Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Ancient India: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings

Question:

What ritual does the motif of a woman surrounded by lotuses and elephants seem to depict?

Options:

Abhisheka or consecration

Dance performance

Marriage ceremony

Funeral procession

Correct Answer:

Abhisheka or consecration

Explanation:

Another motif features a woman encircled by lotuses and elephants, which appear to shower her with water, akin to an abhisheka or consecration ritual. While some historians attribute this figure to Maya, the Buddha's mother, others associate her with Gajalakshmi, a widely recognized goddess symbolizing good fortune and associated with elephants. It's equally feasible that those who observed these sculptures interpreted the figure as both Maya and Gajalakshmi, embracing both perspectives.