Bamiyan Buddha- Key Facts to Know!

Recently, the Bamiyan Buddhas were brought back to life with the help of 3D projection in the event held in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan. The event called “A Night with Buddha” was held on the anniversary of annihilation.

Background

The statues of Bamiyan Buddha, which find the place among the tallest statues of the world once, were broken into small pieces by Taliban. Taliban started to blowing up the two of the Buddha statues of Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan in the month of March 2001.

About Bamiyan Buddhas

Bamiyan Buddhas were two 6th-century monumental statues of Gautama Buddha. The statues were carved into the side of a cliff located in the Bamyan valley of central Afghanistan. The smaller buddha or the Eastern Buddha had the height of 38 m while the larger buddha or the Western Buddha was 55 m in height.

Gandhara Art

The statues represented a classic blended of Gandhara art style or the blend of artistic style of Guptas, Sassanian & Hellenistic style.  The statues were called by local as male “Salsal” meaning “light shines through the universe” and female “Shamama” meaning “Queen Mother”.

Significance of Bamiyan

The Bamiyan Buddhas were situated in high mountains of Hindu Kush in central highlands called Bamiyan Valley of the Afghanistan. The Bamiyan valley, along the line of the Bamiyan River, was once integral part of the ancient Silk Roads. It provided passage for merchants, religion, culture and language. The region became a major cultural, religious and trade centre when Buddhist Kushan Empire spread. The countries like India, China and Rome asked for passage through Bamiyan, Kushans developed a syncretic culture. The monastic quality of the valley also reflects faith.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2021