Stunning reliefs, carvings and sculptures depicting the Buddha and his teachings are the bread and butter of these craftsmen.

There are some sculptors and stone carvers in Taxila who are known for one particular skill; the ability to create better-than-original replicas of Gandhara artifacts. These skilled craftsmen continue the tradition, passed by artisans from generation to generation, despite adversity and often resistance from the local community.

In his book on the historical city of Taxila, renowned archaeologist Anis Hasan Dani writes:

“The art presents a heterogeneous social picture of the time – a medley of foreign immigrants, Greek, Scythian, Parthian, Kushan, Huns and Turk, all intermixed with the local populace in the mundane affairs of the world. Above all the primary aim of the art is not to extol the kings or their ministers but to adore the Buddha, his whole life from birth to death and the preaching that he delivered to mankind for the observation of moral ways of life and for salvation.”

Rashid Mehmood, 43, has been carving images of the Buddha into stone and clay for 16 years. “Social taboos, societal pressure and a constant threat from religious extremists who see our work as pagan are hindering our progress,” he says.

Though the art the ancient craftsmen created lives on, albeit in ruins, their modern-day counterparts are hardly extolled as much.

The ostracism the artisans have to face compels them to use non-descript locations as workshops, away from their own homes, in settlements around Taxila. Here, they work in secret to make relics that may look like they are 3,000 years old, but in fact have been painstaking made to look that way.

Amin Khan, 27, has been a carver for 13 years now. “The art of Taxila has been left to decay due to a lack of government patronage and the influence of the smugglers’ mafia,” he says, pointing out that even tourists have stopping visiting the historic sites due to the worsening law and order situation.

The quality of their craft has made Gandhara art a major attraction for art collectors. But the realism of their art leaves it open to exploitation from smugglers and forgers, who have been passing these art works off as ancient Gandharan originals and selling them in foreign countries where Buddhism is a major religion, such as Korea and Japan.

Ilyas Khan, 49, is a master sculptor and has devoted nearly 37 years of his life to Gandharan art. “The government should allow the export of our work and abolish archaic laws that hold us back,” he says.

Taxila was once known as a ‘city of artisans’ because of its cultural and historical importance. But most of the renowned artisans are now leaving the profession due to a lack of patronage by the government.

Exploitation by smugglers and social pressure from religious groups, who frown upon what they regard as “idol-making”, is also turning people away from this art.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2015

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