Introduction
Ajanta paintings have attracted people, scholars and historians from around the world and fascinated them with their vibrant colors and interesting themes. As mentioned in one of the previous articles, Ajanta caves fall under the categories of either Vihara or Chaitya. This article is dedicated to one of the most popular Vihara caves of Ajanta, the King’s cave which is cave number 1 in the sequence. It is located at the eastern end of the chain of 30 caves that we come across in Ajanta hills in Maharashtra and dates back to the 5th century CE.
Naming the cave: King’s cave
Cave 1 is thought to have been commissioned by Vakataka king Harisena. Many scholars believe that due to his patronage, the scene from royal life, courtroom and stories related to kingship are overtly depicted in the cave. And that’s why it earned the popular name of King’s cave.
Design of the Cave
Being a Vihara the cave is designed to have residential quarters for the Buddhist monks on two sides of the square hall with a pillared passage. There is a large open courtyard in the centre with a high flat ceiling. In front of the entrance, there is a central chamber, Garbhariha housing a massive statue of Buddha. His hands are in dharma chakra mudra and he is sitting in padmasana on a throne. His first sermon is depicted here with him in the centre and below the throne of Budhha some dears and followers are carved with a Dharma Chakra or the wheel of law. He is flanked by Boddhisatavs on either side of the outer wall of the Garbhagriha, the famous Vajrapani and Padmapani. Detailed analysis of these paintings will be done a little later in this article.
Sculpture in the King’s Cave
Cave 1 is known for its significant sculptural ornamentations with well-crafted pillars, facade (front of the building) and friezes. Pillars were decorated with well-crafted bases and capitals. Stupas and Buddha surrounded by devotees and other attendants are the most frequent subjects on the capitals and panels of pillars. On the frieze mostly animals such as elephants, buffaloes and sardulas are shown in various positions.
The facade of the king’s cave, widely accepted as the most beautiful and well-carved among all the viharas of Ajanta, includes animal carvings with lion heads and sardulas that are considered to be of royal significance. To replicate the scene of a royal palace, the entry doorways of the cave have dvarapalas or gatekeepers and the Garbhagriha is guarded by naga sculptures.
The friezes are adorned with carvings taking stories from the life of the prince Siddhartha and his journey towards enlightenment. The capitals of the pillars and main facade depict anecdotes of the Temptation of Mara and the Offering of Milk-Rice Pudding by Sujata.
Among other carvings in these caves, we have monks depicted among the worshippers and royalty. A headless male figure is shown with a woman and two sons. Many scholars believe that this must be the family of Vakataka King Harisena who sponsored the construction of this cave. The rich clothing of the statues suggests that they belong to royalty. Above the statue of Buddha we can see some flying Apsaras and Gandharvas among other sculptures.
Paintings in King’s cave
It will not be wrong or exaggeration to say that the King’s cave is evidence of the golden age of Indian painting. As mentioned above the outer wall of the Grabhagriha is decorated murals of two large bodhisattvas.
At 2.07 metres width and 2.12 metres length Boddhisatva Padmapani, surrounded by terrestrial and celestial attendants adorns the left wall. Traditionally he is shown as a monk, with matted hair, a pilgrim’s flask and a lotus. However, in King’s cave, he is also shown as dark-skinned wearing an ornate crown. His spiritual face is calm and eyes lowered showing that he is in a meditative state. He holds a lotus in his right hand representing his spiritual awakening.
On the right wall of Grabhagriha, a 1.64 metres wide and 2.27 metres long light skinned bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara Vajrapani is painted. He is adorned with an elaborate bejeweled headdress and leaning on a vajra. He symbolises knowledge, power and kingship.
A richly decorated attendant is shown making an offering of fresh flowers to the Vajrapani.
Vajrapani is known for postponing his own ascension into Buddhahood until he helped all others to attain Niravana (salvation) according to a legend in Mahayana Buddism. Avalokitesvara Vajrapani is not limited to India. He is revered in different forms in other parts of Asia. Although a masculine figure, in China Avalokiteśvara is also known as feminine Guanyin and in Japan he is called Kuan Yin.
The King’s Cave also reflects foreign influence on the painting style as well as subjects. One of the ceiling paintings included a broad decorative pattern demonstrating the impact of Persian culture in ancient India. It is not based on any religious theme. A white-skinned Persian man is shown sitting surrounded by dark-skinned people probably Indians. The decoration around the painting is an astonishing example of how the world was not as isolated as we imagine it to be. Cultural interactions were more popular, prominent and widespread.
Other paintings on the ceiling include extensive use of motifs and geometrical designs that include peacocks, vegetables, and motifs that look like modern-day bell peppers. Sometimes floral designs and animal figures blend seamlessly into each other. One such painting shows a creature with a bull’s head that merges with floral designs. A running elephant surrounded by flowers and vegetation became the official logo of the Department of Tourism.
Stories in King’s Cave
The Story of Mahajanaka – A very famous jataka story is of Mahajanaka is highlight of King’s cave although some scholars dispute it and identify the mural as Mahavastu Avadana. The painting shows King Janaka of Videha explaining his wife why he wants to give up his worldly life, live in seclusion, and seek salvation. In the background a royal scene with palace and heavily ornamented people can be seen. A spectacular blend of royalty with spiritualism.
The Story of Champaka, Nagakumara and Sankhpala – Nagas enjoy a special place in stories depicted in the king’s cave. In this story, a Naga king who wants to attain salvation starts pursuing penance in the forest where he is captured by a hunter. His wife the Naga queen starts searching for him and appeals to the local king to rescue her husband. The king summons the hunter and asks him to release the Naga king. In another story, a novice was jealous of his teacher due to preferential treatment given to him. He took the oath of being born as Naga and lost the chance of attaining Nirvana in his human form. In the story of Sankhpala, a Naga comes to the human world to perform penance where he is captured by hunters who torture him. A cattle dealer comes for the rescue who in return gets invited by the Naga to his realm.
The Story of Prabhasa – In this story a royal elephant abandons his master in forest while hunting because of the rutting period. However, he comes back to prove his obedience. The moral of the story is to overcome one’s passion to adopt the path of Buddhism.
The Story of Maitribala – In this story, King Maitribala offered himself as food to some hungry rakshasas who got so moved up with his sacrifice that decided to give up meat-eating.
The Story of Sibi-Kapota – In this story, God Indra decided to test King Sibi who was known for his generosity and benevolence. Indra, taking the form of a pigeon, pled to Sibi to rescue him from a falcon. King Sibi offered flesh from his thigh to the falcon to satisfy his hunger in return for letting the pigeon go.
Conclusion
The king’s cave shows a unique blend of asceticism and royalty. Largely these paintings and sculptures can be categorized under Narrative, Devotional and Decorative headings. There are more than 15 stories depicted in the King’s cave that fall under Narrative category. Boddhisatva were the favorite theme for Devotional paintings. Animals, birds, and mythical creatures, flowers, vegetation and geometrical designs dominated the decorative schemes.
The commission of the artwork by royals, noblemen and merchants, who were simultaneously patronising Buddhism led to a versatile conglomeration of heavy ornamentation and details in sculptures and paintings. Many scenes of hunting and war are added to the storyline while dedicating a large space to Buddhist principles and thoughts.
References:
https://www.pranjalarts.com/blog/r22yyfkp7s9pbtm0wihtx4sgyrv16o
https://mapacademy.io/article/ajanta-cave-1/
https://photodharma.net/India/Ajanta-Caves-1/index.htm
https://smarthistory.org/the-caves-of-ajanta/
https://cavesofindia.org/cave1-introduction/