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Janabad Seated Buddha - Shakhorai Manglor Swat Valley

The huge image of a Janabad Seated Buddha carved into a high rock face of reddish color that rises on the hillside to the southwest of Janabad (Shakhorai) village. It is situated at a distance of 5km to the North East of Manglawar. This huge image of the Buddha can also..

Historical ·

Janabad Seated Buddha - Shakhorai Manglor Swat Valley

The huge image of a Janabad Seated Buddha carved into a high rock face of reddish color that rises on the hillside to the southwest of Janabad (Shakhorai) village. It is situated at a distance of 5km to the North East of Manglawar. This huge image of the Buddha can also be visible from the road, on the right side when one is on the way to Malamjaba.

Due to its high position above the narrow terrace, it is well preserved except the nose seems to have been damaged by the vandals. The Buddha figure is about 7 meters in height and is one of the most impressive pieces of sculpture.

This excellent figure of the Buddha is seated on a high throne in the attitude of meditation. The snail shell curls of this Buddha are very carefully rendered. His eyes are more than half closed, there are a prominent Ushnisha and long earlobes. The folds of the robe are stringy, with a planned alteration of high and low ridges. Though the figure exhibits the Gandahara style in the drapery with pleats and the hair, the rather solemn, powerful form of the torso and representation of the folds of the robe are in agreement with the usual form adopted in the area for the other figures of the Buddha.

Some scholars point to the strong influence of the western style but such similarities are not so close. Hence the image of Buddha carved on the rock at Janabad may probably be dated to the 7-8th century A.D. A large number of other rock-carvings in Swat are dated to the later centuries of the 1st millennium A.D.

A vast number of Buddhist images in ancient Udyana were destroyed by the people in ignorance. There remains a small number of such rock carvings to be now seen. The few figures that have survived over the centuries should be preserved from the cruel hands of vandals. These figures must be shifted to the museum for security and preservation. It is fear that such beautiful carved images shall perish into oblivion, and posterity will be deprived of the cultural heritage of the past times.

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