The Manibhadra statue was another major discovery during the excavations at Pawaya. It has been moved and is now one of the central attractions and display piece in a wing at the Gujari Mahal museum.  
<p>The statue is larger than life and in the form of a Yaksha image. It is one of four such artwork found from ancient India, the others being Didarganj Yakshi (Patna), Parkham Yaksha and Besnagar Yaksha (near Vidisha, MP).
</p><p>Manibhadra is the brother of Kubera. When found, he is shown holding a money bag (see his left hand above). His legends show him lending money (Kubera is the god of wealth in ancient Indian mythology).
</p><p>This statue has a notable inscription on its pedestal. It says that a guild built and donated this statue in the reign of a king named Shivanandi. This confirms the presence and participation of artisan guilds in helping build Hindu temples in ancient India. This artwork also confirms that the Padmavati city and its temples were in existence in ancient India by the 2nd century CE.
</p><p>The Pavaya Manibhadra is dated to the 2nd century CE by several scholars, but India's Archaeological Survey of India dates it to 2nd century BCE.
</p><p><b>Background:</b>
</p><p>Pawaya, also spelled Pavaya, is a small remote village about 40 kilometers south of Gwalior. It is one of the most celebrated archaeological sites from 1st to 4th century ancient India, with discoveries of some of the oldest known temple foundations and ancient Indian artwork in central India.
</p><p>Pawaya is the ancient Padmavati, one repeatedly mentioned as the 'glorious capital city' of the Nagas in many ancient Sanskrit religious and secular texts (love story, plays). For examples, Vishnu Purana and Vayu Purana mention it. The city remained a prosperous economic and religious center through the 12th-century, as evidenced by poems and fiction using it as setting or one of the locations for their story. For example, the 8th century Malatimadhavam – a love story between Malati and Madhava – which mentions Padmavati city to be blessed with waterfalls and four rivers: Sindhu, Para, Lavana, and Madhumati. These rivers and waterfalls – though with similar but evolved names – are in the neighborhood and scenic terrain of Pawaya.
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Pawaya has many mounds. One of these has been excavated so far. This excavation at Pawaya between 1925 and 1940, and post-1960 yielded some of the finest artwork pieces from 3rd and 4th centuries. These include Buddhist, Hindu and Jain artwork, but the discoveries have been predominantly Hindu. A massive temple platform has also been unearthed (25.783220°N, 78.239940°E), along with evidence of smaller shrines (all pre-Gupta and Gupta Empire era). Many of the terracota and stone artwork were hauled away and moved to various museums during the colonial era. A good though small collection from ancient Padmavati city (now Pawaya village) is on display at the Gurjari Mahal museum of Gwalior.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ms_Sarah_Welch" title="User:Ms Sarah Welch">Ms Sarah Welch</a>
2021-12-15 14:20:24
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>