A Double sided mottled red sandstone railing pillar with Shalabhanjika, India, Uttar Pradesh , circa 2nd Century

This fragmentary stone would have formed part of an upright to a railing, two copestones would have slotted along each side of this pillar one above the other.  The pillar depicts a voluptuous female bare to the waist she wears a heavy hip girdle and large bracelets.  The bejewelled lady stands below a flowering tree.  This image may refer to an ancient rite referred to as dohada.  During this rite a young girl touches a tree to increase its capacity to blossom.  The word dohada is derived from doha, meaning milking or to yield. The popularity of this rite provided a frequent theme for sculptors.  The reverse of the railing is split into two registers and depicts two figures in each register, possibly devotees to the shrine.