - X, pl. - VIII (fig. 27).