Wat Kongkaram Ordination Hall: Mahajanaka Jataka

THAILAND, Ratchaburi; Bangkok period

This mural in the ordination hall of Wat Kongkaram illustrates a scene from the Mahajanaka Jataka, Pali Jataka No. 539. The complicated tale describes the diligent actions undertaken by Prince Mahajanaka, the Buddha in one of his past lives. Near the end of the story, after the death of the king of Mithila, a priest decreed that the royal chariot be allowed to run freely without a charioteer to look for a new king. The chariot went through the city and into the forest before finally stopping in front of Mahajanaka.
Wearing a tall gold headdress and ornaments, Mahajanaka rests on his right side upon a stone platform. His elegant appearance and apparel contrast with the somewhat grizzled figures who sit or kneel below and join their palms. The royal chariot is half-hidden in between the bushes on the right; only its ornate flagpole and banner are visible. The rocks and flowers in the background are outlined in gold, adding to the splendor of the image.