Playing with rings - Siddhartha and Yasodhara

A relief panel from Aziz Dheri revisited

Abstract

Aziz Dheri is one of the richest and well preserved sites in the whole of ancient Gandhara, Northern region of Pakistan. Excavations have being carried out since 1993 at this unique and huge site, about one square kilometre, where, from a very limited area of the mound, more than four hundred sculptures have so far been recovered (Nasim Khan 2010a). The other cultural materials found at the site include inscriptions, seals and sealings, coins, etc. Based on stratigraphic and numismatic study as well as epigraphic evidences, these sculptures belong to different periods and, apart from few of them, they are mostly dated to the late Kushan or post-Kushan periods including those coming from the Hindu Shahi level of the site. With these discoveries, many questions may be raised regarding the chronology and development of the Buddhist art of Gandhara, generally based on stylistic basis, as well as about the political and religious landscape of the area in the post-Kushan period which is usually considered as shrouded pail of the Gandharan history . . .