Buddha of Bamiyan

Reference

Bamiyan's Buddha statues were recently revived by a 3D presentation at a program called "A Night with Buddha", nearly two decades after it was destroyed by the Taliban.

Buddha of Bamiyan

• The Bamiyan Buddha statues (also known as 'Buddha of Bamiyan') with Roman Drapery in two different postures were unique examples of the confluence of Gupta, Sasanian and Hellenistic artistic styles.
• It is believed that these statues belong to the 5th century and were the tallest standing statues of Buddha.§  These two statues of Buddha were called Salsal and Shamama by the locals. These sculptures were 55 and 38 meters high respectively. They were built by the Kushana’s between the 5th and 6th centuries.§  Locals considered Salsal as male and Shamama as female. Salsal means 'the light shines through the universe' and Shamma means 'Queen Mother'.§  These idols were installed on the two ends of a rock. These idols made of sandstone were the largest statues of Buddha in standing posture.§  They were destroyed by the Taliban in the year 2001.§  Even before this, there has been an attempt to destroy the statues of Buddha in Bamiyan, Genghis Khan tried to destroy these idols in 1221 AD, but he was unsuccessful. After this, Aurangzeb, Nadirshah and Ahmed Shah Abdali also tried to damage these idols. 

About Bamiyan§  Bamiyan is Located 130 km from Kabulin the remote mountains of Hindukush in Afghanistan.§  In the early days the Bamiyan river valley was an integral part of the silk route. This valley was important not only for trade but also for cultural and religious exchange. Bamiyan had become a major commercial, cultural and religious center during the heyday of the Kushana Empire.§  All three of China, India and Rome used to do trade and cultural exchange through Bamiyan. The Kushans incorporated these three civilizations into their culture.