Medallion 14- Bharhut Series

 

Medallion Style: Plant

This medallion draws us back to the very beginning of creation.

At the base lies a triangular eminence, representing the Primordial Hill (giri, adri, parvata) that, according to early Indo-Aryan tradition, rose from the Primordial Cosmic Ocean in the first stage of creation.

From this triangle sprout stems bearing full-blown and overblown lotuses (padmas), buds, and leaves. The flowering lotus plant here symbolises the Tree of Life—the immediate source of creation that emerged in the second stage, giving rise to gods, humans, and all living beings.

In Bharhut reliefs, this vision of the Tree of Life is consistently represented by the lotus plant, making the lotus not just a flower but a profound cosmological metaphor.

This medallion, thus, is both decorative and philosophical—a carved mandala of cosmic origins.

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

Original medallion

Behind the scenes