Lawkahteikpan Temple: Illustrations of Jataka Tales

MYANMAR, Mandalay, Bagan; Bagan Empire

The Jataka tales describe the 547 past lives of the Buddha. These Bagan Empire murals on the west wall of Lawkahteikpan Temple depict stories from his last ten births. Golden lines divide the wall into 14 rows. The two topmost rows are separated into 21 rectangles filled with individual scenes. The third and fourth rows depict the Muga Pakkha Jataka. The fifth and sixth rows illustrate the Mahajanaka Jataka. The Syama Jataka and the King Nimi Jataka are shown in rows seven and eight, respectively. Rows nine to eleven depict the Khandahala Jataka and the Bhuridatta Jataka. The Mahanarada Kasyapa Jataka and the Vidhurapandita Jataka are in rows twelve to fourteen.
The images are complex yet well organized. Figures and buildings outlined in red stand out against the dark blue background. White flowers are painted above and behind the images. The dynamic figures and detailed scenes make this one of the Bagan Empire’s most impressive murals.