Buddha

     Velippalayam, Nagapattinam. Height with pedestal 51.2 cm; without pedestal 38 cm. About 10th Century AD. Acquired as a treasure trove in 1926 AD.

     He stands on circular padmasana attached to a rectangular bhadrasana. The right hand is in abhaya,   left hand is in varada, the palms of both presenting the palm-mark. Eyes are wide open with eye balls marked in line. Lips are thick-set or compressed with an attempt to smile. Nose is aquiline. Urna mark, which is described here recalls the fact that it is just one of the curls cut away that stuck to the forehead. Hair on head in five rows of curls heavily conventionalised and surmounted by a flame-like usnisa. Legs are elongated. The face is round. The body is in samabhanga pose covered by a long and simple sanghati with wave-like horizontal lines which hangs from neck to feet, with ends in elegant undulations, which give it a fanlike appearance at the bottom. The image resembles Gupta Buddhas.

Buddha

     Amaravati, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. Height 28.5 cm. About 4th Century AD.

     It is a standing Buddha. The left foot broken and missing. The portion beneath the chest and nearly up to the knee is broken and missing. Similarly a large part of the back is missing. The image is hollow. The Buddha's right hand is in abhaya without mark and the left hand holds one end of his upper robe, which covers his left shoulder leaving the right one bare. The third civara is present. The Urna mark is absent. The cranial protuberance (usnisa) is as in Gupta, Buddhapad, Boston specimens; the curls are small globules closely arranged.

Jambhala

     Velippalayam, Nagapattinam. Height 10.5 cm. About 10th Century AD.

     Seated in the lalita pose on an oval padmasana. The right hand has a citron; the left carries a mongoose which is supposed to be the receptacle of all gems and jewels so that when pressed by Jambhala, it vomits forth riches which are collected in bags. One such bag which it had vomited or disgorged is being kicked by the left foot of Jambhala for his devotee to take. Karanda-makuta, makara-kundalas, necklaces, waist-girdle around a pot-belly, three-stranded yajnopavita, armlets, wristlets, anklets, sirascakra and under-garment are seen. Jambhala corresponds to the Brahamanical Kubera, the god of wealth; hence appropriately enough the figure is pot-bellied. Type resembling those of Nalanda, Kurkihar and Ceylon and hence atleast Early Chola.