ABSTRACT
An unnoticed relief from the Bhilsa topes and its relationship to the sculpture of Sanchi
Kurt Behrendt
While conducting a survey (with Akira Shimada and Pia Brancaccio) in late 1996 a sculpted vedika upright was found at the Bhilsa site of Andheri. Alexander Cunningham makes mention of the two narrative panels on this upright, but they were never drawn or photographed. It can be demonstrated that these "new" scenes are stylistically akin to those found on the gateways of Sanchi Stupa II and must date to roughly the same time. However, the content and organization of these narratives show clear links to later material from Andhra and more surprisingly from Bharhut.
This article will present a three phase chronological schema for interpreting the relief sculpture of Sanchi and the Bhilsa topes that focuses on the emergence of the narrative tradition. It will also investigate the nature of the "artistic" communication that existed among Bhilsa sites, Bharhut in the Ganges basin and centers in Andhra Pradesh. Ultimately, these findings change the way we must interpret the reliefs adorning Sanchi Stupa I.