India’s art is more original and more varied and her forms of civilisation present an ever-changing variety, such are nowhere else to be found. India is a living entity. India is a complete cosmos in itself. India’s west, having one door of communication, across the Indus, was open to the outer world. Across that stream, nation after nation have poured their myriads into her domain. However, no reflex waves ever mixed her people with those beyond her boundaries. (Fergusson 1910, 4). India’s artistic heritage is rich spanning various forms such as paintings, sculpture, pottery and textile art. Gandhara art holds a significant place in Indian art history. Flourished in the region of Gandhara, this artistic style blended elements from Greek and Buddhist tradition symbolizing cross-cultural exchange. India’s artistic transformation was influenced by its contact with the Western world. First Alexander’s expedition brought India into the interaction. Later, the establishment of the Bactrian Kingdom nearby continued this exchange. This connection ensured pinpointing the ways Western art influenced Indian art, where we see Greek influence on Indian coinage, sculptures, and architecture. The Gandhara School of Art flourished in two stages in the period from 50 BC to 500 AD. The former school was known for its use of bluish-gray sandstone, the latter used mud and stucco for making the sculptures. The influence of the West upon Indian art is visible in various designs sculptured on pillars, for example, the anthemion and honeysuckle on the capitals. The frequent use of Corinthian columns and pilasters, crowned with leafy capitals, reflects the lineage from Greco-Roman architecture. Influence of Greek in Stambha Stambhas or Lats are found across various architectural styles. The oldest authentic examples of these lats are those that king Asoka set up in the twenty-seventh year after his consecration, the thirty-first of his reign. The most famous Lats was the one taken from Topra from Ambala district, Firoz Shah Tughlak set it up in 1356 at his Kotola in Delhi. In the Champaran district, there are two other lats or stambha located in Radhia and Mathia. The most complete shaft is the one……
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