Janabad Seated Buddha - Swat Valley

Abdullah Khan

It is a high rock carving, the image of the seated Buddha. It is a reddish-brown colored cliff that rises on the hillside to the southwest of Janabad (Shakhorai) village. It is at a distance of 5 kilometers from Manglawar. This huge illustration of the Buddha can be seen from the road, on the way to Malam Jabba.

Due to its high position above the narrow terrace, it is well preserved except the nose seems to have been damaged by the vandals. The Buddha figure is about 7 meters high and is certainly the most impressive sculpture in the Gandhara region.

This excellent figure of the Buddha is seated on a high throne in the attitude of meditation. The snail shell curls of this Buddha are very carefully rendered. His eyes are more than half closed, there is a prominent Ushnisha and long ear lobes. The folds of the robe are stringy, with a planned alteration of high and low ridges. Though the figure exhibits the Gandhara style in the drapery with pleats and the hair, the rather solemn, powerful form of the torso and representation of the folds of the robe are in agreement with the usual form adopted in the area for the other figures of the Buddha.

Some scholars point to the strong influence of the Western style but such similarities are not so close. Hence the image of the Buddha carved on the rock at Jehanabad may probably be dated to the 7-8th century A.D, while the other rock carvings of similar workmanship in Swat are dated to the later centuries of the 1st millennium A.D.

It may be stated that a vast number of Buddhist images in ancient Udyana were destroyed by the people in ignorance and there remains a small number of such rock carvings to be now seen. The few figures that have survived in the valley over the centuries should be preserved from the cruel hands of vandals and shifted to the museum for security and preservation. It is such a beautiful carved image that shall perish into oblivion, and posterity will be deprived of the cultural heritage of the past.

This place is strongly recommended for people engrossed in archaeology and history as this place has a lot to tell. So what are you waiting for? Plan your trip by clicking on the following button and fill the form.

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Janabad Seated Buddha - Swat Valley