INDIAN HISTORY OF ART,ARCHITECTURE

& CULTURE MANJUSHA MARY MATHEWS

END TERM ASSIGNMENT

 SECTION A – QUESTION NO.2

DESCRIBE AJANTA MURALS AND THEIR THEMES.

The Ajanta caves, a Buddhist cave complex in the state of Maharashtra, India, are a sequence of
30 caves dating back to 2nd century B.C.E. till 480 or 650 C.E. Declared a UNESCO World
Heritage site, the Ajanta is a horseshoe-shaped cave around the Waghur river. Built with only
hammer and chisel, the Ajanta caves are known for its stunning murals, paintings and sculptures,
most of them depicting the day to day life of Buddha. Being one of the top tourist spots of
Maharashtra, the Ajanta caves have seen some decay over the years because of tourist invasion
and some maintenance problems. However, the paintings from ancient times, made using
different materials like cow dung and clay, painted in different colours like brown, yellow, black
and white using many different techniques, makes this site a perfect place to relive history. The
Ajanta cave paintings were done using a technique called Tempera. Most of the paintings tell
stories of the Jataka tales involving the stages of becoming a Buddha and the life of Buddha.
The scenes depicted in the paintings are mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental. The themes
are from the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha's former existences as Boddhisattva) by
Aryasura involving the stages of becoming a buddha, the life of buddha And the rebirths of the
Buddha.
Here are some of the most important caves with their paintings and their themes.
 PAINTINGS OF CAVE NO 1
Cave 1 was built on the eastern end of the scarp and is now the first cave the
visitor encounters. This cave, when first made, would have been a less prominent
position, right at the end of the row. It is one of the last caves to have been
excavated, when the best sites had been taken and was never fully inaugurated
for worship by the dedication of the Buddha image in the central shrine.
The paintings of Cave 1 cover the walls and the ceilings. They are in a fair state of
preservation, although the full scheme was never completed. The scenes depicted
are mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental, with scenes from
the Jataka stories of the Buddha's former lives as a bodhisattva, the life of
the Gautama Buddha, and those of his veneration. The two most famous individual
painted images at Ajanta are the two over-life-size figures of the protective
bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani on either side of the entrance to the
Buddha shrine on the wall of the rear aisle (see illustrations above). Other
significant frescos in Cave 1 include the Sibi, Sankhapala, Mahajanaka,
Mahaummagga, and Champeyya Jataka tales. The cave-paintings also show the
Temptation of Mara, the miracle of Sravasti where the Buddha simultaneously
manifests in many forms, the story of Nanda, and the story of Siddhartha and
Yasodhara
 BODHISATTVA PADMAPANI
Cave number 1 of Ajanta caves is known for some of the most elaborate
carvings and sculptures from the life of Gautam Buddha.Flanking a door inside
the Cave no 1 are two Bodhisattvas – Bodhisattva Padmapani and Bodhisattva
Vajrapani. This is Bodhisattva Padmapani – literally meaning the one holding
the Padma or a lotus flower in his hand.
THEME - The bodhisattva Padmapani sits among a crowd of devotees, both
princesses and commoners. With long, dark hair handing down below a jeweled
