Paintings Of Ajanta #1 - Portrayal of Women

I had one of my most enriching experiences, when I visited the caves of Ajanta and Ellora last month.

Like any serious connoisseur of Indian Art and Architecture, I had been wanting to visit these places for almost 20 years, now. From talking to people, who had visited, I knew, for a full understanding & appreciation of Ajanta Art

• one needed to read up and familiarize oneself with Buddhist tales and have some basic understanding of Indian Art 
• one needed a good docent who can throw light (literally and otherwise) on the paintings.

Last year, after I befriended people from THT and Prof. Swaminathan, the founder, my desire to visit Ajanta was rekindled afresh. I was told by several people including Prof, that Gopu was one of the best docents to visit the place with. Only, I didn't know how such a trip would come about.

When Balakumaran casually told me, almost 6 months back, that he might plan a trip to Ajanta and Ellora with Gopu as docent, before he could finish his sentence, I literally jumped & enrolled for the trip. This is how the trip came to be - first week of March.

I attended all the prep lectures diligently, read up all the material provided by Swaminathan Sir and Gopu, printed a lot of stuff including Schlingloff's line drawings & I thought I was all prepared & ready to visit Ajanta.

The Ajanta Caves

The Actual Experience....

As is common knowledge, even though there are a total of 29 Caves in Ajanta, bulk of the paintings are only in Caves 1,2,9,10,16 and 17.

Absolutely nothing can prepare you for the actual experience of being in an Ajanta cave, in that dim light, surrounded by these amazing paintings from floor to ceiling, including the ceiling.

The Architecture and Art blend so seamlessly, not to to mention the natural and artificial lights and shadows adding to the spatial quality, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you feel fascinated, hypnotised & in love all at once. Even after so many years of existence and damage - both natural and willful, the colours in the paintings glow with a brilliant intensity: all shades of ochre & yellow, browns & oranges, muted reds & maroons, a range of greens and of course the lapiz lazuli blue.

Play of Light and Shadows inside the Caves

Seamless blending of Art and Architecture

Paintings on the Walls and Ceiling

The subject matter in these paintings is another big surprise. On the surface, they mostly depict scenes from the Life of Buddha or Jataka Tales and most of them are seamless panels of several scenes without any defining boundaries in the middle. But when you look a little closer, you realise that the spiritual and the strikingly sensuous, are present at the same time, almost side by side. What is depicted is a heady mixture of two worlds normally considered incompatible.

A lot has been written by experts and historians on Ajanta, its art, techniques, subject matters and the mystery surrounding it.

What I really want to do, is to have a series of posts, on the people and the architectural and spatial elements used here, across multiple paintings to understand either their similarity or variations & the intent behind their portrayal thus.

Women in the Ajanta Paintings....

According to William Dalrymple

The artists of Ajanta clearly saw nothing odd in  juxtaposing a monk and a dancing girl. There are no panels or boundaries in the Ajanta paintings beyond the physical borders of the cave, and the artists likewise move from the world of the ascetic’s cave to the pleasure gardens of the royal court and back again without recognizing any essential separation between the two.

Women, obviously extraneous elements in a monk's life, have been extensively portrayed across almost all paintings of Ajanta. An art connoisseur's delight,  portrayal of Women, gave full scope for the sensual expression and creative genius of the Ajanta artist.

Women have been portrayed standing, leaning, sitting, front facing, back facing, in profile, alone, with her male consort or surrounded by a retinue.

They are also nude, partially clothed, fully clothed, almost bare with minimal jewelry or bejeweled with various ornaments and intricate hairstyles.

They are fair, various shades of brown and even black.

The moods of these women also vary - from joyous, curious, wonderstruck to gossipy but mostly they are pensive, lovelorn, lost, miserable and even dying in their extreme grief.

Shakti Pandara (Dark Princess) and a lady offering Lotuses to her 
Cave 1 - Benoy Behl

Bevy of Women surrounding the King - including Queen Sivali in
Mahajanaka Jathaka Cave 1

Also, the women of Ajanta are, at various times

• Integral to the Jataka stories where they may be the central characters or Consorts.
• Secondary characters in all their sensual beauty as dancers and musicians.
• Peripheral characters like maids or onlookers, doing various domestic chores.
• Central characters in standalone paintings.
• Part of a Mithuna pair etc

The common features among the women portrayals are

• Almost uniformly sensuous in the soft roundness of her breasts, the curves of her hips, the turn of her head, the gestures of her hands and the slanting glance of her eyes.
• Detailed out fully, irrespective of her caste, class or role in the painting.
• Her body language and expression in total tandem - be it wonder, seduction or grief. 

Moving on to their roles - Women in Ajanta have been painted as

Nayika -  The Central figure...

There are various such portrayals, which include

Nanda's Wife Janapadakalyani and Padmapani's Consort
Cave 1

Not withstanding the common style in depiction of the 2 women, the subtle differences to be noted are

• Grief in Kalyanis face heightened by her facial features, the tilt of her neck and hand gesture. 
• She has no eye contact with others in the painting. Looking downwards, her sadness and loneliness is brought out really well.
• She is not a queen. Hence only flowers adorn her hair. 

