Framing Buddhist Monuments
Casting the Buddha presents an illustrated history of Buddhist monuments in India, spanning 2,500 years. In doing so, it also outlines the evolution of Buddhism in the region. The term 'monumental history' is derived from the Latin word monumentum, meaning a memorial, image, trophy, building, or more broadly, a monument that serves as a reminder of past actors or events. For the purposes of this book, "monumental history' plays on the word 'monument' and discusses Buddhist edifices, sites and connected histories in this context.
While the major focus of the book is on buildings and structures, it also explores tangible representations of the Buddha and artefacts related to him, such as sculptures, images, votive stupas (also described as burial ad sanctos), paintings, tablets, miniature images, shrines and steles. In a way, it offers an examination of the different material forms-direct, symbolic or extended-in which the 'Enlightened One' was cast.
Does the book document every Buddhist monument in India? No, it does not. Such an exhaustive catalogue would be impossible within the finite scope of this work. Instead, it examines representative monuments to highlight broader trends and patterns. The chapters uncover hidden layers, complexities, intersections and variations across time and space. They reveal how the lives of the monuments closely resonated with those of the people and communities surrounding them monks, laity, kings, traders, guilds, occupational groups, landlords, agriculturists and villagers. Over time, these structures acquired different meanings and forms, even after their primary builders were long gone and they were no longer in active use.
Another striking feature is the way the book links philosophical and doctrinal developments with architecture. It shows how buildings along with connected sculptures and artefacts, evolve in relation to changes within the Buddhist faith and its rituals. This evolution is not just limited to developments within the Buddhist faith, but also in Hinduism, Jainism, popular cults and other renunciatory and ascetic traditions. With these layers in mind, the book proposes a new framework for studying such monuments.
HOW THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT
Books about Buddhist monuments in India are few and far between. Most books expound on the Buddha's life and times, his teachings, Buddhist sects, philosophical schools and metaphysics. They are based almost exclusively on textual sources. Among those connected with monuments, a couple of notable works are Percy Brown's Indian Architecture: Buddhist and Hindu Periods (1956) and Sukumar Dutt's Buddhist Monks and Monasteries of India (1962), both of which focus on architecture or a category of monuments. In fact, the first book to address the subject directly was Debala Mitra's Buddhist Monuments (1971). With an archaeological orientation, it provided a contemporary overview of Buddhist monuments. Now, of course, it has become a bit dated, both in terms of coverage and treatment.
In addition to these broader works, there are guides published on individual Buddhist monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) These are quite informative and offer a basic outline of the monuments at a particular site. Unfortunately, most of these guidebooks are not updated periodically, which means the research is quite outdated. Outside of the ASI, there are few good guidebooks available Most works that help to form our understanding of monuments, be it academic or guidebooks, focus on physicality the buildings, the structures, the sculptures and the architecture. Sometimes, they also use technical language that can be intimidating to non-specialists.
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