Page:A guide to the sculptures in the Indian museum - Part I - N. G. Majumdar.djvu/33

20 with folded hands. The other face of this panel (247) shows probably the Buddha's promenade between a range of pillars. Relief 304, which is a full medallion, depicts a shrine with vaulted roof supported on a number of pillars and having two arched doors, at each of which is a seated devotee dressed in rich attire. A. pair of birds is perched on the roof of the shrine and there are two palm trees in front. Lastly, we come to 305 which shows a Dharmachakra on pillar with a circle of worshippers around. These reliefs, which do not seem to be connected with any special scenes relating to the Buddha’s Religion, serve the decorative purpose admirably in an edifice of this nature. There now remain to be considered a few accessory figures occurring around the medallions. The half and full medallions are balanced respectively by two and four stems of flowers or fruits, each emerging or hanging down from the side of a medallion. The flower stems often carry not only figures of animals and birds, but also, what is of much greater interest, figures of man and woman in different poses. The woman is often in the act of bending the twig of a blossoming Śāla tree. Often she lifts her hand in order to pluck a mango fruit or a flower hanging over head, and at times she carries also a flower; while elsewhere both

The poses are evidently taken by the artists from the games (krīslā) known as Śālabhanjihā ('braking the brunch of a Śāla tree'), SahakādraiArijH* ('plucking mr.O(io fruit*'), iluApiStatAa- yjM ('plucking Mover*'), l/MUJnia jMtipod/utnjiU ('plucking V'dilAlaka flowcra'I, etc. For acme of the games are JCCmaMra, llaeartw. 19t0. po. 4N-4H. Miyidevt, thu Kmlilha’a mother, went to l.timliinl to toko part in the Snlabkaftjika play (Mah/lratl*, II, ID. 10) sad was deilvctwl of the child M a ho was bolding oa to the branch of a 6ila trro.