crown, he stands holding his attribute, a lotus flower, in his right hand. The artist
has carefully considered the placement of the painting in the cave. The
bodhisattva gazes downward at worshipers passing through the entrance to the
shrine on their way to the rock-cut Buddha image in a cell at the back of the
cave. The half-closed eyes represents of Karuna or compassion, At the same
time, they look deeply meditative and dispassionate. This paradox is the
beauty of this famous painting of Padmapani. It is sensuous and divine at the
same time, It is materialistic and spiritual.
 BODHISATTVA VAJRAPANI
This image of the bodhisattva Vajrapani is the companion piece to the image
of Padmapani shown above (Padmapani is on the left-hand side of the
doorway, and Vajrapani on the right). These images are usually dated in the
6th century CE, when iconic portrayals of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had
become well established, and given their subject matter.
THEME - Vajrapani is regarded as one of the earliest in the Mahayana
traditions. The deity holds a thunderbolt in the hand. “Vajra” means
thunderbolt (also diamond) and “pani” means “in the hand”. He is a fierce
protector of the Buddha. Buddha is shown with three “Protectors” around,
namely Manjusri (representing Buddha’s wisdom), Vajrapani (representing
Buddha’s power) and Avalokitesvara/Padmapani(representing Buddha’s
compassion). Meditating on Vajrapani is said to give immense and
extraordinary powers. This wisdom, power and infinite compassion
(represented by the bodhisattva Padmapani above), are the primary aspects
of a perfect Buddha.
 PAINTING OF PERSIAN AMBASSADOR
A ceiling painting in cave number 1 of Ajanta caves, this one doesn’t
talk about any particular religious story but is a general decorative
motif that explains the importance of Persian culture in ancient India.
You can see a Persian ambassador also in this cave and everything
about this part of the painting is Persian. The person is depicted in the
white skin while most native people have dark skin. The curtains, the
long cloak like clothing, the headgear and the cup he is holding in his
hand are all in Persian style indicating not only the trade but also a
piece of good knowledge about their culture.
Similar depictions are found in the paintings of Cave 17. Such murals,
suggest a prosperous and multicultural society in 5th-century India active
in international trade. These also suggest that this trade was
economically important enough to the Deccan region that the artists
chose to include it with precision. Additional evidence of international
trade includes the use of the blue lapis lazuli pigment to depict
foreigners in the Ajanta paintings, which must have been imported from
Afghanistan or Iran. Buddhist monastic world was closely connected with
trading guilds and the court culture in this period.
 MAHAJANAKA JATAKA
Many of the paintings illustrate stories from the Jataka tales, which are moralistic
tales of the Buddha's previous lives. The Mahajanaka Jataka describes the future
Buddha's birth as a prince named Mahajanaka. Mahajanaka's kingdom was
usurped by his wicked uncle, and Mahajanaka became a merchant to gain the
fortune that would allow him to regain his kingdom, in the process having many
adventures. After many years his uncle died without sons, and his daughter Sivali
was only allowed to marry a man who fulfilled certain conditions. Mahajanaka
was able to do these, and so he married her and regained his kingdom.

