Paintings from the past While stone sculpture survives the ravages of time and is therefore most easily available to the historian, other visual means of communication, including paintings, were also used in the past. Those that have survived best are on walls of caves, of which those from Ajanta (Maharashtra) are the most famous. The paintings at Ajanta depict stories from the Jatakas . These include depictions of courtly life, processions, men and women at work, and festivals.
The artists used the technique of shading to give a three-dimensional quality. Some of the paintings are extremely naturalistic. Another motif is that of a woman surrounded by lotuses and elephants (Fig. .
), which seem to be sprinkling water on her as if performing an abhisheka or consecration. While some historians identify the figure as Maya, the mother of the Buddha, others identify her with a popular goddess, Gajalakshmi – literally, the goddess of good fortune – who is associated with elephants. It is also possible that Fig. .
A serpent at Sanchi Fig. . Gajalakshmi Fig. .
A painting from Ajanta Note the seated figure and those serving him.