File:Pawaya Manibhadra, Gwalior Gujari Mahal museum, Madhya Pradesh.jpg

English: The Manibhadra statue, now on display at the Gujari Mahal museum, was a major discovery during the excavations at Pawaya. The statue is larger than life and in the form of a Yaksha image. Three extant artworks from ancient India describe a Yaksha image - Didarganj Yakshi (Patna), Parkham Yaksha, and Besnagar Yaksha (near Vidisha, MP).

Manibhadra is shown holding a money bag. Hindu legends usually describe him as lending money, Kubera being the god of wealth. An inscription on its pedestal says that a guild built and donated this statue during the reign of a king named Shivanandi.

Background:

Pawaya, also spelled Pavaya, is a small remote village about 40 kilometers south of Gwalior. It is one of the most celebrated archaeological sites from 1st to 4th century ancient India, with discoveries of some of the oldest known temple foundations and ancient Indian artwork in central India.

Pawaya is the ancient Padmavati, one repeatedly mentioned as the 'glorious capital city' of the Nagas in many ancient Sanskrit religious and secular texts (love story, plays). For examples, Vishnu Purana and Vayu Purana mention it. The city remained a prosperous economic and religious center through the 12th-century, as evidenced by poems and fiction using it as setting or one of the locations for their story. For example, the 8th century Malatimadhavam – a love story between Malati and Madhava – which mentions Padmavati city to be blessed with waterfalls and four rivers: Sindhu, Para, Lavana, and Madhumati. These rivers and waterfalls – though with similar but evolved names – are in the neighborhood and scenic terrain of Pawaya.

Pawaya has many mounds. One of these has been excavated so far. This excavation at Pawaya between 1925 and 1940, and post-1960 yielded some of the finest artwork pieces from 3rd and 4th centuries. These include Buddhist, Hindu and Jain artwork, but the discoveries have been predominantly Hindu. A massive temple platform has also been unearthed (25.783220°N, 78.239940°E), along with evidence of smaller shrines (all pre-Gupta and Gupta Empire era). Many of the terracota and stone artwork were moved to various museums during the colonial era. A good though small collection remains on display at the Gurjari Mahal museum of Gwalior.