![]() ![]() These Buddhist rock-cut caves are about 107 km away from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra nestled in a panoramic gorge, in the form of a gigantic horseshoe, overlooking a bend of the Waghora River in northern Maharashtra. These caves were carved between the 2nd century BC and the 5th century AD and are yet known for its stunning paintings and sculpture, since they are all very well preserved. It was only in the 19th century that they were discovered and they depict the story of Buddhism, spanning a period from 200 BC to 650 AD. Their beauty and antiquity distinguish them as one of the treasures of Indian, and indeed world, art. The caves of Ajanta can be classified into two distinct phases: The earlier Hinayana phase, in which the Buddha was worshipped only in the form of certain symbols. And the later Mahayana phase, in which the Buddha was worshipped in the physical form. Two kinds of Ajanta Caves: Finished Caves: They are Twenty-Seven and depict different forms of Buddha. Unfinished Caves: They are unfinished & some of them are accessible. ![]() Thus, depicting the sculptures and paintings of the earliest Buddhist architecture, the Ajanta caves includes a set of 29 caves, which are numbered according to their sequential location along the cliff face, which does not correspond to the order in which they were constructed. These caves comprise of Chaitya Halls or shrines and Viharas or monasteries. The more prominent Hinayana caves are those numbered 9, 10 (both chaityas), 8, 12, 13 and 15 (all viharas), whereas the Mahayana monasteries include 1, 2, 16 and 17, while the chaityas are in caves 19 and 26. In ancient times, each cave was accessed from the riverfront by individual staircases. Ajanta is a world in itself, shut in and aloof. In the spring, when the rains have broken and everything is green, its beauty is surpassing and appealing. To the north are the two fine hill-forts of Baithal-Wadi and Abasgarh dominating strategic points, undoubtedly ancient. But there is no sign of a town or village of any size near by. The old pilgrims must have made their camp on the green bank at the turn of the river below the caves, where there is now a car-park. Four miles away is the Ajanta Ghat, the ancient highway to Asirgarh and the north. Southward lie Aurangabad, Paithan, Junnar, Thana, and the ports of Salsette, once thronged with the shipping of the African and Arabian trade History of Ajanta Caves ![]() The murals that surround the walls and ceilings of the caves depict the epic of Lord Buddha and various divinities of Buddhist. Out of these, the most important art forms are the paintings of the Jataka tales, which tells the stories about the previous incarnations of the Gautama Buddhaas Bodhisattva. They also include the sculptures of Buddha that stand calm and serene in contemplation. These elaborate paintings and sculptures have a lot of exclusiveness since they have withstood all the ravages of time. One can also find in the caves a sort of illuminated history of the times - street scenes, court scenes, cameos of domestic life and even animal and bird studies come alive on these unlit walls. ![]() These wall paintings and sculptures have been chiselled from rough rocks by the primitive inhabitants during the first and second century B.C. The art work is of great finesse and represents the level of skill the people of those times had. The popular Assembly Rock or Chaitya are examples of the ecclesiastical forms, but were undoubtedly derived from the apsidal halls of the secular communities and guilds which play so prominent a part in early Buddhist literature. They are found in the Caves Nos. IX and X at Ajanta. |
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Ajanta Caves