Colors of Ajanta & Dreams of Women: A brief study on six eminent heroines of sacred beauty in Ajanta Paintings
Subhra Ghosh
Independent Researcher, Former Research Assistant/Field Staff, Centre for Women's Studies, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan
Ajanta Cave painting reveals Buddhist themes, exclusively Jataka tales (stories of the Bodhisattva’s previous lives) and episodes from prince Siddhartha to Goutama Buddha. The paintings served as pictorial sermons, conveying fundamental Buddhist teachings of compassion, sacrifice, and the path to a perfect way of human life. The caves provided a serene environment and spirituals inspiration for Buddhist monks to hunt their religious activities. The paintings are valued for their elaborate detail, spiritual depth, and aesthetic beauty, making them timeless cultural treasures. The specific focus of the paper will be on the artistic importance of six eminent beautiful heroines in Ajanta painting which gives integration between Jataka tales and Ajanta Murals with spiritual and artistic essence of human mind.
Keywords: Ajanta art and architecture, Art history of India, Buddhist iconography, Ancient Indian art & architecture, feminist perspective on artistic space in Ajanta paintings, gender and space in art history of ancient India, female murals of Ajanta paintings.
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