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Celebrants venerating the empty throne

India, Chandavaram Stupa 1, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh

late 1st–early 2nd century CE

Not on view

This panel depicts worshippers alongside evocations of the Buddha’s presence: the empty throne from which a sacrificial post (yupa) rises, with the Buddha’s footprints beneath it. It was recovered in 1972 from the northern platform (ayaka) of Chandavaram Stupa 1, one of the best-preserved and largest great stupas of the Satavahana period. The monastery is located on a prominent hill overlooking the Gundlakamma River, in southern Andhra Pradesh, strategically situated on an ancient trade route that connected the networks of the western Deccan to the Bay of Bengal.

Celebrants venerating the empty throne, Limestone, India, Chandavaram Stupa 1, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Celebrants venerating the empty throne

Period: Satavahana

Date: late 1st–early 2nd century CE

Culture: India, Chandavaram Stupa 1, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh

Medium: Limestone

Dimensions: H. 35 in. (88.9 cm); W. 42 1/2 in. (108 cm); D. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Lent by National Museum, New Delhi

Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier

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Asian Art at The Met

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