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Description
Flight of steps leading to one of four Buddha statues at the Vatadage. They are flanked by two ornate guardstones and balustrades. The pillars at the top would have supported the roof over the stupa behind the Buddha statues. These guardstones with unadorned arches reflect one of the later stages of the evolution of the genre. In each, a centrally placed, crowned guardian deity (Nagarājā), his head protected by a cobra hood and in the thrice-bent posture, holds the pot of prosperity (abundance) in his left hand and a stem of flowers and foliage (creeper) in his right. At his feet are the two protective yaksas/Bahiravas (dwarfs), Sankha (male) and Padma (female) that earlier were placed in the central position. The guardstone does not have makara decoration in the arch above the cobra head. This guardstone may be a partial reconstruction.
