The Archaeology unit in the National Museum has a prestigious collection of Indian sculptural art. There are about nine thousand art objects representing all major regions, schools and periods. It includes works carved in stone as well as terracottas, bronzes, stucco figures, gold, silver, bone and ivory images dated from the 3rd century B.C. to the 19th century A.D. Foyer & Corridor : The monumental image of Surya from the world famous Sun Temple of Konarak greets the visitor first. Eight pillars, surrounding the Surya image, present beautiful female figurines standing in different postures. While five of them belong to Mathura art (2nd cent. A.D.) the remaining three are the products of 10th-12th cent. A.D. Four railings pillars from Mathura carved with various damsesls performing various functions are Khadganrtya, a lady taking bath under a spring. Ashokadohad and the mother carrying the child. The fifth one is Sri Lakshmi, the goddess of plenty and prosperity. Carved in marble, the statue of Jaina Saraswati from Pallu (Rajasthan) is a highly sophisticated and delicate work of sculptural art. She is the goddess of music, learning and intelligence. Alasakanya from Khajuraho region and the lady playing with ball from Nagda are other attractions. On either side of the reception counter, the visitor sees two well-known sculptures of Indian art-a superb image of Shiva in vamana frorm from Mansar (5th cent. A.D.) and a rare exhibit of the Yaksha from Pitalkhora, Maharashtra (2nd cent. B.C.) carved by a goldsmith, Kanhadasa, as is evident from the epigraph. Maurya-Shunga Gallery : After crossing the Indus Valley or Harappa Gallery, the visitors step into the gallery of Maurya-Shunga-Satvahana art (3rd cent. B.C. to 1st-2nd cent. A.D.) and see a few Mauryan Shungan stone sculptures and terracottas. The Mauryan art was followed by a simpler style. The sculptures of Shunga period (2nd-1st cent. B.C.) were used primarily to decorate stupas at Bodh Gaya, Bharhut, Sanchi etc. They depict life scenes of Buddha or the tales of his previous births (Jatakas). The folk deities like Yaksha, Yakshi, Salabhanjika etc. are also very important items of Shunga art, but with a difference. Besides, the Yaksha and Yakshi images from Mathura, Mehrauli, Amin and Bulandshahar are also fine specimens. In the Deccan, the patronage of Satavahana Kings and support by lay-disciples produced a large number of rock-cut caves carved at Pitalkhora, Bhaja, Karle, Kanheri etc. On the other hand, imporant structural buildings like stupas were built at Amaravati, Ghantasala etc. Both are represented here through some superb specimens looking like jewels in Indian art. Kushana Gallery : This leads to the next gallery where one can view the products of three overlapping styles of art-------Mathura, Gandhara and Ikshvaku------that had flourished side by side in the first three centuries of the christian era. This was the time of immense creation and development when Buddhism had overhadowed other religions. Buddha was presented for the first time in the human form: earlier to this, only the symbolic worship was known. Images of most of the Hindu and Jaina deities were also produced in human form for the first time. Earlier, a few icons of Hindu and Jain affiliation like Balarama etc. had been carved out. Gupta Art Gallery : The next gallery takes us to the classical age of Indian art (4th-6th cent. A.D.) in which under the enlightened patronage of the Gupta rulers, Indian art attained classic perfection in form, faunal as well as floral, that set the standard of artistic creation for the coming centuries. Highly animate, youthful and expressive, the divine beings are often represented with a circular halo at the back of the head. These are mostly decorated with circular floral bands. The major centres of artistic activities were Mathura and Sarnath. Other centres of Gupta art were places such as Nachana, Bhumra, Udaigiri, Vidisha and Khoh in Madhya Pradesh, Kausambi and Ahichchhatra with several less important places in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states. The Gupta period was one in which religious thought and iconography developed a great deal and several new iconographic images came into being. Early Medieval Gallary : The disintegration of the Gupta empire towads the end of the 6th century resulted in the growth of regional offshoots of art in India with the emergence of local powers like the Palas in East, Maitrakas in West, Vardhanas and Pratiharas in North and Pallavas, Cholas and the Chalukyas in the South. The art of this period is characterised by an elongation of human figure, a distinct sharpness in facial features, an increase in ornamentation, formal postures and a rigidity in the way the limbs are placed even though these were bent at various places in the body. This gallery presents the representative examples of various art-styles which flourished side by side in different regions of the country between 7th and 10th century A.D. A number of Pratihara scupltures are on view but the lintel from Chittorgarh, depicting the images of the Navagrahas, shows the way craftmanship in wok carving was adopted