This picture shows a scene from palace life, in which Mahajanaka sit on his throne,
watching a dance performance arranged for his amusement by Sivali, who clearly
has eyes only for him. Their high status is clearly shown by their rich jewelry and
ornamentation, and by the servants surrounding them.

As time went by Mahajanaka
became disenchanted with the
attractions of worldly life,
seeing them all as a
mirage. This picture shows
Mahajanaka leaving the
palace to take up life as a
renunciant ascetic.
OTHER MAHAJANAKA
JATAKA PAINTINGS FROM
AJANTA
In this final scene, the newly initiated monk is sitting
with his begging bowl in hand, surrounded by women
who have come to give him alms. Giving alms to a
newly ordained monk is believed to generate great
religious merit.
As part of his ascetic initiation,
Prince Mahajanaka received a
ritual bath that symbolically
cleansed him from the elements of
his past life, and marking the
transition between householder and
renunciant life. This picture shows
Mahajanaka getting his bath.
 PAINTINGS OF CAVE NO 2
Cave 2 was started in the 460s, but mostly carved between 475 to 477 CE,
probably sponsored and influenced by a woman closely related to emperor
Harisena. Cave 2 is known for the paintings that have been preserved on its walls,
ceilings, and pillars. It looks similar to Cave 1 and is in a better state of
preservation.
This cave is best known for its feminine focus, intricate rock carvings and paint
artwork yet it is incomplete and lacks consistency. Paintings appear on almost every
surface of the cave except for the floor. At various places, the artwork has become
eroded due to decay and human interference. Therefore, many areas of the
painted walls, ceilings, and pillars are fragmentary.
The painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted only on the walls, which
demanded the special attention of the devotee. They are didactic in nature, meant
to inform the community about the Buddha's teachings and life through successive
rebirths. Their placement on the walls required the devotee to walk through the
aisles and 'read' the narratives depicted in various episodes.
 PAINTINGS OF CAVE NO 17
The paintings in Ajanta Cave 17 mainly show the Jataka tales. The cave has 30 major
murals. The paintings depict Buddha in different forms and postures.
The narrative frescoes show various Jataka tales. They display themes as diverse as a
shipwreck, a princess applying makeup, lovers in scenes of dalliance and a wine drinking
scene of an amorous couple.
Some paintings have remarkable 3 dimensional effects. The same painting when viewed
from different angles appears different . The paintings are in a better condition than in
other Ajanta caves. The tales originated in India and narrate stories from Buddha’s previous
lives.
Ajanta Cave 17 has a colonnaded portico with paintings on the wall and ceiling. The cave
features a large central with pillars on the sides. There is a shrine at end of the hall. Large
windows Vihara and doors let in light.
Jataka Tales originated in India and pertain to the previous births of Gautama Buddha. The
Jatakas are among the earliest Buddhist literature, dating to 4th century BC. The Jatakas
describe the early incarnations of Buddha in human or animal form.
 BUDDHA’S BEGGING BOWL
This image, from Cave 17, shows the Buddha begging for food at his former home,
standing in front of his wife Yashodhara and his son Rahula. Their difference in
spiritual status is reflected in the relative size of the figures, with the Buddha being
much larger. There are two stories associated with this picture, with widely
different meanings. According to one, Yashodhara has tutored their son to ask for
his inheritance (as the son of a prince), but the Buddha replies that the only thing
he can give to him is his begging-bowl. Buddhist tradition reports that Rahula
eventually became a Buddhist monk, but in this story Yashodhara is clearly not
happy with her husband's choice.
The second story has a far different message. According to this version, the
Buddha had carefully avoided begging for food at his home, since this might have
been seen as a continuing attachment to the world. Yashodhara sent a message
complaining that in doing so he was depriving the members of his own household
the opportunity to gain religious merit by feeding him--an opportunity that he was
giving to everyone else. If he were really being impartial, she argued, he would
visit their house as well, and thus give them too the opportunity to build their merit.
The Buddha was persuaded by this argument, and came to receive alms from
them.
 VESSANTARA JATAKA
All the Jatakas describe past lives of the Buddha, but also aim to
imbue certain virtues in the hearers. This picture comes from the
Vessantara Jataka, named after its hero Prince Vessantara, who was
the Future Buddha's last human birth before being reborn as
Siddhartha, and who was a paradigm for the virtue of generous and
disinterested giving. During a trial by the gods, Vessantara not only
gave away his kingdom and all his belongings, but his wife and
children too. In the end his virtue was rewarded, and all of his
possessions were restored to him.
This picture, from Cave 17, shows Vessantara and his family (under the
umbrella) leaving the palace to take up a life of hardship, in order
that Vessantara's fabled generosity may remain unblemished.
The 2nd painting, from a frieze in Cave 17, shows a dark-skinned man and his
lady friend enjoying a drink from a bowl. This man may be meant to represent
a yaksha, who were nature spirits, or he may represent the multitude of types
of people who became Buddhists. Unlike many religious communities at the
time, Buddhism was both multi-racial and multi-ethnic
 OTHER YESSANTARA JATAKA
PAINTINGS
This picture, often called the "Dying Princess,"
shows a scene from
Ashvaghosha's Saundarananda ("Handsome
Nanda"). Nanda was the Buddha's cousin, who
through the Buddha's teaching eventually
renounced householder life and family to
become a Buddhist monk. This painting, which
comes from Cave 16, shows the reaction of
Nanda's wife when
she has learned the
news that he has
become an ascetic.
This detail from the Vessantara Jataka shows Indra,
the king of heaven, looking down on Vessantara as This picture from Cave 17 shows a
he departs his home. Although Buddhists do not richly ornamented noble lady
worship deities, they have no doubt that there are a looking at her face in the mirror
variety of non-human and super-human beings,
as her attendants help to make
some of which have the power to make people's
lives harder or easier. The critical point to her up. This image is not clearly
understand is that gods such as Indra are also tied connected with any of the Jataka
into the continuing cycle of birth, death, and stories, and is an example of the
rebirth, just like all other created beings. THE DYING PRINCESS upper-class life at the time.