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Image depicting Nativity at Ananda

Keywords : Bagan, The sculptural series narrating the story of the Buddha’s life, Ananda

Site common nameAnanda
Type of artworkSculpture
Province/CityBagan
StateMandalay
CountryMyanmar
Geographic Coordinates
Decimal degree		Lat : 21.165
Long : 94.865278

History of productionKing Chansittha ordered the construction of this chedi. The legend had it that monks from India told him the story about Nunthamul cave in Kunthamat mountain. He then ordered the construction of this chedi to be the same as the cave. Buddha images in the chedi may be built at the same time with the chedi.
ArtThis Buddha image is a part of the set of sculptures narrating the Lord Buddha life., which are located in the circulambulatory and the square halls. The set of sculptures narrating the Lord Buddha life here is the most complete on in Pukam art.
PeriodHistorical Period
Art periodPagan
Age16-18 centuries BE.
ReligionBuddhism
SectTheravada
Religion and beliefScripture both in Theravada and Mahayana coincide that the queen Mahamaya gave birth in a standing posture. She held the tree branch similar to “Yaksinee” and gave birth from the flank, not from the sexual organ.
Related artworkThis sculpture is the queen Mahamaya holding the tree branch and giving birth. She stands in the middle with Prachabordikotamee standing by her side. On the right flank, there is a child sitting crossed legs. Then there are gods coming to receive the child according to the scropture. This iconograpphy appeared before in the door cravings in Pala art.

Type of LicenseAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
RightsPrincess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation2015-07-00
Record creatorChedha Tingsanchali