Papers by Priyanku Chakraborty
Journal of Bengal Art , 2021
The present land of Tripura, a state of north-eastern part of India lies very adjacent to the ric... more The present land of Tripura, a state of north-eastern part of India lies very adjacent to the rich archaeological potentially area of Lalmai-Mainamati area of Bangladesh. In fact, the western and some southern parts of present Tripura was an extension of the plains of southeast Bengal, both geographically and culturally. After the early-medieval period, under the Manikya dynasty these areas were recorded as "Tippera district". In terms of aesthetic sensibility, as well as immensity, the early-medieval metal images of southeast Bengal are notable. For instance, we may refer here about the magnificent images of Vajrasattva (141 × 120 × 67 cm), reported from Bhojavihara, Cumilla, Bangladesh (Plate 36.1); Avalokiteśvara (measurement of surviving torso only 148 × 103 × 53 cm), from Kutilamura, Cumilla and so on. A good number of metal images, both inscribed or uninscribed of Buddhist and Brahmanical divinities reported from Cumilla and Chittagong are noteworthy in this context. Here we should mention that, the image of Śarvāṇī from Comilla, is the earliest example of survived dated metal image (late seventh century CE) so far recovered from all over eastern India (Kim, 2018: 403). The Buddhist metal images under purview are mostly reported from two major Buddhist sites, Boxanagar and Pilak, and their adjacent areas, however, a metal image of Hevajra was recovered from village Hurua, Dharmanagar (Plate 36.2). The present location of this image is unknown. The early Buddhist establishment of Boxanagar (c. sixth-twelfth centuries CE), Sonamura, Tripura, located on the bank of stream Harimangal, is adjacent to the Buddhist sites of Lalmai-Mainamati area (the northern most archaeological site of the Lalmai-Mainamati, known as Ranir Banglo, is not more than 32 km away from ruins of Boxanagar). Another important Buddhist site of Tripura is situated near Jolaibari, locally known as Pilak. This area is surrounded by Noakhali and Chittagong borders of Bangladesh. The Buddhist centres of the coastal areas of Chittagong including Pilak might be acted as connector between Arakan and Buddhist pilgrim centres of mainland eastern India during the early-medieval period. Here we have considered altogether nineteen metal images, kept in the Tripura Govt. Museum, Agartala (nine nos.), Rajendra Kirtisala (private collection), Agartala (two nos.); ASI Site Museum, Pilak, Jolaibari (four nos.); and miscellanées (four nos.).
Journal of The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, 2024
In this paper an attempt has been made to delineate the
iconographic details of Lokanatha or Aval... more In this paper an attempt has been made to delineate the
iconographic details of Lokanatha or Avalokitesvara images (both metal
and stone) of the early-medieval period reported from Tripura. In
spite of the same artistic milieu of the eastern Indian Subcontinent,
these images exhibit some different local iconographic characteristics
too. Some of the images were reported previously by other scholars,
and some are newly reported here. In case of the earlier reported
images, we would try to justify or re-evaluate the iconic identification,
wherever it is required. In connection with that we also focused on
the artistic and cultic features of the Bodhisattva Lokanatha of the
region of Tripura (previously the terminal part of southeast Bengal)
on the basis of the mentioned images as well as some manuscript
illuminations.
Book, 2024
A Bengali translation of Tāranātha's Saddharmacintāmaņi (History of Buddhism in India) with annot... more A Bengali translation of Tāranātha's Saddharmacintāmaņi (History of Buddhism in India) with annotations
The Bulletin of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, 2020
The paper focused on the description of image of eighteen-armed Buddhist goddess Cunda, which ha... more The paper focused on the description of image of eighteen-armed Buddhist goddess Cunda, which has been reported from Rajrajeswari temple, South Tripura.
Journal of Bengal Art, 2020
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Papers by Priyanku Chakraborty
iconographic details of Lokanatha or Avalokitesvara images (both metal
and stone) of the early-medieval period reported from Tripura. In
spite of the same artistic milieu of the eastern Indian Subcontinent,
these images exhibit some different local iconographic characteristics
too. Some of the images were reported previously by other scholars,
and some are newly reported here. In case of the earlier reported
images, we would try to justify or re-evaluate the iconic identification,
wherever it is required. In connection with that we also focused on
the artistic and cultic features of the Bodhisattva Lokanatha of the
region of Tripura (previously the terminal part of southeast Bengal)
on the basis of the mentioned images as well as some manuscript
illuminations.
iconographic details of Lokanatha or Avalokitesvara images (both metal
and stone) of the early-medieval period reported from Tripura. In
spite of the same artistic milieu of the eastern Indian Subcontinent,
these images exhibit some different local iconographic characteristics
too. Some of the images were reported previously by other scholars,
and some are newly reported here. In case of the earlier reported
images, we would try to justify or re-evaluate the iconic identification,
wherever it is required. In connection with that we also focused on
the artistic and cultic features of the Bodhisattva Lokanatha of the
region of Tripura (previously the terminal part of southeast Bengal)
on the basis of the mentioned images as well as some manuscript
illuminations.