Chapter 20: Birth at Lumbini — The Buddha in Gandharan Art

The Buddha was born in Lumbini, one of the most sacred sites in Buddhist history. According to the Digha Agama and Jātaka tales, Queen Mmya held onto a sala tree as Prince Siddhartha emerged from her right side. Immediately after birth, the infant took seven steps, with lotus flowers blossoming underfoot, while devatas showered flowers in celebration—symbolizing his extraordinary nature and future enlightenment. 

In Gandharan Art, the Lumbini birth scene is one of the most frequently depicted episodes in the Life of the Buddha. Reliefs often employ continuous narrative, showing the birth, celestial celebration, and the prophecy of the Brahmin sage Asita on a single stone panel. Sculptors used Hellenistic naturalistic proportions and detailed costume carving to humanize the figures while preserving religious symbolism and narrative clarity.

For example, in the Peshawar Museum and Taxila Museum, reliefs show Queen Maya seated under the sala tree, celestial beings in flight scattering flowers, and Asita holding his divination staff, predicting that the prince would become either a Buddha or a Chakravartin (wheel-turning king). These details faithfully follow Buddhist texts while demonstrating Gandharan art’s blend of Hellenistic and Indian styles.

National Museum of Ancient Art. Lisbon, Portugal
Birth of Siddhartha. Exhibition, The Art of Gandhara in Pakistan: 20th Temporary Exhibition.

Photographer: Mário Novais (1899-1967)
Original photograph produced in 1959.