It goes on till the fabric has all the desired colors. During the last dye, the cloth is crumpled or scratched to produce the crackle, so typical of batik.
Artists borrow themes from mythological tales, literary texts or genre scenes.
Ajanta with its beautifully painted figures and sculpted icons inspires many an artist and craftsman. The themes are narrations after the Jataka stories of the Buddhist texts or other related Buddhist scenes. What is depicted here is a life-size cult image of Boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara, standing with one hand in the posture of willingness to help. At the bottom corner is a person begging for protection from perilous situations. The predominant character trait of Avalokiteshvara is to imbue compassion in all who meditate in the presence of his image.