The Twin Miracles Sculpture

The construction history remains unclear. However, the art characteristics suggest that it might have been built in Dvaravati period.

Rock Craving

This rock-craved sculpture depicts the twin miracles scene at Sawasti to fight the non-believers. The Lord Buddha sits on a throne with dropping leg and the right hand is in the giving sermon attitude.

Both sides are surrounded with people. On each side, there is a horizontal line dividing people into two groups. This might mean that under the straight line is the earth and over the straight line is heaven. Therefore, the group of people under the line on the right of the Lord Buddha might be King Pasenthikosol and his followers, whereas people on the other side might be the defeated non-believers.

The group of people above the line might be people on the heaven. On the right, it might be Indra and other gods, whereas on the left might be Brahman.

This twin miracle sculpture is a piece of evidence that leads us to believe that a part of the majority of Dvaravati people believed in Theravada because, in the scene, the Lord Buddha performed the miracle under a mango tree.

Besides, the scene also reflects the large tree worship tradition at the time. This can be seen from the fact that the tree was decorated with cloths and rings.

Votive tablets depicting the twin miracles, Dvaravati art

เกสรา จาติกวนิช, “พุทธประวัติในประติมากรรมทวารวดี” วิทยานิพนธ์ศิลปศาสตรมหาบัณฑิต สาขาประวัติศาสตร์ศิลปะ บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร, 2545.

ผาสุข อินทราวุธ, ทวารวดี การศึกษาเชิงวิเคราะห์จากหลักฐานทางโบราณคดี. กรุงเทพฯ : อักษรสมัย, 2542.