His name means “lotus in hand,” and he holds one gently in his fingers, eyes half-closed, crowned like a prince. This painting is on the wall of Cave 1 at Ajanta. It is one of the most reproduced images in all of Indian art — a bodhisattva named Padmapani, painted around the late 5th century. Two religious traditions shaped Indian painting more than any other. Buddhism’s stories and iconography, like this one, dominated the earliest surviving murals. Hindu mythology came later, and its epics and devotional poetry became the primary subject for painting schools across the country.
Must Know
Jataka Tales: Buddhism’s Favourite Story
- Jataka TalesJataka tales, stories of the Buddha’s previous lives, were the single most common subject of early Buddhist painting.
- HowThey appear not only at Ajanta. They also appear in later Buddhist manuscript illumination, produced under the Pala dynasty in Bengal and Bihar.
Crowned Bodhisattvas, Plain Buddha
- IconographyBuddhist painting developed a consistent visual convention for depicting Bodhisattvas — enlightened beings who remain to help others.
- InsteadThey’re shown wearing elaborate crowns and jewellery, in clear contrast to the plain monastic robes used to depict the historical Buddha himself.
Krishna Lila: The New Favourite Theme, and The Rasamanjari: A Catalogue of Heroines, and A Shared Visual Vocabulary
- Popular ThemeAs Hindu mythology came to dominate painting in later centuries, one theme became the single most popular subject across several regional schools, especially Pahari painting.
- HowThat theme is Krishna Lila, episodes from Krishna’s life and his love for Radha.
- Literary SourceThe Rasamanjari is a Sanskrit poem by Bhanudatta, classifying different types of romantic heroes and heroines.
- ResultIt became a favourite text for illustration in several regional painting schools, giving artists a structured set of romantic scenarios to depict.
- IconographyHindu mythological painting relied on standardised iconographic conventions. Multiple arms signified divine power, and specific vahanas, or animal mounts, identified each deity.
- WhyThis let viewers across different regions and painting styles recognise the same gods, even in very different artistic hands.
Good to Know
One Religion Fades, the Other Rises
- Religious ShiftThe shift from Buddhist to Hindu mythological subject matter roughly tracks the broader decline of Buddhism as a major religious force within India, after the early medieval period.
- InsteadBuddhist painting traditions continued and flourished elsewhere in Asia, though. This was a shift in India’s dominant theme, not a disappearance of the tradition itself.
The Gita Govinda Gives Krishna Lila a Script
- Literary SourceIllustrated versions of the Gita Govinda, Jayadeva’s devotional poem about Krishna and Radha, were especially important in popularising the Krishna Lila theme across Pahari painting.
- WhyThey gave artists a specific, structured narrative to illustrate, rather than an open-ended mythological subject.
- LegendA famous legend says Jayadeva once wanted to write a line where Krishna bows to touch Radha’s feet. He felt this was too humble for a god, so he left and went to bathe instead.
- ResultHe came back to find the line already written, in his own hand, though he never wrote it. Devotees say Krishna himself picked up the pen. Whether or not you believe that part, the story shows how deeply people loved this poem.
A Language Anyone Could Read
- Shared IconographyBoth Bodhisattva iconography and Hindu deity iconography relied on standardised visual conventions.
- TakeawayA viewer familiar with the “rules” — crowns, multiple arms, specific mounts — could identify a figure across paintings from entirely different regions or centuries.
✅ Test Yourself
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Great to Know
Two Approaches to Religious Storytelling
- ResultComparing Buddhist and Hindu mythological painting traditions shows two different approaches to religious visual storytelling.
- InsteadBuddhist painting centred heavily on a single recurring narrative device, the Jataka tale format. Hindu mythological painting drew on a far broader and more varied body of epic and devotional literature, giving it a wider range of possible subjects.
Exam Point of View
UPSC CSP 2017: Padmapani at Ajanta
- QuestionUPSC asked where the famous Bodhisattva Padmapani painting is found. The answer is Ajanta.
- WhyThe trap options, Badami, Bagh, and Ellora, all have notable ancient art of their own, but none holds this specific, most-reproduced painting.
- LinkSource: UPSC CSP 2017, GS Paper I (see Q69).
Current Affairs
Recent Developments
ASI prioritises boulder stabilisation at Ajanta, June 2026
- EventOn 3 June 2026, the ASI’s newly appointed Superintending Archaeologist, Dr Arun Malik, announced boulder stabilisation on the slopes above Ajanta as an immediate priority ahead of the monsoon. Coverage.
- DetailPlans also include replacing nearly 300 optic-fibre cable lights inside Caves 1, 2, 16, 17, and 26, the very caves that hold the murals this article describes.
- So WhatProtecting Ajanta from rockfall is a direct, ongoing effort to preserve the Padmapani mural and the other paintings this article opens with.
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