Dobrovits Aladár szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 3-4. (Budapest, 1959)

HOPP FERENC KELETÁZSIAI MŰVÉSZETI MÚZEUM - Ervin Baktay: Report on a vovage of study to India 1956/57

Fig. 2. The renovated Stupa of Kusingura recognised it. At the time of my first visit, many years ago, the weatherblackened stones of the old Stupa and the huge reclining figure of the dying Buddha, placed in a low sort of building in front of it, still talked of a past of many centuries ; they were venerable and highly instructive. Now I was faced by a brand new edifice : both the Stupa and the receptacle of the statue, rebuilt in the style of a typical Chaitya, looked as if they had been constructed the day before in reinforced concrete, reminding of anything but the original structures ... The reclining black stone figure of the dying Buddha inside had been plastered, painted in gaudy colours and gilt all over — not a trace of the original work of art was visible. It was the same case with the Stupa itself (Fig. 2). Although the old stone material is said to still exist under the modern cover, I felt deeply disappointed. Since the establishment of Independent India renovating of old historical monuments has been carried out on a big scale, all over the country, and the work was succesfully done in most cases, as I could judge it myself e. g. at Sanchi, Sarnath, Rajgir, Nalanda etc. But, according to my modest opinion the renovations at Kusinagara went a bit too far. It may serve as an example of how it is not permissible to do such a work. I was informed that this sort of ,,

renovation" had been done with regard to the great numbers of pilgrims coming from Buddhistic countries in order to visit the holy place. This excuse cannot be accepted, for other 19 Iparművészeti Múzeum Evkönyve 289