Dr.R.Nagaswamy #6B8E23 Illustrations to be included Two life size sculptures of Buddhist deities carved in grey cist are displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Tashkent in the Soviet Union. While one shows a bearded head with angry look, rounded eyes and raised eyebrows, with a human skull prominently tied as a fillet on to the forehead, the other is the bust of a serene figure with a moustache. On the forehead is a third eye shown horizontally. Recovered from Fargana, in South Uzbeckistan, the deities are assignable to the Kushan period i.e. 1st-2nd Century A.D. In India, the Bhairava image of Siva is shown with a human skull on the forehead. The association of skull with divinities can be traced back to the tribal faith that it wards off evil. A shaft with a skull fitted on to it, known as Khatvanga, was used as an emblem of Siva in the early centuries of the Christian Era. Similarly sculptures of Siva show the presence of the third eye, vertically, as a tilak mark. The association of the skull and the third eye in Buddist sculptures affirm to a widespread belief and can be probably traced back to primitive cults. In the Indian section of the same Museum are Indian wood carvings, bronzes, metal wares and Indian sarees, including two exquisite Kanchipuram silks. The metalware and bronzes are mostly modern. Another Buddhist sculpture with the third eye, is now housed in the same city, at the "Institute for the Study of Arts". The Institute, located in a beautiful seven-storeyed building, has severel sections to study the history of Uzbeckistan; the history section specializes on ancient monuments. The archaeology section of the Institute specializes in the Kushana dynasty. I met a descendent of the great Mughal emperor Babur, in the Institute who now specialises in Islamic architecture. The Society for the Preservation of Monuments in the USSR has 4,50,000 ordinary members and about 7,000 collective members. Preservation of ancient buildings is offered as a special subject in the polytechnics. The Institute, under the guidance of Mr. Turgonov Bahadur, has conducted an excavation in Dalverzin Tepe, a Buddhist site in South Uzbek. Located about 20 km away from the river Ainutara, the site is said to have been the first capital of the Kushan Emperors. The Buddhist centre was flourishing from the 1st century B.C. to 3rd century A.D. The excavations brought to light a Buddha-vihara and a Buddha chaitya. Several pieces with inscriptions in Brahmi (Indian script) on them were found. These are now housed at the Hermitage Museum, Leningrad. Near the vihara the remains of a Royal Palace were also exposed. Several stucco heads were recovered, among which, one with a painted cap was identified as that of the Kushan emperor, Vasudeva. Several coins of the Kushan emperors like Kanishka, Vasudeva and Khadpeses were unearthed. A pot, excavated from the site, contained 36 kg of Kushan gold jewellery. Among other finds, mention must be made of several terracotta moulds and ivory pieces, the later carrying remarkable carvings of men and women resembling the world famous Begram ivories. Recovered from the Faje Tepe site. this Buddha is at the Museum of the History of Uzbek people Another group of Buddhist sculptures may be seen in "The Museum of the History of Uzbeck people" in Tashkent, which depicts the history of the region' from the Paleolithic period to recent times. The Buddhist antiquities in the museum were found in a site called Faji Tepe. A Buddha stupa and chaitya started during the reign of the Kushan ruler Khadpeses and completed in the period of Vasudeva were excavated. The vihara measured 115 metres in length and 60 metres in width. In one room a statue of Buddha with attendants was found; A painting of Buddha with two attendant women was found in another room. A stone pedestal with a dedicatory inscription in Kharoshti scripts was also recovered. These Buddhist antiquities are said to be between lst--2nd Century A.D. Housed in dlfferent museums of Tashkent, they depict the close cultural contact India had with the Soviet Union in the early centuries of the Christian era. The warmth of friendship and emotional appeal Tashkent has for Indian visitors are manifested not only in these early Buddhist antiquities but also in the imposing statue of the great Indlian leader, Lal Bahadur Sastri, who is affectionately remembered by the people of the city. A school for teaching Hindi to the Uzbeck children is housed near this statue. R. Nagaswamy The Hindu, Sunday, September 18, 1983