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Bāgh Gaï

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The main site of Bāgh Gaï (abbreviation: B) consisted of an enclosure reinforced with corner towers, composed of two adjoining parts, square in shape and similar in size: the Stūpa Court to the south-east and the monastery to the north-west. To the east stood other ruins belonging to distant monuments. Beyond, a smaller enclosure reduced to three stūpa must, given its orientation, have been independent of the main site. To the west lay a third site, even more restricted. A final area revealed three stūpa and a small monastery.

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The main enclosure was accessed from the south-east of the plateau, where a staircase (or a ramp) was to be built according to Barthoux. The two corners of the enclosure were reinforced by solid towers. The centre of the courtyard was occupied by the Main Stūpa B12, whose staircase faced the gate. It was flanked by four stūpa, symmetrical in pairs. Between stūpa B12 and its secondary stūpa B13, two schist scenes were discovered depicting the Fencing Contest and the Exhortation to Preach. Another row of stūpa was aligned at the front; two further lateral rows had been interrupted. All around, on three sides, wide and deep chapels opened onto the courtyard. The rear wall adjoined that of the monastery, which was composed of an uninterrupted series of cells of uniform depth but variable width. The north and west sides had been destroyed. The monastery courtyard was neither paved nor stuccoed, but levelled. Its entrance gate, located in the north-west corner, was flanked by two towers. Another imposing tower reinforced the northern corner of the enclosure.

To the east appeared walls that Barthoux did not consider worth clearing. Beyond lay Vihāra B51, remarkable for being surrounded by a double enclosure which, seen from the outside, had the appearance of a stūpa. Not far away stood a second important Vihāra, B56, sheltering a stūpa. Part of its decoration was devoted to the modelled representation of a mokṣa ceremony. A monumental and unfinished mural painting of the Conversion of Aṅgulimāla was also uncovered there. In the vacant space left between these two complexes stood isolated stūpa that appeared to be independent.

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HADB373, Warrior Head

To the north rose substantial constructions, unfortunately almost entirely destroyed. All that remained was an enclosure containing stūpa B70 with two staircases, bearing a modelled representation of the episode of the Elephant Subdued by the Buddha. Each staircase was flanked by two stūpa erected on a terrace. This arrangement is not unique to Haḍḍa, but it is remarkable: in most cases, stūpa were built in front of the staircases but outside the terrace. This particular arrangement indicates that provision had been made from the outset of construction to leave the necessary space for erecting the secondary stūpa. On stūpa B66, a representation of the tribute of the Nāga king Kālikā was modelled in clay. Outside the enclosure, seven small stūpa were aligned side by side. There is no doubt that the space between these monuments was once built upon, but the bare ground no longer showed any trace of it. To the east of Vihāra B51, the discovery of noteworthy modellings suggested the presence of significant constructions.

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Objects from this site

71 objects catalogued

Works by find context (71)

Grouped by architectural feature number (Barthoux); the inventory number tells apart identical titles.

Architectural feature 5633
Composition
  • Warrior12
  • Donor5
  • Bodhisattva4
  • Demon4
  • Brahmin4
  • Deity3
  • Monk1
See architectural feature page
Architectural feature 127
Architectural feature 557
Composition
  • Warrior2
  • Deity2
  • Bodhisattva1
  • Demon1
  • Brahmin1
See architectural feature page
Architectural feature 706
Composition
  • Warrior3
  • Monk2
  • Other1
See architectural feature page
Architectural feature 653
Artworks by location number· 4 numbers · 1–2 works each5
Composition
  • Bodhisattva2
  • Warrior1
  • Donor1
  • Monk1
Artworks without location number10