Dear Sir, Thank you. Sir John Marshalls GUIDE TO SANCHI, an older and authoritative book, has the following about the architraves of the northern gateway of Stupa I:
MIDDLE ARCHITRAVE:-- Seven trees with thrones in front, worshippers on either side, and celestial beings above. Like the series of stupas and trees on the top architrave, they stand for the seven Buddhas, viz.: from l. to r., the patali (bignonia) of Vipasyin, the fig (?ficus elastica) of Sikhin, the sala (shorea robusta) of Visvabhu, the sirisha (acacia sirissa) of Krakucchanda, the udumbara (ficus glomerata) of Kanakamuni, the nyagrodha=banyan (ficus indica) of Kasyapa, and the asvattha=pipal (ficus religiosa) of Sakyamuni. These are the Manushi or human Buddhas. (This reply may be continued later for the other interesting points in Dr. Vijayasankar's mail.) KM From: Vijayasankar <[email protected]>Sent: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 02:16:38 To: efloraofindia <[email protected]>, [email protected]: Re: [efloraofindia:192308] Photo of a Bharhut Tree According to PLANT MYTHS & TRADITIONS IN INDIA by Shakti M. Gupta, "...There are a large number of trees, popularly called the Bodhi trees, associated with the name of sages who received enlightenment under them, thus making the trees sacred. For instance Aswattha (Ficus religiosa) is the bodhi tree of Sakya Muni or Buddha; Nyagrodha (Ficus bengalensis) of Kasyapa; Udumbara (Ficus glomerata) of Kanaka muni; Sirisa (Albizzia labbek) of Krakuchhanda; Asoka (Saraca indica) of Vipaswi; Pundarika (Nelumbium speciosum) of Sikhi."And, several other popular plants such as mango, asoka, have also been depicted in these sculptures. The leaves are more or less comparable to that of Anthocephalus cadamba and Ficus sp., but the flowers look very different. We need to consider the possibility of combination of more than one species in one design. If you see the picture at http://www.photodharma.net/Guests/Kawasaki-Bharhut/Bharhut.htm it has the flowers and floral buds exactly matching to the ones depicted in the picture originally posted by Mankodi ji. Thus, the same type of flowers were included in designing two or more different kinds of plants, in this case one is a tree and the other is a herb/climber (see the picture below). In this view, the flowers look like Lotus flowers (Nelumbo nucifera). The circular, peltate leaf (of lotus) is also present in the design in the above link (also see the picture below). Here is a combined view with matching images: This is again an opinion only. So, the tree with leaf could be of a species of Ficus (mainly due to the branching pattern)?Thank you Regards Vijayasankar -------------------------------------------------------------------Vijayasankar Raman, Ph.D.National Center for Natural Products ResearchUniversity of Mississippi On Sat, Jun 28, 2014 at 8:27 AM, satyendra tiwari <[email protected]> wrote: I was discussing this matter to some monk in Sanchi on my last visit few yrs back. I asked him about the trees carved on sanchi gate and he said all the trees carved on Buddhist pillars or monument are same as under which Buddha got his enlightenment. So they all should be some sort of Ficus. Artistic licence may have varied the leaf / flower pattern. On 28 June 2014 18:36, Satish Phadke <[email protected]> wrote: Some Ficus.... Dr Satish Phadke On 28 June 2014 17:09, radha veach <[email protected]> wrote: Dear Sir,thank you for the additional image.At this point I think we can safely discount Couroupita because that tree has the unique feature of bearing flowers on leafless stems which grow directly from the trunk of the tree. In this picture one can clearly see a stem with both flowers and leaves. Also the flowers in her hand have numerous petals and Couroupita flowers have only 6 rounded petals.best regardsRadha On 28 June 2014 16:14, Kirit Mankodi <[email protected]> wrote: Dear Madam, Earlier I had posted photos where boughs, leaves and blossoms were visible. Now I attach a photo of the same sculpture with a small bunch of flowers in her hand. I think you may be right after all, for the flowers do resemble Neolamarckia cadamba! You and the other members, Dr. Phadke, Dr. Vijayasankar and all are requested to continue taking an interest in the sculpture. Many thanks. (Dr.) Kirit Mankodi Project for Indian Cultural Studies Franco-Indian Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. 20 Dr. E. Moses Road Mumbai 400011 From: radha veach <[email protected]>Sent: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 09:17:27 To: Kirit Mankodi <[email protected]>Cc: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, Anna Pinto <[email protected]>Subject: Re: Photo of a Bharhut TreeDear Sir,I am sending you the link to an image of Couroupita leaves for your reference.http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2006/09/13/jnana/424353.jpglook forward to your feedback.regardsRadhaOn 26/06/2014, Kirit Mankodi <[email protected]> wrote:> Dear Madam,>> Thank you for your mail. I have just forwarded to you my earlier mail tsent> o Dr. Vijayasankar. I had my doubt about the leaves, of which there is a> profusion, while Couroupita&nbsp; photographs I saw do not have any leaves.> But Kadamba should be eliminated, because the Kadamba flower does not look> like this sculpture. Two thousand years ago flowering trees were present> before the eyes of the sculptors and they would not have taken the liberty> of combining two species, I think. Among the Bharhut sculptures five or six> species of trees are represented under which female figures stand, and all> are faithful renderings, both foliage and flowers.> So, please keep thinking; I will be eager for your feedback.>>> Best regards.>>> K. Mankodi>>> From: radha veach [email protected] Sent: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 21:44:59 To:> [email protected]: [email protected]: Re: Photo> of a Bharhut Tree> Dear Sir,this is very interesting.I can see why Couroupita has been> suggested but I have some doubts because the leaves in the sculpture do not> resemble leaves of that tree at all.They actually look more like Peepal> leaves, (Ficus religiosa). At a stretch you could say they were kadamba> leaves (Neolamarckia cadamba) and the circular thing being kadamba flowers> with many petals.Perhaps the sculptor has taken an artistic licence and> combined features of more than one species which he has seen.regardsRadhaOn> Saturday, June 21, 2014 5:31:17 PM UTC+5:30, JM Garg wrote:>>> Forwardingfor Id assistance please.> ---------- Forwarded message ----------From: Kirit Mankodi> &lt;[email protected]&gt;Date: 21 June 2014 15:23Subject: Photo of a> Bharhut TreeTo: "[email protected]" &lt;[email protected]&gt;Cc: Anna Pinto> &lt;[email protected]&gt;> Dear Sir,>> I am writing to you after viewing your botanical photographs in Wikipedia.>> Can you identifythis flowering tree from Bharhut in central India, please? I> will be much obliged.>> Thank you.>> K. Mankodi>>>>> Get your own FREE website, FREE domain &amp; FREE mobile app with Company> email.> Know More &gt;> ';Creating awareness of Indian Flora &amp; Fauna';The whole world uses my> Image Resource of more than a thousand species &amp; eight thousand images> of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically &amp;> place-wise). You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license> attached with each image.> For identification, learning, discussion &amp; documentation of Indian> Flora, please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group (largest in the> world- around 2350 members &amp; 1,90,000 messages on 31/5/14) or> Efloraofindia website (with a species database of more than 9500 species> &amp; 1,90,000 images).> Also author of ';A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata &amp; Common Birds of> India';.>>>>>>>>>>> Get your own FREE website, FREE domain & FREE mobile app with Company email. 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