Medallion 13- Bharhut Series

 

Medallion Style: Plant

This medallion unfolds like a carved lotus pond—Padma-Sarasi—alive with blossoms, buds, and leaves.

At the center lies a full-blown lotus, viewed from above, with its inner petals drooping gently over the stamens while the outer ones spread outward in calm radiance. Surrounding it are lotuses (padmas), blue lotuses (utpalas), buds, and leaves, each sprouting on independent stems, as if rising from a shared pool.

A delightful detail reveals itself in the design: the negative space between two adjacent utpalas naturally forms a four-petaled flower—a subtle reminder of how geometry and nature intertwine in Bharhut art.

In nature, too, lotuses and blue utpalas often grow side by side in the same waters. This medallion captures that living truth, embodying both the botanical harmony of pond life and the symbolic resonance of the lotus as purity, beauty, and cosmic life.

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

Original medallion

Behind the scenes