Lustration Scene

South Gate of Stupa #1, Sanchi

Sometimes identified as the Birth of Buddha, this actually appears to be a classic lustration scene with Lakshmi amid luxuriant foliage and waterfowl. A birth scene would normally show the Buddha issuing from the side of Maya shalabhanjika, which is not quite the case here (the female figure is in shalabhanjika pose but without a tree; also, there is no figure of the newborn Buddha). However, Lakshmi and Maya are symbolically associated in Buddhist art.