The Ajanta caves in India are a fascinating testament to Buddhist art, impressing with their rich variety of wall paintings. Particularly noteworthy are the sensual depictions that appear in these artworks, both in narrative scenes and ornamental compositions. These portrayals show women in various everyday moments or in intimate, sensual poses together with male figures as couples. 

The lecture highlights the specific features of these sensual depictions and explores the question of why such images are found in a Buddhist monastery. Special attention is given to the iconographic and cultural meanings underlying these depictions. 

Mercedes Tortorici studied art history in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She then completed a Master’s degree in Indology at LMU Munich. Her Master’s thesis focused on the visual language in the Ajanta paintings. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Leipzig under the supervision of Monika Zin on the topic of “The Image of Women in the Ajanta Paintings of India,” with a focus on the role of women in ancient India.

Photograph © Ajanta Archives of the Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Research Centre “Buddhist Murals of Kucha on the Northern Silk Road”/ Andreas Stellmacher.