Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s9.3

v2.c8.s9.3

THE birth of the Buddha, like the Nativity, is associated with a number of tales and legends describing the miraculous incidents which took place on the auspicious occasion.¹ Several of them have been painted by the artists of Ajanta. Commencing from the left side of the first cell-door, we notice a lady (Mahā-Māyā) lying on her left side on a couch. The upper part of the figure is much injured, but a part of the head and the left elbow and hand can be made out. The lower part of her body is, comparatively speaking, better preserved, and shows her wearing a long skirt of striped material. Below the couch, in front, are four female attendants, all in a pensive mood. The coiffure, jewellery, and beautiful limbs of these figures are admirably delineated.