Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v3.c12.s19.25

v3.c12.s19.25

The last scene shows a procession in which the rājā, with the queen and her maids, is proceeding to a chaitya for worship. This scene is not included in the Jātaka, and may refer to the visit of the rājā to the chaitya after his marriage to Subhaddā. The surmise is based on the close proximity of this scene to the last, in which Subhaddā, having won the affection of the rājā, feigns illness and induces him to send hunters to kill the Shaḍ-Danta elephant.¹ The architectural style of the chaitya shows it to be a copy of Cave X when its front was complete and had not deteriorated (Plate XXIII). There is a stūpa to the left of the chaitya, the former decorated with flags. Although this scene is much damaged, the figures of the maids following the rājā convey movement very effectively.