The Chauri-bearer Attendants of Buddha: Different Phases of Iconographic Development in Buddhist Art of Western Deccan

In the early phase of Buddhist art, symbols were used to represent Buddha, in which two attendants or devotees were usually displayed with these symbols; this tradition also continued with Buddha images. Initially, these attendants were depicted as Yakshas or divine attendants. Many examples of this depiction are found in early sculptures of Buddha from the Kushana period. In the course of development, the place of these attendants was taken over by the Chauri-bearer Bodhisattvas. In view of the iconographic study of this form of Buddhist art, various art centres of western Deccan, such as Ajanta, Bhaja, Karle, Junnar, Kanheri, Aurangabad and Ellora, are of special importance. There have been many stages of the iconographic development of these attendants, and it is full of variations. As far as Buddhist sculptures of western Deccan are concerned, they can be divided into two periods. In the first period, there are examples related to Mahāyāna tradition and examples related to Vajrayāna tradition are almost negligible. Buddhist sculptures of Ajanta, Nasik, Karle, Kuda caves and some examples of early period of Kanheri and Aurangabad can be included under this category. On the other hand, the later sculptures of Ellora, Aurangabad and Kanheri come in the second category, in which the transition period of Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna and the development of Vajrayāna tradition is seen, respectively. In these statues, along with the iconographic development of Avalokiteśvara, Vajrapān.i, Mañjuśrı̄ and Maitreya Bodhisattvas, the iconographic development of monk attendants and Tārā is also visible. In the present study, an attempt has been made to study the iconographic development of these attendants carved along with Buddha in the cave monasteries of the western Deccan.