Last Existence: Visit of the Ascetics

A fragment of a relief representing the Visit of the Ascetics, of which only four 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 base was possibly plain. Two rectangular tenons are carved on the top face. All the ascetics are standing and turning towards the right. The first is raising his right hand while holding a kamaṇḍalu in his left. He wears a mantle. The second is an elder ascetic leaning on his staff in a hunched posture. The third figure was a young ascetic, as suggested by the outline of his hair. The fourth and last figure is identical to the first one.