Hyderabad: 10th century Amitabha Buddha sculptures found

Hyderabad: Two Buddha sculptures surfaced at Alampur, the temple town in Jogulamba-Gadwal district considered as the western gateway to Srisailam and also a seat of one of the Shakti Peethas and Navabraheswara temple complex.

Archaeologist E Sivanagi Reddy said, based on information provided by famous historian the late BSL Hanumantha Rao, he visited Alampur and studied the Buddha sculptures in detail and found carved on the ceilings on the Maha Mandapas of Suryanarayana and Papanaseswara Temples.

According to Sivanagi Reddy, the Buddha sculpture of Suryanarayan temple is seated under the Bodhi tree in Dhyanamudra (contemplating meditation) with an attendant and Brahma sculpture. It measures three feet in width and height and four inches in thickness, carved in relief style. Similar Buddha idol of the same proportions and posture was found at Papanaseswara temple rebuilt on the outskirts of Alampur. It represents Vishnu as one of his ten incarnations (Dasavataras).

Based on the iconography and style, the two sculpture identified as Amitabha Buddha sculptures famous in Vajrayana Buddhism, Sivanagi Reddy opined that some more research needs to be carried out to establish the context in which these two Buddha sculptures were incorporated into the Vaishnava pantheon. The two Buddha sculptures from Alampur assume greater significance on Buddha Jayanthi day, added Reddy.