Ajanta Paintings - Appreciation of Mahajanaka Jataka

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Paintings of Ajanta Caves(2nd century BC to
6th century AD)Appreciation ofMahajanaka
JatakacompositionbyS. Swaminathan(sswami99_at_gm
ail.com)
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Presented byS. Swaminathan
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Mahajanaka Jataka is an important composition in
Cave 1 belonging to the Baroque period (6th
century AD). Due to fortunate survival of most
of the composition the narration is taken for a
detailed discussion
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The Story
Bodhi-sattva born Mahaajanaka whose father was
banished from his kingdom by his brother,
Pola-janaka.
Mahaa-janaka went all over the world as a
merchant and amassed enough wealth to help him
regain his father's kingdom
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The Story
Pola-janaka died survived by his most
beautiful and haughty daughter, Shivaali
Three almost impossible conditions were set to
marry her.
Mahaa-janaka fulfilled all three and married
Shivaali
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The Story
However, the pomp and luxuries of the palace
life was not to his liking.
In spite of the pleadings from his
queen, Mahaa-janaka finally renounced the world
and went to the Himalayas to meditate upon the
Truth
Narration in this cave starts after the marriage
of Mahaa-janka
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Importance of the Panel
A major portion has survived
Important from art history point of view
Composition shows the beginning of deterioration
from the classical elegance to baroque
ostentation
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Importance of the Panel
Offers scope for a study of art style
and method of narration of this period
Provides a wealth of information Regarding
jewellery, textile and dress, musical
instruments, architecture, etc
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Location of Composition
Shrine
Scenes from this jaataka are painted on the left
wall of the main hall
Entrance To Cave 1
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Composition
Story is in four acts
1. The king in dilemma
2. He seeks advice from an ascetic
3. He abdicates
4. He leaves the palace
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Composition
Act 1 King in dilemma
Act 2 King goes to seek advice
Act 3 King abdicates
Act 4 King leaves palace
Ship wreck (An earlier scene)
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Composition
Act 1 King in dilemma
Act 2 King goes to seek advice
Ship wreck (An earlier scene)
Act 3 King abdicates
Act 4 King leaves palace
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Act One Mahaa-janaka in Dilemma
The newly wed king is dissatisfied with the
pompous life
The queen attempts to captivate him with all her
charm
The king goes out to seek advice from an ascetic
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Scene 1 Queen captivating
Scene 2 Dancer with musicians
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The Scene
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Mahaa-janaka in Dilemma
The bejewelled king does not look at Shivali, but
has a wild and vacant look. His right
hand suggests despair.
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Queen captivating
Queen, dressed in nakedness', leans against the
king. Every line of her figure expresses her
attitude of passionate yielding
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The Court
The maids are looking at the couple. Their
looks invite the attention the pathetic king
Variation in poses and the varieties of
textiles are worth noting
A dwarf in attendance sitting on the ground
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Musicians accompanying the Dancer
The dancer is supported by musicians
playing flute, cymbals, drums and a
stringed instrument
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Dancing Scene
The musicians, like the dancer, show
great dynamism and movement
Characters shown in variety of body postures
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The dancer strikes a graceful pose, her hands a
mudra.
She wears a long jacket and A close-fitting
blouse. Her striped skirt is loose and long.
Her ring set with a small mirror, the ear-rings
of elaborate design
Her head-dress of strings of gold beads or
pearls. Her plaits entwined with flowers.
The Dancer
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The Scene
The palatial surroundings and decorations, accomp
animent of a host of musical instruments,
fantastic garments and elaborate ornaments all
successfully contributed to a spectacular scene
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Act TwoKings seeks Advice
The queen was not successful in her attempt
in holding back the king
Mahaa-janaka's mental turmoil has not ceased
He goes to Himavali Hills to seek advice from an
ascetic
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The Scene
Ascetic
King listening
King on an Elephant
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Mahaa-janaka goes out
Mahaa-janaka goes out through the Palace-gate on
an Elephant
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Mahaa-janaka meets an Ascetic
The ascetic is delivering a sermon. The
king listens in deep reverence
A pair of deer is seen with faces tilted up, as
if in rapt attention.
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The King listens tothe Sermon
Casting off most ornaments, the king listens to
the sermon in great humility and utter
surrender, his hands folded in prayer.
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Act ThreeMahaa-janaka announces his Decision
The enlightened king announces his decision to
abdicate
The queen listens stoically
while the royal household is perplexed
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The Scene
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Queen Mother admonishes Shivali
Queen-mother admonishes the queen for
letting the king meet the ascetic
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Mahaa-janka announces his Decision
The king, serene and composed, announces his
decision to renounce
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Shivali receives the News
The queen, better clad and composed, receives the
heart-breaking news
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Bewildered Royal Household
All are in great animation.
One girl stunned with her eyebrows drawn and
eyes dilated.
Another is musing with a finger on her cheek
Exquisite portrayal of women in varieties of
postures
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Act FourMahaa-janaka abdicates
Finally, the king leaves the country to meditate
on the dharma
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Mahaa-janaka Departs
King leaves in full regal splendour, led by a
procession of his loyal subjects
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RoyalMusicians
A flautist, a conch-blower, a cymbal player and a
mridangist lead the procession
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Women watching the Procession
Geese-motif of the dress worn by a woman is
noteworthy
An example of expert draughtsmanship and
excellent colouring
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Portrayal of Characters
This mural affords excellent scope for studying
of portrayal of characters
Continuity in dress and physical features of
characters maintained
while bringing out contrast in the expressions
of characters
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Mahajanaka and Shivali
The king depicted three times and the queen twice
Though the location the same, the emotional
atmosphere different
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Mahajanaka
In dilemma
Listening to Sermon
Abdicating
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In Dilemma
The newly-wed king in regal splendour
- two rows of necklaces sparkling with
diamonds and pearls, and pearl-studded
sacred-thread
But he has a vacant look reflecting his mental
conflict and his hands showing his inner pain
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Listens to Sermon
When he met the ascetic the elaborate necklace
replaced with a less ostentatious one
Now his deportment of humility and utter
surrender, his hands folded in prayer.
