Handcrafted Dholpur Sandstone Buddha Statue – Enlightenment, 4ft

Uttara-bodhi, the enlightenment mudra, in Dholpur sandstone

Uttara-bodhi is the mudra of enlightenment attained — both hands raised to the chest, index fingers and thumbs meeting at a point, the remaining fingers interlaced. It is a less common gesture than the meditation or blessing poses, and it reads as a moment of completion rather than of practice. This standing Buddha holds it at four feet, both feet planted square on an integrated base.

The stone is Dholpur sandstone in its warm beige shade, quarried in eastern Rajasthan and used across the region for centuries in step-wells, chhatris and courtyard shrines. It is quartzitic — fine to medium grained, with faint natural banding and the occasional iron freckle that deepens a little with age. Left matte rather than polished, it holds chisel work honestly: you can still read the direction each cut travelled across the robe folds.

Siting a 4ft sandstone Buddha, and commissioning yours

At 48 inches this is an outdoor piece, and sandstone is the reason. It weathers rather than degrades, taking on a softer surface over the years, and it does not glare in direct sun the way a polished stone does. That suits a garden, a courtyard, or a turn in a path where the statue is met at eye level. Against greenery or a plain wall the pale beige stays legible in every light from early morning through dusk.

Every piece is made to order. This one is carved for you by the master sculptors we work with in Jaipur — we develop the design with you, brief the sculptor, and follow the work through to delivery at your door. Height, stone and finish can all change: the same standing form works from about two feet up to over life size, and in Makrana or Vietnam white marble if you would prefer a white piece. Tell us the setting and we will quote it.