Medallion 12- Bharhut Series

  Medallion Style: Animal

This medallion celebrates harmony through rhythm and symbolism.

At the centre lies a lotus, serene and steady, encircled by a plain, flat moulding. Around this calm heart unfolds an outer procession—elephants carrying lotuses, leaves, and buds in their trunks.

Each elephant faces the right, its body shown in a crawling posture. Together, they create the impression of slow, clockwise movement, gently circling the fixity of the lotus at the core.

The composition balances stillness with rhythm: the central lotus embodies purity and permanence, while the elephants add a living, breathing dynamism. Their presence also resonates with themes of fertility, abundance, and guardianship, linking the medallion to prosperity and the cycles of life.

Information & Reference Image Credit- Remains of Bharhut Stupa in Indian Museum by Arabinda Ghosh

Original medallion

Behind the scenes