Government of India- 3372 views
DIDARGANJ YAKSHI
Through the annals of time, history has thrived on discoveries that have shaken erstwhile beliefs and theories of the ancient past. India is replete with such unearthed treasures, one of them being the Chauri-Bearer (flywhisk-bearer) statue from Didarganj, commonly known as Didarganj Yakshi. A beautiful admixture of Buddhist elements of art, with supposed Mauryan standards of beauty, this sculpture has piqued and garnered interest from various spheres. Standing at 5’2” in height on a pedestal and made of polished chunar sandstone, this exemplary stone sculpture exudes excellent craftsmanship and detailing at first glance. As one marvels further at the sculpture, the stone enlivens and ceases to be just stone: it becomes an element with life in it, waiting to tell its story.
Chauri-bearer from Didarganj, Bihar Museum
Another view of the Chauri-bearer from Didarganj
Found in 1917 on the muddy banks of the River Ganga in Didarganj city of Bihar, this statue has varying stories about its unearthing. One of the accounts states that the base of the statue was seen sticking out of the banks and eventually dug out, revealing the Didarganj Yakshi. The other more dramatic account that was based on a confidential police report filed by the inspector reveals the story of the unearthing wherein, the villagers of that area while hunting for a snake that had escaped and slithered near the statue, chanced upon the buried sculpture and dug it out. As it is with history, absolutes are rare and different, and interpretations co-exist with each other.
Some scholars differ on the identity of the sculpture, with it being labelled as a yakshi which was an otherworldly spirit that didn’t attest to a yakshini’s general characteristics. The statue is also considered to be a ganika or a highly-skilled courtesan. Similarly, the dating of the Chauri-bearer statue as well as its style, has differing views. Scholars date the sculpture as belonging to the 3rd century BCE based on the polish of the statue which is often placed in the Mauryan era art, whereas some date it to a later period of Kushanas and compare it with the Mathura Yakshis of the 2nd century CE.
The myriad of facets associated with the statue have awed scholars. The statue epitomises ancient art, with elements like the intricate chauri or flywhisk in the right hand, the slightly bent posture with one leg bent, as if weighed by the flywhisk, the exquisite hairstyle with the heavily bejewelled upper part, contrasting with the lack of the same in the lower portion and covered only in a single sheer drapery and a beaded accessory below the waist, all set in stone. The sculpture is said to possess the hallmarks of beauty like 'griva trivali', which are three-fold lines on the neck and 'katyavali', which are folds of flesh at the waist. The rich iconography of the sculpture from Didarganj is a delight to behold. It is celebrated widely, evident by its current position in the Bihar Museum, where thousands flock to look at the ancient sculptural marvel displayed in all its splendour and glory. Didarganj Yakshi is a sculptural gem that has survived the travails of time and stands as an embodiment of ancient craftsmanship. Interestingly, its image was used as a Festival of India stamp in 1985.
The Festival of India stamp (1985)
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