New perspectives on Kanaganahalli site

Abstract

Kanaganahalli (3rd c. BCE- 3rd c. CE) is a Buddhist archaeological site located on the left bank of Bhima River, in Karnataka. The site was discovered in 1989 and it was excavated by the Bangalore Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India. The main monument from the site is the Great Stupa, known from the inscriptions as Adhālaka-Mahācaitya. This paper first aims to provide a re-elaboration of the archaeological analysis of the monument, based on the available data, in order to define the structure and chronological features of the Kanaganahalli Mahā Caitya. A specific attention is given to the symbolic value of the monument, explored through the juxtaposition of real and perspectival architectural elements. In particular, the study underlines the importance of the railing (vedikā), and of the pillars (stambhas). These two elements, recurring both in the real architecture and in the decorative apparatus of the Mahā Caitya, contribute clearly in defining real and imaginary spaces that characterize the monument. Finally, in order to understand the complexity of the structure of Kanaganahalli Mahā Caitya and to remark its importance in the Buddhist overview of the time, the contemporary Saidu Sharif Stupa, located in the Swat Valley, is taken into account and used as comparative paradigm.