Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s6.4

v2.c8.s6.4

Beginning at the left, we notice a Bodhisattva in the bhūmisparśa mudrā,¹ his right hand hanging low towards the earth. The features are refined, and the expression of the face shows that he is occupied in deep thought. He is sitting on a throne, but the hermit's girdle for the support of the back and legs is seen round his knees, apparently to indicate that he is meditating.¹ The feet of the Bodhisattva rest upon a low stool, whose supports in the form of tigers' paws are interesting for their design. The check-pattern with stars at the corners on the cloth of the cushion is pleasing to the eye. To the left of the Bodhisattva is an attendant dressed in a green robe like a monk, while on his right is a *dāsī* (female servant), wielding a fly-whisk. The scene is depicted in a pavilion, similar to the ‘perfumed chamber’ of the Buddhist stories.² The pavilion is apparently built in a higher part of the royal abode or monastery, for we notice below a line of *caitya*-windows and carved railing, indicating the lower apartments of the building.