The Sultanganj Buddha, Birmingham

Sultanganj Buddha

Sultanganj Buddha

The Sultanganj Buddha is the largest complete bronze figure of its kind in the world. It was found in the North Indian town of Sultanganj, Bhagalpur district, Bihar. The statue has been dated by archaelogists at between 500 to 700 AD. It is 223 centimeters high and 1 meter wide, and weighs about 500kgs. It is a splendid example of the renowned Gupta sculptural style which itself had been shaped by European and Persian influences that came to India through the trade routes with Rome and West Asia. It was cast using the lost wax technique, in which a solid core of clay is overlaid with wax. The sculptor models the fine details in the wax coating.

The statue was discovered during railway construction in Sultanganj in 1862 by the East India Company. Needing ballast for their line, engineers noticed an immense brick mound. Excavation showed it to be a Buddhist monastery containing many valuable artefacts. The statue narrowly avoided being meletd down for rails, thanks to the Birmingham metal manufacturer Mr Samuel Thornton who, on hearing of the discovery, paid £200 to have it transported to Birmingham.

Sultanganj Buddha's enigmatic smile

Sultanganj Buddha's enigmatic smile

Samuel Thornton, presented the statue to the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, where it has been housed since 1867. Today it is the centrepiece of an exhibition dedicated to the sculptural heritage of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, three great religions of experience that originated in India.

The Sultanganj Buddha conveys an image of calm and tranquillity, and smiles enigmatically. The robe clings so closely to the body that it is almost invisible, but for a series of string-like folds. His right hand is raised in the gesture of fearlessness and granting protection (Skt. abhaya mudra). His left hand, with palm outward and held downwards is in the gesture of granting blessing (Skt. varada mudra).

Upon seeing the Sultanganj Buddha on a visit to Birmingham in 2004, our traveling teacher Karol Sleczek exclaimed “He’s smiling like that because he’s saying… ‘I know something you don’t!'”

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One Response to “The Sultanganj Buddha, Birmingham”

  1. The Sultanganj Buddha conveys an image of calm and tranquillity and a spiritual detachment from the material world . The Buddha’s sangathi (monastic robe) clings so closely to the body that it is almost invisible, but for a series of string-like folds, giving the figure a wet-looking appearance.

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