Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s28: Nāgas, Gaṇas, and Other Mythical Beings

Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s28

Language: English

Nāgas, Gaṇas, and Other Mythical Beings

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These figures are painted on the pedestals of the back columns of the hall, and as the colours have much faded, the frescoes are reproduced in monochrome only.

THE pedestals of the columns of the hall were originally painted, and the subjects represented Nāgas, Gaṇas, and other mythical beings included in the host of Buddhist gods by the Mahāyāna School. As some of these subjects have been painted with admirable skill, six of them are reproduced in these Plates (XLVIII *a-d* and XLIX *a-b*).

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The subject XLVIII *a* represents a palace scene in which a Nāga king is shown with his consort and two female attendants, one of whom is a *chaurī*-bearer and the other a maid-of-honour, for she is sitting close to the king.⁴ The latter holds a vessel like a wine cup in his right hand, but the serenity of his face and the gesture of his left hand show that he is talking on some serious subject to the *Nāgī*, who is listening with rapt attention to him. The pose and features of the *Nāgī* are very beautiful, and the expression of her face conveys a double kind of devotion, that of a wife as well as that of a disciple, for the king in those days was not only the domestic chief but also the religious lord. The expressions on the faces of the two attendants as well show feelings of calm and repose. It is interesting to note that even in a scene of *amor*, where the husband holds a cup of wine and the wife is lovingly reclining on his arm and knee, the religious element changes the general effect of the picture.

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⁴ This episode is painted on the pedestal of the second back pillar of the hall counting from the left corner. The fresco faces the hall.

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The next subject (Plate XLVIII *b*) represents a similar episode,¹ but the painter has altered the poses of the characters. The *Nāga* rājā is shown sitting in a characteristic Indian attitude; the right leg of the rājā is bent with the knee upwards, while the other leg is bent but rests on the ground. His head is painted in three-quarter profile, and the expression of inner peace is more pronounced than in the former fresco. He holds a cup of wine in his right hand, while his left, to express feelings of love and intimacy, is placed on the shoulder of his consort. The pose of the *Nāgī* is also slightly different from that of the previous fresco, while the attendant in this painting holds a round vessel (a wine jug?) instead of a fly-whisk.

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¹ This subject is painted to the right of the preceding one, on another face of the same pedestal.

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The third subject (Plate XLVIII *c*) shows a fat figure (*Gaṇa*) with a fair complexion and good features.² The palms of the hands being painted red convey an idea of foppishness, which is confirmed by the pose of the head, which is inclined on one side. The gesture of the fingers, on the other hand, introduce a religious element, and the general effect of the composition thus becomes serio-comic.

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² This figure is painted to the left of XLVIII *a* on the pedestal of the same pillar.

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The painter’s sense of humour is further illustrated by another figure (Plate XLVIII *d*) whose thin twisted moustache and pose of self-assertion are as ludicrous as the childish gesture of his right hand in protruding the middle finger.³

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³ This figure is painted on the pedestal of the same pillar, the fresco facing the ante-chamber.

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The fifth subject (XLIX *a*), like the first two, represents a *Nāga* king and queen with two maids, one of whom is clinging shyly to the bolster against which the rājā is leaning.⁴ The other maid holds a vessel with a conical lid in her left hand. The vessel apparently contains dessert, for the *Nāga* rājā has a cup of wine in his right hand. The rājā has fondly placed his elbow on the shoulder of his consort, who is looking at him lovingly. The gesture of the hands of the rājā, however, suggests the teaching attitude, and a meditative air is apparent from the expression of his face, as also from the girdle round his back and knees, which is generally used by hermits when they sit in contemplation. The combination of wine-drinking with religious devotion might have been a feature of the *Nāga* cult at the time, and the painter’s imagination having been struck with it, he has delineated the cult in several scenes (Plates XLVIII *a-b* and XLIX *a*).

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⁴ This subject is painted on the pedestal of the third back column counting from the left corner. The fresco faces the hall.

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To the right of the last subject, on another face of the pedestal of the third back column, are painted two Gaṇas. The features of one of them convey a sweet innocence reminiscent of some of the early European delineations of cherubs (Plate XLIX *b*). The other figure has very coarse features, and its broad nose, bent upwards at the tip, and contracted eyebrows provoke laughter.

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On the shafts of the two back columns of the hall, facing the antechamber, are carved figures of four-handed Gaṇas in dancing attitudes (Plate XLIX *c*). The sculptures are rather rough in workmanship, but the position of the hand, stretched in front of the breast of these figures, is interesting. The pose suggests the balancing of the body and rapidity of movement, features which are more pronounced at a later date in the sculptures and bronzes of Śiva in this pose.

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The *Aeneid* is a poem of the *future* as well as of the past. It is a poem of the *future* because it is a poem of *destiny*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *destiny* because it is a poem of *Rome*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Rome* because it is a poem of *Augustus*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Augustus* because it is a poem of *order*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *order* because it is a poem of *pietas*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *pietas* because it is a poem of *Aeneas*.

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The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Aeneas* because it is a poem of *pietas*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *pietas* because it is a poem of *order*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *order* because it is a poem of *Augustus*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Augustus* because it is a poem of *Rome*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Rome* because it is a poem of *destiny*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *destiny* because it is a poem of the *future*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of the *future* as well as of the past.

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The *Aeneid* is a poem of the *past* as well as of the future. It is a poem of the *past* because it is a poem of *memory*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *memory* because it is a poem of *Troy*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Troy* because it is a poem of *loss*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *loss* because it is a poem of *Dido*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Dido* because it is a poem of *passion*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *passion* because it is a poem of *Turnus*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Turnus* because it is a poem of *war*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *war* because it is a poem of *Aeneas*.

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The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Aeneas* because it is a poem of *war*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *war* because it is a poem of *Turnus*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Turnus* because it is a poem of *passion*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *passion* because it is a poem of *Dido*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Dido* because it is a poem of *loss*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *loss* because it is a poem of *Troy*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *Troy* because it is a poem of *memory*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of *memory* because it is a poem of the *past*. The *Aeneid* is a poem of the *past* as well as of the future.