DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36942#0313
or the beginning of the second century AD 7 The proximity of this sanc-
tuary suggests that the paintings of Nokkono Ghwand were executed at
a time when it was still in use.
It was a commendable act to be a donator of a in those days,
when Buddhism was flourishing, but not everybody could afford to have
a -stnpa built. So in the shadow of the official religious art, the ordinary
man found other ways to express his faith and devotion. As we know
from the rock carvings of the Upper Indus valley with their related in-
scriptions, the drawing of a was a kind of 'substitute' for the
erection of a real one.^ For the paintings of Nokkono Ghwand we can
assume the same background.
The paintings of Nokkono Ghwand are no singular phenomenon. There
are two more sites of this kind in the vicinity, but without a clear
Buddhistic context.
At Sofar Ghat, below the Kafir Kot ruins, a small rock shelter preserves
paintings of three human figures standing in a row, holding bows and
arrows(?) shields and swords(?) painted in red colour. These figures
resemble those of Nokkono Ghwand. Unfortunately they are too faint
to be illustrated.
The other example is a rock (3 ft high and 5 ft wide) facing the .sfnpa of
Marano Tangai (Chuwa)^ Here, again on the surface of a small shelter,
nine rectangles are painted in brick-red colour (photo 5). Some of them
are divided by a vertical line. Their size varies from 4%" x 4%" to 5%" x
5". The meaning and age of these rectangles are uncertain. Perhaps they
are representing buildings drawn in a schematic way.
A systematic survey of this region will surely allow to find more sites of
this kind, resulting in a better understanding of this hitherto unknown
type of archaeological remains.
7 J. MARSHALL, The Buddhist Art of Gandhara, Cambridge 1960, p 60, pi 56.
8 O. von HlNUBER, Buddhistische Inschriften aus dem Tal des Oberen Indus, in: K.
JETTMAR (ed), of /Vcrf/mm PgATyfan 1, Mainz 1989, p 75.
9 Near the house of Begham Shah.
215
tuary suggests that the paintings of Nokkono Ghwand were executed at
a time when it was still in use.
It was a commendable act to be a donator of a in those days,
when Buddhism was flourishing, but not everybody could afford to have
a -stnpa built. So in the shadow of the official religious art, the ordinary
man found other ways to express his faith and devotion. As we know
from the rock carvings of the Upper Indus valley with their related in-
scriptions, the drawing of a was a kind of 'substitute' for the
erection of a real one.^ For the paintings of Nokkono Ghwand we can
assume the same background.
The paintings of Nokkono Ghwand are no singular phenomenon. There
are two more sites of this kind in the vicinity, but without a clear
Buddhistic context.
At Sofar Ghat, below the Kafir Kot ruins, a small rock shelter preserves
paintings of three human figures standing in a row, holding bows and
arrows(?) shields and swords(?) painted in red colour. These figures
resemble those of Nokkono Ghwand. Unfortunately they are too faint
to be illustrated.
The other example is a rock (3 ft high and 5 ft wide) facing the .sfnpa of
Marano Tangai (Chuwa)^ Here, again on the surface of a small shelter,
nine rectangles are painted in brick-red colour (photo 5). Some of them
are divided by a vertical line. Their size varies from 4%" x 4%" to 5%" x
5". The meaning and age of these rectangles are uncertain. Perhaps they
are representing buildings drawn in a schematic way.
A systematic survey of this region will surely allow to find more sites of
this kind, resulting in a better understanding of this hitherto unknown
type of archaeological remains.
7 J. MARSHALL, The Buddhist Art of Gandhara, Cambridge 1960, p 60, pi 56.
8 O. von HlNUBER, Buddhistische Inschriften aus dem Tal des Oberen Indus, in: K.
JETTMAR (ed), of /Vcrf/mm PgATyfan 1, Mainz 1989, p 75.
9 Near the house of Begham Shah.
215