Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v3.c12.s32.3

v3.c12.s32.3

THE fresco at first sight appears to be a dark patch on the rock-wall, but the eye on a close scrutiny can trace the drawing of many figures, which have survived the ravages of time and the depredations caused by bats and insects. In the middle of the painting is the figure of the Buddha, seated on a royal chair, similar in design to the one described in the account of the last fresco (*supra*, p. 56). His feet rest on a lotus, the stalk of which is held by two *nāgas* in a brisk buoyant attitude, expressing their religious fervour. There are two attendants, the one towards the left holding a rosary, and the other, towards the right, a *vajra*. The heads of these two figures are missing, but from the above symbols they can be identified with certainty. The one holding the rosary is the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, while the one holding the *vajra*, the double three-forked prong, is the Bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi.¹ On both sides of the principal figure of the Buddha there are standing figures, either representing the Buddha himself or the Bodhisattvas. As the upper parts of these figures are missing, it is impossible to identify them. In the background of the painting, to the left of the seated Buddha, there are some lovely lotus-flowers near the figure of the votary.