Handcrafted Dholpur Sandstone Buddha Statue – Reclining, 4ft

The parinirvana Buddha, carved in Dholpur sandstone

The reclining Buddha depicts the parinirvana — the final passing — with the figure lying on the right side, head supported on the right hand, the body composed and the expression untroubled. It is the one major Buddha form that is horizontal, and that changes where it can go: it wants length rather than height, and it is read from the side rather than head-on.

This one is carved in warm beige Dholpur sandstone, the quartzitic stone quarried in eastern Rajasthan. Fine to medium grain, faint natural banding, and a matte surface that keeps tool marks and edge work legible. Sandstone does not glare, which suits a piece whose whole length is exposed to the sky, and its warm tone sits naturally against sandstone paving, terracotta, or a gravel bed.

Siting a 4ft reclining Buddha, and commissioning yours

At four feet along its length this is a courtyard or garden piece. It works low — on a plinth no more than a foot or so high, or set directly into a bed — because a reclining figure raised too far loses its repose. Allow clear space on the viewing side; the form reads as a long uninterrupted line, and anything crowding it breaks that. Temple courtyards and meditation gardens are where this form is traditionally placed.

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 it through to delivery at your door. The reclining form is commonly ordered from about two feet up to eight, and in white marble or black stone as well as sandstone. Send us the dimensions of the space and we will quote it.