You can’t stop work entirely; you have to cut out stone before things fall down, but at least for a while, you had a team of archaeologists just carefully studying the paintings, and then the faces. The carved stone figures in Afghanistan have been subject to the same erosion from wind and sand as the stone figures found at Taxila. The relief faces carved at Gandhara, but those carved here at the Mohra Murada and later at sites in Pakistan would, in all probability, if they were exposed at all times to natural conditions, have been destroyed, and probably long ago. This place has really been something; something to make us all take a step backwards, and to think not simply of the individual cults of Buddhism, but of the whole civilisation.
Donald Daniel Seth, quoted in his son’s book, Donald L. Daniel, Gandhara: Its Historical and Cultural Significance, What Sets Mohra Moradu Apart, Mohra Moradu is unique. What separates it is the fact that, as we’ve seen, many of its neighbouring sites either contain fragmented, broken Buddhist sculptures or entire structures are missing due to erosion and/or human intervention. Mohra Moradu is set in a narrow valley and thus remains sheltered and better preserved than most of the Gandharan sites described so far, and it may even be possible that many of its inhabitants lived in buildings elsewhere rather than at Mohra Moradu itself, leaving this place an almost sacred site where they were buried, and monks lived away from the hustle and bustle of their town, thus contributing to Mohra Moradu’s exceptionally good preservation.
A Frieze Frozen mid-devotion. Most of the stūpas and monasteries throughout Gandhara seem to be comprised of either unadorned, weather-beaten stone structures or a mere collection of scattered architectural fragments. On the contrary, at Mohra Moradu, and a few of its closer neighbours (such as at Sahr-i-Bahlul, and the aforementioned Jaulian, discussed below) you see large stucco Relief carvings still attached to the main wall and the stūpa itself. At Mohra Moradu, in particular, the carvings and figures are still very clearly visible attached to the stūpa wall – some 3,000 pieces in all, the majority of which were clearly carved from this stucco. Many figures in fact, still appear to have had much of their original colours applied.
Taxila Wikipedia How it Survived Perhaps the key factor in Mohra Moradu’s impressive survival is geographic isolation. Tucked into the hills of a small, relatively unobtrusive valley, between the better-known sites of Sirkap and Jaulian, Mohra Moradu remained relatively obscure to local populations interested in treasure and to the erosive powers of the elements. The carefully balanced location offered seclusion for religious contemplation, yet was still close enough to be supported by the towns and villages scattered throughout the valley. ” The fortuitous burial of the site by the very earth that had slowly accumulated over it for millennia ensured that much of its fragile stucco ornamentation would be protected from natural erosion when it was eventually excavated by Sir John Marshall and his team in the 1910s and 1920s.
” The Painted Faces. The original stark white figures, embellished with carefully chosen red tones. The stucco statues and relief carvings decorating Mohra Moradu did not appear as stark white as they do in today’s photos. They were painted. The statues were “almost certainly finished with brilliant coloured decoration,” according to one guide.
Even their skin:
The figures were modelled in white stucco – their lips, their inner eyelids, their ears – they were painted. The faces were pure white, the outlines were detailed, coloured red, at the eyes and lips, the noses too. Their clothes and Jewellery were in bright colours, and some also displayed an ornamental Hairstyle painted onto the top of their hair – perhaps on a wig or turban.. In the centre stands the Buddha, cross-legged, serene expression, but by his sides and front stand Bodhisattvas who all seem more lively; standing here all day, probably in a procession to form a scene depicted of the worship or adoration of the Buddha, and from their Jewellery, clothing and hairstyle the representation must be much like the portraits of Gandharan rulers and nobles as were modelled by sculptors of Gandhara as were of foreign models..
( Naratone (via “World Archaeological Federation”) website). A Protected Procession Image taken of the stucco relief at the main stupa at Mohra Moradu, depicting monks in procession around Buddha images. com One of the finest aspects of Mohra Moradu remains these preserved depictions of Buddhist life, specifically the way the stūpas and monastic buildings are decorated. The stucco reliefs at this site, often found attached to the base or walls of the stupa, and sometimes on monastic structures, usually portray devotional scenes like the one we see here: a procession of robed monks adoring standing Buddha images.
Read more at: https://www.discovernewsdaily24.com/coming-home-when-gandharas-stolen-buddhas-find-their-way-back-to-pakistan/
As with other well-preserved Gandharan stūpa sites, the artwork at Mohra Moradu also offers tantalising glimpses of the political and artistic climate of the region; the figures’ garb and hairstyles, as well as their jewellery, which draws heavily from the artistic styles originating in Greece, such as seen in Taxila’s necklaces and bangles previously discussed, are a testament to the blend of Eastern and Western influences characteristic of the Greco-Bactrian and Kushana empires that flourished in Gandhara. A History Revealed The Buddhism that existed in Mohra Moradu flourished during the 2nd century CE, expanded during the 4th and 5th centuries CE, and later declined and ceased to be practised when the local community transitioned towards Hindu influence. At the time the site was first excavated by Sir John Marshall and Abdul Qadir in 1914 and 1915, large quantities of material relating to monastic life were recovered from the site, coins, seals, ceramic material, statuettes of the Buddha, stone relief works, and fragments of stucco decorations, all indicative of a community that maintained active religious practices up until its final closure. Excavations and Preservation Today Mohra Moradu has become a popular destination among scholars, archaeological enthusiasts, and tourists interested in Gandharan Buddhist art and history.
Its relatively well-preserved state makes it a crucial site for understanding the historical evolution of Buddhism and Buddhist artistic traditions. While certain sculptures were carefully removed to museums for conservation, the majority of the Relief work remains largely intact in its original location on the site. The site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, safeguarding its unique archaeological and artistic significance. This stucco Relief is indeed a very rare, indeed a precious, unblemished example of ancient Buddhist art that will undoubtedly endure as a key exhibit when studying Gandhara and its vibrant cultural heritage in centuries to come.
From this image, it looks as if he’s about to wink or to give a great smile or some sort of funny thing, doesn’t he? But no. Of course he is not.
He’s meditating:
There is not a trace of this with him.” Donald Daniel Seth, quoted in his son’s book “The stūpa and monastery of Mohra Moradu,” as in his book, Donald L.
Daniel, “Gandhara:
“It was one of the few stucco Buddhas with its original colours – even, we found the faces of the Buddhas had been coated in lead white with colour, red colour at least – all around. It had really become almost completely covered by a great quantity of earth in all its portions. In consequence, large parts, in fact almost the entire Relief, at least it was a huge Relief – survived quite, quite extraordinarily well, and you could also make out so many of the colours and details that you just can’t make out at others. We did make cuts into some areas in order to identify features of construction, for example and I remember we even removed some of the stucco that was detached in some places, and as I say we saw on those fragments evidence that they have been actually colour and we also saw a number of details, for example, on some of these parts a pair of painted eyes, for instance.
, “Gandhara: its historical and cultural significance” 2012 p 158 [googlebooks link]) This was really an incredible day, and by the time you had to close up, you had taken enough pictures to spend weeks and years looking at.
See Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyU4cZor_Gg
