Art and Architecture of Gandhara Civilization

__Art and Architecture of Gandhara Civilization __
Gandhara is the name of an ancient kingdom located in modern day northern Pakistan.
GANDHARAN ART

The beginnings of Gandharan artistic tradition can be traced to the 1st century BCE and included painting, sculpture, coins, pottery and all the associated elements of an artistic tradition. It really took flight during the Kushan era.The King Kanishka during the 1st Century CE who deified the Buddha and arguably for the first time introduced the Buddha image which went on to become so prolific as to define the entire Gandharan culture. Thousands of these images were produced and were scattered across every nook and cranny of the region ranging from minute hand held buddhas to giant monumental statues put in place in the most sacred worship sites.

GANDHARAN ARCHITECTURE
Much can be said about the architectural tradition of Gandhara but the most prominent characteristic of it was the proliferation of stupas and other associated religious establishments such as monasteries which formed the core of the regional identity for nearly 1000 years.The Stupas were built mainly for the reverence of the remains of Buddhist masters. The most important ones held the remains of the Buddha himself. Besides the Buddha, monks of high stature were also venerated by having stupas built for them and these edifices also marked the places where certain legendary events related to the various lives of the Buddha were said to have occured.