Professor Swaminathan of our Group has made an excellent power point presentation on Ajanta paintings in IIT Campus this evening and I was fortunate enough to attend the same. The presentation comprised of about 200 slides.
High points:
1. Ajantha can be reached through Aurangabad. Closer to Ellora also. 2. 2nd BC to 6th AD paintings :: Pre-classic, Classic, Mannerism (repetations) - Decline in perfection. 3. Preclassic is identified as paintings depicting human and animals - which themselves are better depicted and showing cultural richness when considered 2nd BC. Most of the figures are of black beauty. Classic was really excellent. Marvel. Noble - Dignified and very Rich in all aspects. When the decline was explained, even a layman can understand the casual-approach of an artist. Very well presented. 4. Buddha - his wife / son / Aides - him as a King - renunciation - as Lord Buddha is the main theme. Secular paintings do form part. 5. Wall paintings - ceiling paintings - sculptures were identified and explained in miniute details.
A compact audience of about 30 IIT youth crowd was spell bounded and bounded during the presentation. About Dozen Non IIT-ians were seriously concentrating.
I could not help comparing Thanjai paintings with Ajanta and the Religeous theme.
On thing that struck to me was :
A young King Gauthama was shown in ornamentation. It resembled whom we saw in Big temple as a Prince.
Another Buddha - Lord Buddha - seen. These are two variations of the same personality.
Are we mistaking RRC Young and RRC Elder - i.e,,Rajarajan & Sivapathsekarn as RRC / Karuvurar or Rajendra / his Guru or Sanathana munivars etc.