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The Alchi Sumtseg (gSum-brtsegs), as its name indicates, is a three storeyed building dedicated to a triad of Bodhisattvas and their secondary deities located in three niches (> Sumtseg sculpture gallery). The interior of the ground floor measures 5.4 x 5.8 metres and the niches are 2.1 to 2.7 metres wide and more than four metres high, the niche in the main wall being wider and higher than the niches in the side walls. The mural paintings of the Sumtseg are the subject of a recent publication which documents most of the temple.
- Goepper, Roger & Jaroslav Poncar (1996) Alchi. Ladakh's hidden Buddhist sanctuary. The Sumtsek. London, Serindia.
Sculpture
The largest Bodhisattva on the back wall, Maitreya, is flanked by Avalokiteshvara (to his right) and Mañjushri. Besides these celebrated large standing Bodhisattvas, each niche has four secondary deities and two flying goddesses (> Sumtseg sculpture gallery). Many of the secondary deities have been repaired and altered so much that it is no longer possible to reconstruct their original appearance.
Each of the Bodhisattvas is dressed in a beautifully decorated dhoti. These dhotis do not display the usual textile patterns, but are dedicated to different themes – one is decorated with holy places of Kashmir, one with the life of the Buddha (> Sumtseg Life of the Buddha Gallery and Overview drawing), and one with the 84 Mahasiddhas. The latter are discussed in an article by Rob Linrothe.
- Luczanits, Christian. 2004. Buddhist Sculpture in Clay: Early Western Himalayan Art, late 10th to early 13th centuries. Chicago: Serindia.
- Linrothe, Rob (2001) Group Portrait: Mahasiddhas in the Alchi Sumtsek. Embodying Wisdom. Art, Text and Interpretation in the History of Esoteric Buddhism, edited by Rob Linrothe & Henrik H. Sørensen. SBS Monographs, Vol. 6. Copenhagen, The Seminar for Buddhist Studies: 185-208.
Life of the Buddha
The dhoti of the Bodhisattva Maitreya contains a painted cycle of the life of a Buddha. The scenes are inscribed within a basic textile pattern consisting of red circular medallions with a diameter of 15 centimetre on a blue background.
Principally the scenes of the Buddha’s life are arranged in opposite direction through the horizontal groups of medallions. The chronological sequence on the dhoti begins below the belt of Maitreya’s right leg and moves downward, while it continues in the opposite direction on the left leg, where it ends at the top. The scenes incorporated in the space between the legs are to be read from top to bottom and precede the two last scenes on the left leg (> Overview drawing).
The majority of the 48 scenes identified are dedicated to the events between the last sojourn in Tushita heaven and the first sermon in Sarnath. To these 41 episodes five preaching and two scenes about the parinirvana are added. While the preaching scenes are located in a prominent position the parinirvana scenes are nearly hidden (> Overview drawing; > Sumtseg Life of the Buddha Gallery).
The depiction of the legend on Maitreya’s dhoti is a unique interpretation of the Buddha’s life that not only incorporates the different authoritative traditions but also successfully hints towards the true nature of the Buddha in Mahayana. The life of a Buddha is nothing else than the marvellous dress of a super-human, namely Maitreya, who is himself is an emanation of the true nature of a Buddha represented as Vairocana in his crown.
- Luczanits, Christian. 1999. The Life of the Buddha in the Sumtsek. Orientations 30 (1):30-39.
Page last updated: 16.12.2005
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