Buddhist rock carving in Manglawar
[1] Some scholars believe that the valley is the site of Oddiyana, a small medieval kingdom that played a crucial role in the development and dissemination of Vajrayana Buddhism, and the homeland of the sages Indrabhūti and Padmasambhava.
[2] As one enters the sub-valley of Manglawar its importance is immediately revealed with the huge and well known rock relief of the Shakhorai Buddha.
[3] The importance of sub-valley Manglawar can be judged from the accounts of Aurel Stein, who writes: Of all the Buddhist relieves found on the rock near Manglawar and miles up the valley the colossal image of a seated Buddha some thirteen feet in height is certainly the most striking.
This position, while it had saved the relievo from damage by pious vandals, has at the same time made it distinctly difficult to photograph.
The hands of the true believers much often have itched as they saw this benign-faced heathen idol looking down towards Manglawar from its heights of some three hundred feet above Shakhorai hamlet.
However, more numerous are the new discoveries of rock carvings at Shaldara, Kalkata, Banjot, Taghwan and of Nangriyal locations.
The Shaldara sub-valley, enclosed by the surrounding mountains, slowly descends towards the plan of Manglawar.
43 B/5 (8744)[6] Shaldara-i depicts a well-preserved figure of Padmapani in lalitasana in pensive attitude on high asana.
The asana of the bodhisattva is quite prominent and its lower part is decorated by vertical bands of floral design.
The head and face of the relief is chipping off, while a thick layer of patina on the rock has concealed many details.
This square shaped stone block, dislodged from its original place, presently lies at the back of the Boy's Primary School of Kalkata.
The only visible portion if the rock reveals seated Padmapani on a high throne in lalitasana in pensive mood.
Presently only two sides where carvings are visible revealing dhyani Buddha on the top and undefined Bodhisattva in lilatasana in pensive attitude on the west.
43 B/5 (8645)[6] Kalkata-iv is situated above half a km east of Kalkata-iii on the right side of the road leading to Banjot village.
The rock reveals fifteen (thirteen human & two animal) figures all are in situ, but covered by trees and wild bushes.
All the reliefs are defaced and covered with a thick layer of white patina deposited by a water channel running above the rock that has obscured most of the details.
43 B/5 (8547)[6] The site of this group of rock reliefs is situated about 500 meters south of the present Banjot Bus Stand in the middle of cultivated fields.
Starting from side-A, reveals three figures, the right one is standing Maitreya, holds a water flask in the left and lotus flower in right hand.
Side-B or the eastern side reveals three seated Bodhisattvas, the right one is relatively small figure of Padmapani in lalitasana in pensive mood.
The rock reveals standing figure of Brahamnical god Siva having prominent prabhamandala behind his head.
The hands postures are as follows: The upper portion of the body is mostly chipped off, while the lower part of his pedestal is recently broken.
In style and technique the relief carving may be compared to 7th - 8th century Tang sculpture in central Asia.
A coating was applied to protect the damaged part of the carving in 2012, and next the face was restored in 3D using laser surveys and old photographs.
43 B/5 (8948)[6] This rock relief is situated on the east of Jahan Abad-1, lies in the middle of orchard of apple.
