This fragment originally formed the upper right-hand portion of a relief depicting an event in the life of the Buddha when he was living in the Indrashala cave on the Vulture Peak (Gridhrakuta) Mountain near Rajagriha (modern Rajgir), Bihar. The Buddha presented many of his most important sermons while he resided at this site, including the Sakkapañha Sutta (Sakka’s Questions) from the Digha Nikaya (Collection of Long Discourses) when he was visited by the chief of the gods, Indra (also known as Shakra [Sanskrit] or Sakka [Pali]). In the upper left corner, a procession of deities descends from the heavens to honor the Buddha’s sermon to Indra (see also 69.3). The Buddha would have originally been shown meditating in a cave beneath the heavenly entourage. Monkeys, peacocks, deer, and goats frolic about in celebration of the auspicious occasion. The exceptionally deeply cut relief creates strong shadows around the figures to imbue a sense of volume in a chiaroscuro carving technique. For a 10th-century central Indian Ramayana narrative frieze utilizing this technique, see M.89.159.1.

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