Portfolio  - Kahilipara Hoard of Bronzes, Assam

Portfolio - Kahilipara Hoard of Bronzes, Assam

Product ID: 16965

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Author: R D Choudhury
Publisher: National Museum
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 24
ISBN/UPC (if available): N/A

Description

The Narakasur hill is situated at a distance of about five miles south of Gauhati, Assam, India. On the southern slope of the hill there is a village, called Kahilipara, (also called Odalbakra), which is adjacent to the State Electricity Board’s sub-station. The southern slope of the hill is full of huge boulders, scattered throughout. In a hole, caused by the combination of three huge granite boulders, some archaeological object were found by a local man in 1964. Soon after P C Choudhury then Director, Historical and Antiquarian Studies, Assam, visited the site, examined the objects and afterwards, published a paper on them. It appears from the note of Choudhury that the total number of antiquities were thirty-seven at the time of discovery. In 1967, it was reported that some of the finds were missing. But in our last visit to the side in June, 1971 before these were taken to the Assam State Museum, we could see all the objects.

The villagers also denied the report of missing of some objects. Choudhury saw these objects under a temporary shed near the site. But now during our visit we found that these were removed and kept in the house of Sri Suryakanta Rabha of the Kahilipara village. Choudhury in his paper gave only the sketch of the objects and avoided the detailed iconographical description of images, and did not published any photograph as he gave more importance on the historical aspect and on the inscrified bell. Here an attempt is made to deal with the iconographical details of the images, descriptions of the other objects and to the give some new interpretations on them.

The finds consist of a mukhalinga, two ghantas (bells), a sankha Conch-shell) several miniature shells and twenty-two images of various deities. Except a small image of Manasa, which is carved out of a piece of basalt, al the images are of bronze. Amongst the bronze images, four are cast in round plates.

Contents

An image of Indra (Acc No 3000)
Four images of Vishnu
Two images of Surya
An image of Ganesa
An image of Manasa
An image of Tara
Chunda
Avalokitesvar
Two unidentified images
Four images on bronze plates (medallions)
A mukha-linga
A ghanta and a sankha