Consider the following statements: 1. Ajanta paintings depict storie

Consider the following statements:

  • 1. Ajanta paintings depict stories from the Jatakas.
  • 2. Ajanta paintings depict scenes of court-life, processions, men and women at work, festivals, etc.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Geoscientist – 2023
The correct answer is (C) Both 1 and 2.
Statement 1 is correct. A significant portion of the Ajanta paintings are illustrations of the Jataka tales, which recount the previous lives of the Buddha in human and animal forms, depicting moral lessons.
Statement 2 is also correct. Besides the religious themes, the Ajanta paintings provide a rich panorama of the life of the people during the Gupta period and beyond. They depict various scenes of daily life, including court durbars, processions, hunting scenes, dancers, musicians, women applying makeup, and people of different social strata engaged in various activities, offering valuable historical and cultural insights.
The Ajanta Caves contain Buddhist rock-cut cave monuments dating from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE. The paintings are primarily from the Vakataka period (roughly 4th to 6th centuries CE). They are renowned for their artistic quality and their portrayal of religious narratives and contemporary life.