The hidden God. Some Remarks on Yama and the Protectors of the sacred Space in Buddhist Art

Claudine Bautze-Picron (1)

1 Mondes Iranien et Indien - UMR 7528

The image of Yama, god of the Dead, appears as an old cripple in the company of a beautiful young lady at the entrance of most caves of Ajanta in the 5th c. Old cripple and limping, this representation has been preserved till a later date, the 9th-10th c., in Bihar in a completely different setting, i.e. the iconography of Avalokiteshvara as rescuer of the souls lost in Yama's kingdom.

Mots clés: Yama; Dead; Ajanta; Gaya (Bihar); Bihar; Avalokitesvara; krodha

Domaines: Art et histoire de l'art

Claudine Bautze-Picron. The hidden God. Some Remarks on Yama and the Protectors of the sacred Space in Buddhist Art. G. Bhattacharya, G. Mevissen, M. Mitra, S. Sinha-Sarkar. Kalhâr (white water-lily), Studies in Art, Iconography, Architecture and Archaeology of Indian and Bangladesh (Prof. Enamul Haque Felicitation Volume), New delhi: Kaveri Books, pp.81-95, 2007. ⟨hal-00547683⟩