BUDDHA IN MEDITATION

The famous pose of Gautam Buddha, sitting in a lotus pose (padmaasana), with a serene expression lighting up his countenance is as engrossing as the meditation itself. A rather full-bodied Siddharth Gautam is sculpted out of stone with a delicately carved out aura behind his calm face. His robe is carefully pleated and draped around his body and the hair has the curly Greek influence in a 'Jata' or tied up locks. The prabhamandala (aura) contrasting his countenance, the snail shell curls of the hair, the ushnish (cranial protuberance of his head ), and the pleated sanghati (robe) falling from his left shoulder are characteristics developed during the reign of the Gupta dynasty (5th cent. A.D.) in India.

Siddharth was a prince by birth and only knew the grandeur and opulence that surrounded him. He was only given to experience the best and the happiest life had to offer. But all that wealth and luxury could not offer Siddharth the peace of mind he deeply missed. A procession around his kingdom revealed to him the different stages of birth, childhood, adulthood, old age, disease and death. For the first time he was exposed to the misery that life could unleash upon human kind. He also chanced upon a Yogi sitting deep in meditation and knew this at once to be is calling. He renounced the kingdom, his family, his belongings, everything and headed for the woods in search of a remedy for this misery.