Standing Buddha flanked by bodhisattvas and seated Buddhas

The Buddha is flanked by the bodhisattvas Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara. Maitreya, on the Buddha's right, is identified by the stupa in his hairdress. Avalokiteshvara, on the Buddha's left, is identified by the small buddha image in his hairdress. Triads of a standing Buddha and these two bodhisattvas seem to have been popular in Bodhgaya (the site of the Buddha's enlightenment) but not elsewhere in northeastern India. It is not certain what the grouping may have signified. One scholar has suggested that these bodhisattvas may have represented the benevolence (characteristic of Maitreya) and compassion (characteristic of Avalokiteshvara) that are important components of buddhahood.