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Abdicating
He had cast off every-thing including the
sacred-thread, excepting the close fitting
beads.
His visage is serene, but of determination. His
hands compose preaching-attitude showing he
has now found the path.
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Shivali
Captivating
Hearing the News
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Captivating
Dressed in nakedness she is determined to win
over her husband using all her charm.
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Receiving the News
She is now better-draped, sitting before the
king, fully composed and ready to receive the
heart-breaking news.
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Musicians andMusical Instruments
Ajanta offers Scope for studying Indian Musical
Heritage
A Variety of musical Instruments depicted
from 2nd Century BC to 6th Century AD
Both Continuity and Change over the Ages can be
studied
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Dancer is accompaniedby musicians playing
cymbals and flutes common even today,
the bell-shaped drum, closer to todays
udukku used in folk music,
standing drum and strinag instrument, both
obsolete.
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In the scene of the king abdicating the
musicians shown playing
conch-shell, used even today heralding arrival
of gods or dignitaries,
mridangam (or pakhawaj) and flutes in use today
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Musicians are shown
in Padmapani panel, Cave 1
in Descent of Indra, Cave 17
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Dancers and Dancing
Dancers have been portrayed both in the
pre-christian era paintings and in the later
scenes
Change over this period and continuity till date
can be studied
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Dancing in the Hinayana Period
Scanty clothing and ornaments restricted
to conch-shell bangles are stamp of unaffected
spontaneity of the pre-christian era painting
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Dancingin the Mahayana Period
Dancing is now more stylised.
Beautifully designed garments, the glittering
trinkets and bewildering coiffure of the dancer
Dancing pose, gestures, shape of eyes and the
general atmosphere epitomise an advanced phase
of dancing
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Drawing in Perspective
Drawing in perspective gives an illusion of
distance.
In true perspective the farther objects look
small
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True Perspective
The Monastery in Cave 17 is in true Perspective
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Reverse Perspective
The building in front of which the dancer is
performing is drawn in the reverse perspective
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Producing Relief through Colouring
Ajanta artists have used various techniques for
producing depth and relief through skilful use
of colours
Vartana is a method of shading
Ujjotana is adding high-lights
Blue colour for the background
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On shoulder, arms and hands airka, a wash
technique, one of vartana methods, is used.
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On the forehead, cheeks and nose, to
show elevation of form, Ujjotana method of
applying white patches can be seen
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Blue colour used, especially for background, to
create an illusion of depth by contrasting
with the warm red and brown colours
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Draughtmanship
The perfection of painting technique is
displayed in the extraordinary breadth and
confidence of draughtsmanship
- the varying thickness of line drawn with a
free flowing sweep of the brush to depict
oval faces, arched eyebrows, aquiline noses,
and sensitive lips
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Draughtmanship
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A relaxed monkey, consisting basically of one
masterly sweep of brush starting beneath
chin and forming a curve outlining head and
spine and terminating beneath knee-cap
Shad-danta Jataka, Cave 17
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Body Postures (Sthaana-s)
In all the scenes depicted in this
narration, every one of the women is shown in
different positions
from the rijvagata (frontal)
to parshvagata (strict profile)
to anriju (back view)
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Dancing Girlwith Musicians
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DisturbedRoyalHousehold
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Demarcation of Scenes and Acts
The ajanta artists followed certain conventions
in composing the narration
A gate is often placed to herald the beginning
of an act
Within an act pillars may separate the scenes
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Gate separating Acts
Act 1 King in Dilemma
Act 2 King goes to seek advice
Act 3 King abdicates
Act 4 King leaves Palace
Ship Wreck (An earlier Scene)
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King inDilemma
Pillars separating Scenes
Scene 1 King in Dilemma
Scene 2 Dancer with Musicians
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Contemporary fashion
Ajanta is a treasure house to study the
contemporary fashion in textiles, jewellery, etc
There are no monotonous repetitions in the
dress
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Textiles
The girl sports upper-garment with geese printed
on it
- a fashion referred to in contemporary literature
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The glorious tradition of ikkat, a resist-dye
method, where yarn is dyed to produce a design,
leading to todays Patola and
Pochampalli, was initiated here.
Maha-janaka Jataka, Cave 1
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Textiles
The tailored dress of dancer a proof of high
degree of sophistication in both fabric design
and dress-making
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Jewellery
Arsi, Thumb-ring set with a Miniature Mirror
Karna-pushpam, Ear-rings of elaborate Design
Sharashri, Head-dress of Gold-beads and Pearls
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Hairdress
A variety of hair-do seen in Ajanta
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This is only a drop of the Ajanta ocean
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The narration of Simhala Avadhana and Vishvantara
Jataka both in Cave 17 belong to the classical
period and are of compositions of unsurpassing
beauty
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Sutasoma Jataka in Cave 17 is an extensive
composition of many features
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The Maras Episode and Champeyya Jaataka, both
in Cave 1, are of compact design worth studying
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It is not surprising that Ajanta was the source
of inspiration for paintings not only of the
Indian subontinant, but of almost entire Asia
AJANTA IS WORTH A VISIT
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Thank you
S. Swaminathan