• Padmapani's consort is calm, gentle and serene in demeanour, mirroring her partners expression.
• The droop of her shoulders and the angle of her face complement the Padmapani. She is one of the most graceful women at Ajanta.
• She is wearing an ornate crown.

The Dying Princess - wife of Nanda
Cave 16.

This painting shows Nanda's wife on hearing the news that he has joined Buddha's Sangha.
"For pathos and sentiment and the unmistakable way of telling its story, this picture cannot be surpassed in the history of art.” said British painter and Ajanta Expert John Griffiths

Emotion and pathos are expressed here by the controlled turn and poise of the body, and the eloquent gestures of hands and eyes. The dying princess is reclining against a bolster, and a female attendant is holding her. The bent head of the princess, her lowered eyes, the drooping limbs and the sad, tense female attendants; all hint at almost imminent death. 

Though deserted by her husband, the princess is surrounded by deeply concerned attendants.

One is fanning her while clutching her own heart in grief. In an attached chamber stand two other attendants, one with a Persian cap and another with a distinctly Afro-Asian face signalling someone to bring something. Yet another is checking the princess’ pulse, sensing death inch closer.

Lady at the Toilet (My pic and Getty Images)
Cave 17.

This is among the few 'All Women paintings' of Ajanta.

The overall posture, grace and stance of the 4 women exemplify grace and beauty.

Here, the style of 'Artistic Anatomy' is followed, where the thigh and leg-line are reminiscent of the trunk of a banana-tree (tapering lines) and the feet, of leaves (pada-pallava). 

The diaphanous fabric of their bottom garments and the expressions in their eyes adds to the sensuous feminine charm. 

Mayawati - on finding out she is pregnant and after giving birth to Buddha
Cave 2 - Benoy Behl

In the first painting, the queen is worried after meeting the astrologer. She is deep in thought, leaning against a pillar. The stance of the slender and bejeweled queen is extremely graceful, from her slightly bent head to the slim waist and then the round hips. One of the most charming paintings.

In the 2nd painting, the queen has given birth while standing under a Sal tree. She is depicted, holding a branch of the tree above her head. She is looking with wonder and love at her child, supposed to have emerged from the side of her womb. Her general stance is one of fatigue and tiredness and er expression shows resignation to fate, probably.

Consort to her Partner -  

Here she is shown in close proximity with her Husband, supporting him, listening to him, grieving with him etc. In these paintings women play a complementary role and often join the husband in forming a whole.

They are often leaning against or physically overlapping the male - looking up to him.

Else, they sit across in a submissive pose, discussing with him or listening to him.

 

Tender and loving Moments
Vishwantara & Wife (Vishwantarajataka) - cave 1  - Pic Me &
Ogress and Sailor (Simhalavadhanajataka) - cave 17 - Benoy Behl

When the moment is tender and intimate, the woman is shown to be shy and sensuous, all eyes for her man. Her body language (leaning towards her partner) and face tilted towards him are indicative of love and seduction.

Moments of discussion and Consultation
Naga King and Queen (Vidhurapandita Jataka) Cave 1 - Benoy Behl
King Suddhodana & Mayadevi (Life of Buddha) Cave 2 - Benoy Behl

When it is a public appearance, she is in a secondary role, looking up to him. She is shown in a listening pose, all ears, her stance mirroring and complementing her partner.

Receiving news from her partner
Queen Shivali and her King in Mahajanakajataka - Cave1 - My pic
Princess Madri and Prince Visvantara in Viswanatarajataka - Cave 17 - Benoy Behl

Here, the woman is receiving an impending news from her husband. While her expression  shows grief and resignaion, her body language is one of appeal to her husband, beseeching him to reconsider, as expressed in the hand gestures and eyes focused only on her partner.

In the first picture, Shivali is hurt and perplexed that her husband has decided to part from her and leave the palace. Her eyes seem to be begging him while her shoulders and curls in disarray emphasize her vulnerability.

In the second picture - Madri is receiving the news that her husband has been banished from the palace, along with her family. Her compassionate and gentle nature and support of her husband is beautifully portrayed here.

Apsara - 

A celestial being, a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters. Related to divinity, Apsaras are described as wives of Gandharvas, the musicians of Indra’s Sabha. Their mesmerizing beauty is considered remarkable. 

The Apsaras of Ajanta are portrayed with full rounded breasts and broad hips as per the Shadangas of Indian art (six limbs of paintings), with beautiful grace and divine gestures. Mostly in motion, flying or dancing, they have elaborate hairdos with flowers, and ornaments in their necks, ears and waists. They represent feminine charm, elegance, grace and ideal beauty.

Most beautiful Apsara in Ajanta and 2 Apsaras paying obeisance
Cave 17 - Benoy Behl

Dancing Apsaras in the Ceiling - Cave 16 - Benoy Behl

Dancers and Musicians - 

As a dancer, a woman is depicted as a combination of beauty, grace, rhythm and fluidity.

