Chapter 19: Queen Maya’s Dream — An Auspicious Sign in Gandharan Art

Before the Buddha’s birth, Queen Maya had a remarkable dream: a white elephant carrying a jewel entered her right side. This dream not only foretold the Buddha’s birth but also symbolized his extraordinary nature, foreshadowing the supreme wisdom and compassion he would bring to the world.

In Gandharan Art, this scene is depicted in exquisite schist reliefs. Maya is seated in her palace as the elephant descends from the sky, with devatas showering flowers in celebration. The sculptors combined Hellenistic naturalistic proportions with the Indian Salabhanjika pose, creating a figure that is both graceful and dynamic.

Many of these reliefs use continuous narrative, blending myth and palace life: the descending elephant, the celestial flower shower, and the attendants are all carved on a single stone panel, telling a cohesive story.

If you visit the Peshawar Museum or the Taxila Museum, you can see similar reliefs that vividly portray the auspicious signs preceding the Buddha’s birth.

Indian Museum, Kolkata – The Gandhara Gallery 

2nd century CE – Mardan, Peshawar