Budhisattva Maitreya

This nimbate figure of Bodhisattva Maitreya, the future Buddha, radiates primary energy, vitality and the great softness of warmth. He is standing straight with the right hand in abhaya mudra, and the left hand holding a kamandalu, his main cognizance. As he is yet to become Buddha he is adorned with various ornaments signifying his princely association-heavy ear-rings, flat ornamented torque and necklace, three bracelets and armlets. His palm is marked with the auspicious symbol of dharmachakra. The powerful body, especially the pit of the navel, is in perfect anatomical proportion and worked with great sensitivity which renders real beauty to the upper bare part in contrast to the lower garment shown with swirls and loops. His dhoti is beautifully knotted at the right side with a broad waist-band decorated with floral motifs. His hair is arranged in the form of spiral curls all over his head. The plain halo at the back has a scalloped border. The outstanding feature of this image is the smile hovering on his lips and lighting up the face of Maitreya. The image is inscribed and it names the deity. Only the last line of the inscription is now intact. It reads ‘Maitreya Pratima Pratisthapita, i.e., ‘the statue of Maitreya was installed’.