Last Existence: Visit of the Ascetics

Fragment of a relief possibly representing the Visit of the Ascetics, of which only two ascetics remain. The Brahman teacher Bāvari sends his sixteen brahmin students to the Buddha to answer questions about the goal of his teachings and how to attain the same. Each of the sixteen ascetics pays the Buddha a visit in Śrāvastī and astounded by his teachings, they eventually convert to Buddhism. The back face shows vertical tool marks. Both figures are standing in the left three-quarter view. That on the right, probably a young, has joined hands and wears a loincloth. On the left, an elder is dressed in a loincloth and a mantle.