• Alok Kumar

The village Makhpa in Gaya district of Bihar, India is not known among students and scholars of art history and archaeology as a place containing rare specimens of Pala art. A visit to this village revealed a sculptural treasure waiting to be studied. This paper aims to present an iconographic analysis of a unique uninscribed Varaha incarnation of Vishnu which is available in the sanctum of a community temple in this village. Dating back to 10th or 11th century AD, this image carries perhaps the first known example of goddess Laxmi with ambrosia, or the Earth Goddess with the purna kumbha or ghata, seated on the elbow of Varaha. This exquisite piece of art embodies an amalgamation of extant artistic traditions since Gupta era. This specimen is not just an example of Pala art, but rather a rare piece of art that deserves a detailed study.

makhpa, Pala art, Vaishnavite Iconography, Varaha incarnation

"An unique uninscribed image of Varaha incarnation of Vishnu from Makhpa, Bihar,India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 4, page no.862-872, April-2021, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2104317.pdf

"An unique uninscribed image of Varaha incarnation of Vishnu from Makhpa, Bihar,India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 4, page no. pp862-872, April-2021, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2104317.pdf