10 Facts About Bharhut

Bharhut is a village located in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, central India.

Bharhut sculptures represent some of the earliest examples of Indian and Buddhist art, later than the monumental art of Ashoka, and slightly later than the early Shunga-period reliefs on railings at Sanchi Stupa No 2 .

Many of the Bharhut remains are now located in the Indian Museum in Kolkata, with others in museums in India and abroad.

Mason's marks in Kharosthi have been found on several elements of the Bharhut remains, indicating that some of the builders at least came from the north, particularly from Gandhara where the Kharoshti script was in use.

Pillar capital in Bharhut, dated to the 2nd century BCE during the Shunga Empire period, is an example of Bharhut architecture thought to incorporate Persian and Greek styles, with recumbent animal, and a central anta capital with many Hellenistic elements, as well as a central palmette design, in a style similar to that of the Pataliputra capital.

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Complex in Bharhut included a medieval temple, which contained a colossal figure of the Buddha, along with fragments of sculptures showing the Buddha with images of Brahma, Indra etc.

The Bharhut carvings are slightly later than the Sanchi Stupa No 2 reliefs and the earlier Ajanta frescos.

An unusual feature of the Bharhut panels is the inclusion of text in the narrative panels, often identifying the individuals.

Inscriptions found at Bharhut are of considerable significance in tracing the history of early Indian Buddhism and Buddhist art.

Bharhut thus decided to play dumb and inactive to avoid the inheritance.