Ornate hairstyle, attractive ornaments, seductive postures, tribhanga mudras are typical. Often portrayed with a group of musicians, they symbolise celebration and entertainment.

The musicians are sitting, standing or leaning playing a variety of instruments.

  

Entertaining the King and diverting his mind - Mahajanakajathaka - Cave 1

Details from the above Painting - Benoy Behl

Group of musicians accompanying Indra during his descent - Cave 17

Group of Women Musicians in the Tushita Heaven - Cave 17 - Benoy Behl
Dancing Women - Cave 10 - Benoy Behl

Maids, Attendants and doing Chores - 

According to Prof. Swaminathan - 

These women, the attendants and maids, and common women in their house-hold chores are drawn with great zest and each one is a brilliant study. They crowd around the heroines, decorating themselves, move about with great dignity in swaying rhythm and listen to holy sermons, recorded in frozen poses.

Typically, they are as detailed as the Nayikas and sometimes more, because of their exquisite clothes. (unlike the central character clothed in nudity) 

They are graceful in their day today activities with expressions echoing the theme of the painting.

Women in the Kitchen - Shibijataka - Cave 1 - Benoy Behl

Women carrying things - Caves 1 and 17 

Women attending to the Queen - Caves 1 and 17

Carrying Fruits and Braiding another woman's Hair - Cave17

Onlookers - 

Often painted as a group, here women are used almost as props to echo the mood of a scene or indicate the milieu.

Again exquisitely detailed and sensuously adorned, these women's expressions mirror those of the King or Queen.

Mirroring Anxiety and Concern in Mahajanakajataka and Champaiyyajataka - Cave 1

Languid and Gossiping - Part of the background - Benoy Behl

Watching the Street from Indoor - Nalagiri - Cave 17 Verandah - Benoy Behl

As part of a Mithuna Couple..

Mostly painted on ceilings and Lintels, here again, the woman forms one half of a sensuous pair portraying intimacy and love. 

Cave 1 To the left of Padmapani and the Ceiling 

My favourite Women - 

Among all the women painted at Ajanta, I have 2 favourites. They are complete contrasts in terms of theme, mood expressed and the woman herself (in terms of age and stage of life).

Irandati from Vidhurapanditajataka - Cave 2

Picture of youth, joy and abandon, Irandati is painted as a lissome girl, who has a song on her lips and romance in her heart.

According to Benoy Behl

The jataka says - 'She gathered all the flowers in the Himalayas.... spread them upon a couch....and sang a sweet song'.

Here the artist has put her on a swing, adding to her liveliness. A sense of fluidity is portrayed through the curve of the ropes and her own pose (legs stretched out and feet pressed together). She is almost waiting for her consort to arrive.

On the left, she is coyly accepting Puranaka's proposal. A picture of feminine charm, her downward eyes and general stance typically convey blossoming of love.

Yashodara with Rahula and Buddha - Cave 17 - Benoy Behl

Picture of love, loss, resignation and acceptance - Yashodara is painted with utmost dignity and grace, in the face of extreme grief.

According to the tales

Gautama Buddha has come before his wife Yashodara and son Rahula. Yashodara has tutored the child to ask for his rightful inheritance (the reign of the kingdom), but Buddha says, he has only his begging bowl to offer.

Owing to his spiritual importance, Buddha is depicted on a much larger scale, towering over. But it is the details of the mother and child and the depiction of emotions there, which makes this a masterpiece.

Rahula is looking adoringly at his father.

Yashodara is bedecked in jewellery and wants to entice and induce her husband to stay with her. Embodiment of feminity, grace and helpless love, heightened by the casual curls of her hair and beseeching look in her eyes.

Yet the overriding emotion here is one of resignation, acceptance and dignity. She is bowing to her fate, a mother foremost, the way her hands rest on Rahula, in a firm bid to hold onto him, speak volumes.

This completes my post on Women of Ajanta. 

However the questions remain. Who are the artists who painted these marvels?

Monks, the locals or commissioned painters? 

Whoever it may have been, they had a deep understanding of not just art, drawing and painting techniques and the social milieu and the role of women there, but also of the feminine gender as a whole, across time and space.

Women of Ajanta do belong to a particular age and time, and are characters from the jataka tales and representatives of a certain social order. Yet they are quintessential women, who are universal in their charm, grace, dignity and sense of purpose and the emotions they represent ring true even today, almost 2000 years, after they were painted.

To quote William Dalrymple

The faces in the paintings convey a penetrating immediacy in their character. So contemporary are their features, so recognizable the emotions they convey, that you have to keep reminding yourself that these people are not from our world. They depict courts, palaces and jungles, that vanished from these hills more than a millennium ago.

I hope I have shared at least a small percentage of the joy, wonder, pride, familiarity and sense of complete identification that I felt after seeing the paintings at Ajanta.