Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v3.c12.s5.3

v3.c12.s5.3

THE figures of happy couples representing donors or *arhats* with their consorts, or dancers attached to the temple, are carved on the façades of the earliest Buddhist *chaityas*, such as those of Karle, Bedsa, Kondane, and Bhaja. But with the passage of time the practice became more a decorative feature than a means of conveying religious significance or representing any particular deities of the Buddhist pantheon. The doorways of the fifth and sixth century temples of the Buddhist faith are therefore adorned with male and female figures in a variety of most delightful poses.