to stone in an extremely pleasing manner. Vishnu Vishwarup of the Maitrakas, though mutilated and completely weathered gives impression of the monumentality of the Samlaji sculptures. An image of the Ganga, standing on a crocodile is a magnificent representation of Rashtrakuta art form The Ellora Caves. Late Medieval Gallery : The country was further sub-divided into a number of separate principalities during this period. The Palas and their successors the Senas in the East, the Hoysalas, Cholas, Vijaynagar rulers and Nayakas in the South and the Gahadavalas, Paramaras and Chandelas in the North continued to encourage the temple art and architrcture. A number of temple were built in and around the region of present day Bhuvaneshwar. The famous Sun Temple of Konark was built during the 13th century by king Narasimhadeva. The sculptures of Konark are marked by intense movement, prefect sculptural rhythm and clearly defined features. Besides the famous Surya image displayed in the foyer, the four portraits in stone of the king Narasimhadeva engaged in activities such as archery, worship and discussion with his courtiers are the prized exhibits in this gallery for the portrait art was not very common in those days. The Chandelas are known for building the world famous temples at Khajuraho (A.D. 1000-1200). A beautiful image of Yogasana Vishnu from Khajuraho region on display proves both superb carving and concept. The artists who worked under the patronage of the Paramaras, Gahadavalas and Chahmanas also produced some extremely delightful sculptures known for their wood-like carvings. An image of Durga on display here is a masterpiece of Paramara art. The bust of Vajra Tara is also an excellent example of Gahadavala art. Bronze Gallery : While terracottas are displayed alongwith stone sculptures in various galleries, the bronzes are put together on show only in one gallery-the broze gallery. The art of bronze casting reveals the high level technical know-how of the people in the field of metallurgy in ancient India. The bronzes were cast by the lost-wax process called Madhuchchhist-tavidhana in Sanskrit. After the fall of the Harappan Civilization, the art of high level metallurgy apparently faded and it was revived only during the 2nd century B.C. A number of images belonged to Shunga, Kushana and Ikshvaku periods from the 2nd century B.C. to 2nd century A.D. However, it was the Gupta period which witnessed the casting of metal images on a large scale and this art and craft practically spread to every part of the country. Then the tradition continued through the ages. These bronzes were mainly religious in character. Two Buddha images from Phophnar known for their excellence are on display here. Buddhist Art Gallery : This is the first thematic gallery conceived in the year 1990. All the three major schools of Buddhism-Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana-are represented here through their works of art. The gallery presents a large number of images of Buddhist deities. The development of Indian Buddhist art is reflected in the sculptures ranging from 2nd century B.C. to 12th century A.D. The Hinayana phase is covered by three sculptures presenting the worship of symbols and Jataka narrations, i.e., adoration of turban, Buddha Pada and Chhadanta Jataka. The Mahayana phase produced some of the most beautiful Buddha and Bodhisattva images. The bronze image of Buddha from Phophnar kept at the altar and Buddha head from Sarnath are magnificent examples of Buddhist art. Similarly, a slab depicting scenes from Buddha's life is also of special interest in this gallery. Vajrayana phase is marked with a number of Tantrik gods and goddesses like Marichi, Chunda, Tara, Manjushri, Simhanada, Lokeshvara etc. Besides their images, important Buddhist sites like Sarnath, Nalanda, Bharhut, Nagarjunakonda etc. have also been represented by various sculptures. Buddhism did not remain confined to India. While the beautiful silk paintings and stucco heads in the gallery remind us the spread of Buddhism in Central Asia, the bronze images of Maitreya and Avalikiteshvara and stucco head from South-East Asia are the evidence of the presence of Buddhism in that part of the world. More than life-size image of Buddha head from Java is an impressive sculpture in this gallery. Tibet and Nepal are respresented here by Thankas painted with Buddhist themes. A modern Buddha image in wood with gold wash from Burma is an added attraction. Besides these, a large number of ritualistic objects such as the wheel, ambrosia etc. are also on display. Buddha's Relic Caskets : The focal point of this gallery is the diso;ay of the relics of Buddha alongwith the two relic caskets. These were excavated at Piprahwa in Distt. Basti of Uttar Pradesh in 1972 by the Archaeological Survey of India. The site has been identified with Kapilvastu, the home town of Buddha Sakyamuni. Buddhists from all over the world visit this gallery and pay homage to Lord Buddha who continues to inspire the human beings for the last 2500 years to do jobs which have been scared as well as profane.

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