The
Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6thcentury monumental statues of
standingbuddha carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the
Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, 230 km (140 mi)
northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). Built in 507 AD
(smaller) and 554 AD (larger), these statues represented the classic blended
style of Gandhara art. They are no
longer there – destroyed by Taliban in Mar 2001, on orders from leader Mullah Mohammed Omar,
after the Taliban government declared that they were idols.
Later to those
visiting Bamiyan, the void left by the two destroyed Buddha figures has been appalling,
rousing an emotion almost more powerful
than their once tranquil presence did for centuries. The decision to destroy
the two monumental Buddha figures at Bamiyan was just part of the drive to
destroy all the country’s pre-Islamic “icons”, an act of defiance to the
outside world.Demolition work at Bamiyan started at the beginning of March 2001
and lasted several weeks, the two figures – 58 and 38 metres tall – proved
remarkably solid. Anti-aircraft guns had little effect, so the engineers placed
anti-tank mines between their feet, then bored holes into their heads and
packed them with dynamite. The world watched this symbolic violence in impotent
horror.
Now almost 14 years
on, reconstruction work is yet to start
as archaeologists and UNESCO policy-makers argue. According to West, the two
cavities resemble open wounds, a blemish on the long history ofAfghanistan,
which experienced the fervour of Buddhism long before the arrival of Islam. Earlier, monks came from China to worship
here. Others meditated in nearby caves.An incident in 2013 demonstrated the
sensitivity of the subject. A decade ago Unesco authorised archaeologists and
engineers to consolidate the two niches, with props and grouting. But nothing
else. Almost two years ago someone noticed that, on the site of the small
Buddha, a team from the German branch of the International Council on Monuments
and Sites (Icomos) was beginning to rebuild the feet. This was contrary to
Unesco policy, based on the 1964 Venice charter for the conservation and
restoration of monuments and sites, which requires the use of “original
material”. If work on the Bamiyan remains disregarded this rule, then the site
would be struck off the World Heritage list. The Afghan authorities ordered the
Icomos team to down tools, leaving the remains even less sightly than they were
before.
There is also a
practical side: any attempt at reconstruction would be extremely complex. The
original material, as required by the Venice charter, would be a major
obstacle. The 2001 demolition left a heap of scattered fragments. Some say that local residents are in favour of
leaving the larger niche empty but rebuilding the smaller Buddha appeals to
them, particularly as they take little interest in quarrels about original
material. They are more concerned about boosting tourism in a relatively
isolated area in desperate need of revenue.
Now
comes the news of ‘rebirth of Bamiyan Buddha’ – not real, not unreal too – as Chinese millionaires create amazing 175ft
hologram of iconic statue deliberately destroyed by the Taliban.A
Chinese couple who have explored the world together have used a 3D laser light
show to restore one of the two sacred Buddha statues that were destroyed by the
Taliban.Zhang Xinyu and Liang Hong, a millionaire
couple and full-time adventurers from Beijing, were so moved on hearing
about the destruction of the ancient relics that they took it upon themselves
to resurrect the statues.The couple used 3D light projections to recreate the
taller statue in the place it once stood in a stunning show earlier this month,
reported the People's Daily Online. They gained permission from UNESCO, who
have marked the Bamiyan Valley as a world heritage site, and the Afghan
authorities to put on the display over the weekend.
MailOnline reports
that about 150 spectators watched the light show, which took place after sunset
on June 6 and 7, dancing to the music in front of the holographic Buddha into
the night. It is a great show by affluent
Zhang Xinyu, 38, and Liang Hong, 36, hailed as the ultimate travellers in their
home country.After reportedly earning their fortune of nearly £1 million through
a series of small businesses, including inventing a special machine to make
fresh tofu, the two decided to pursue their dreams by traveling around the
world.The couple even have their own travel show called 'On the Road' to
document their journeys to some of the most dangerous parts of the world,
ranging from Chernobyl to Somalia. They embarked on a 41,500 mile journey in
2013, visiting more than 30 cities in 24 countries, and got married in
Antarctica in March 2014.
In an interview
with Xinhua News Agency, Mr Zhang said: 'We knew very little about Afghanistan
before we came here. 'Our entire image of this strife-torn nation was merely
about poverty and suicide attacks,'In the same interview, Ms Liang said: 'When
I saw the smile on the people's faces in Bamiyan, I knew what we have done is
quite meaningful, not only for the Bamiyan people, but also for ourselves. 'We
wanted to find a way to help the people there and showing the Buddha by image
projection was the best we could do.' In 2005, a Japanese artist proposed a
laser projection of the Buddhas but the plan was never realised.
Mr Zhang and Ms
Liang then decided to take on the project and add the Bamiyan Valley as another
destination on the long list of places they have visited across the world.The
spectacular resurrection project is part of their multi-nation tour along the
ancient Silk Road. Both fans of photography and advanced technology, the two
developed a £77,500 projector especially for the light show and perfected the
projections on a mountainside in China.
So light falls on
Bamiyan Buddha through a laser light show !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
19th June 2015.
