Some Images and Traces of Mahāyāna Buddhism in Chittagong

Summary

This article investigates the archaeological and artistic remains of Mahāyāna Buddhism in the coastal region around Chittagong. Although Buddhism declined in Bengal after the twelfth century, sculptural fragments and inscriptions from Chittagong attest to a thriving Buddhist community that persisted for several centuries. The author reports on recent discoveries of bronze images of Avalokiteśvara, Maitreya and Tārā, stone slabs depicting Bodhisattvas and stupas, and terracotta plaques with Buddhist motifs. He analyses stylistic features such as the posture, gestures and attributes of the deities and compares them with contemporary works from Nālandā, Burma and Southeast Asia. Differences in ornamentation and iconography suggest that local workshops adapted standard Mahāyāna models to regional tastes. The article also discusses the historical context: Chittagong lay along maritime trade routes connecting the Bay of Bengal with Sri Lanka and the Malay Peninsula. Chinese and Arab traders frequented its ports, facilitating the exchange of religious ideas and artistic styles. The decline of the Pāla dynasty and the rise of Hindu and Islamic states did not immediately extinguish Buddhism in the region; instead, Mahāyāna communities continued to flourish under the patronage of merchant guilds. By bringing together art historical analysis and historical geography, the article argues that Chittagong served as a bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia in the diffusion of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The surviving images and monuments, though fragmentary, bear witness to a rich cultural synthesis and invite further exploration of Buddhist networks in eastern India.