North Gate, Interior
This shot of the north gate interior was taken from the elevated processional pathway. The topmost torana shows the Chhadanta Jataka, the middle one scenes from the Buddha's life, and the lowest one scenes from the Vessantara Jataka. In the pillar space in between the lower two is a depiction of the Buddha's birth at left, and on the right a stupa.
With its rows of elephants and horses set in the middle, this gate is the busiest visually.
This scene from the Chhadanta Jataka shows the elephant-king Chhadanta sporting in the forest with his queens and elephant subjects. A fuller rendition of this story appears in the South Gateway (click there for details).
The left side of the center torana tells the story of Sujata. Tradition tells how the laywoman Sujata (bottom left) gave the Future Buddha a plate of rice cooked in milk (she had vowed to offer it to the spirit of a tree, and mistook the man sitting under the tree for that spirit). The Buddha had previously sought enlightenment by fasting, but this had only weakened his body. Eating the milk-rice gave him the strength to focus his mind (and become enlightened), but it also illustrates the "middle path" attitude toward the body--caring for it to keep it healthy, but not indulging it.
The rest of the central torana depicts the story of the Buddha's temptation by Mara. As already mentioned, the figure of Mara (here the largest central figure) is a symbol for the desires and attachments that bind people to the world, and in becoming enlightened, the Buddha thereby "vanquished" him. Aside from sending his demon armies to frighten the Buddha, Mara is also said to have sent his three "daughters"--Discontent, Delight, and Craving"--who are visible just to the right of the tree (see the picture of Sujata above) Needless to say, these daughters were also unsuccessful.
The bottom torana depicts end of the Vessantara Jataka, which began on the gateway's exterior. The Jataka tales describe the Buddha's past lives, but they also aim to promote virtues in the hearers. Vessantara was the Future Buddha's last human birth before he was born as Siddhartha, and he is a paradigm for generosity. The gods tested his generosity by a series of trials, during which Vessantara not only gave away his kingdom and his belongings, but even his wife and children. In the end his virtue was rewarded, and everything was restored to him. Reading from right to left, this panel shows Vessantara and his wife settling in to mountain cottage, which had been decorated with banana trees by the god Indra, and which (further left) was guarded by three gods in the form of a lion, tiger, and leopard (center, top). Below the animals it shows Vessantara giving away his children, who are driven off with a stick by their new master (bottom, just left of center). The grouping below left shows him giving away his wife, but this is prevented by the appearance of Indra, in the conical hat, who reunites him not only with his wife, but also with this children (below). The final bit with the horses (top left) depicts the family's triumphal return to the palace.
This shot at the outside edge of the lowest torana continues the story of the Vessantara Jataka. Here it show Vessantara and his wife (leading one child by the hand and carrying another) going into the forest (the wild animals are below them).
