Didarganj Yakshi, Ancient stone statue in Bihar Museum, India
Didarganj Yakshi is a female figure carved from sandstone and housed in the Bihar Museum in Patna. The surface of the statue shows a high polish, and the figure holds a ceremonial whisk in her right hand while wearing finely worked jewelry and draped clothing.
A washerwoman uncovered the figure in 1917 along the banks of the Ganges in Didarganj, a suburb of Patna, while washing clothes on a stone by the river. Scholars now place the work in the Maurya period, around the third century before the common era, when Pataliputra served as the capital of a major empire.
The statue represents feminine beauty standards of ancient India through proportionate features, slender waist, and intricate jewelry craftsmanship.
The figure stands in a climate-controlled gallery at the Bihar Museum, where temperature and humidity remain steady to protect the sandstone. Visitors can view it closely through a protective case during regular museum hours and observe the fine details of the polish and carving.
The shine of the surface comes from a technique that still puzzles researchers, as the polish has barely faded after more than two thousand years. Some scholars suggest that special tools or natural substances were used to achieve this effect, but clear evidence remains elusive to this day.
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