| The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are among the world's greatest historical monuments. They are a sequence of 29 Buddhist cave temples of which some date from the 2nd century B.C. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the Ajanta Caves protect some of the best masterpieces of Buddhist art in India. |
| The Ajanta Caves are carved from volcanic lavas in a crescent-shaped cliff along the Waghora River. Buddhist monks used these caves as prayer halls (chaitya grihas) and monasteries (viharas) for about nine centuries before abruptly abandoning them in the late seventh century. As the jungle took over, they too lay unnoticed for centuries. |
| Encompassing both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the caves consists of Stupas, Viharas, Buddha sculptures carved in various Bodhisattvas, and paintings with bewildering colors and human figures on the walls and ceilings. The paintings are deeply immersed in spirituality. The art depicts scenes from Buddha's life; many include inscriptions indicating a prince who gifted the caves to the monks. |
THE SCULPTURES:
THE PAINTINGS:
HISTORY:
After they were rediscovered by a British army officer in 1819, an artist was sent to copy the paintings on the cave walls in 1844. Captain Robert Gill spent 27 years living in a small camp outside, sending each new batch of paintings to Bombay and London. When his work was almost complete, all but a few of the paintings were destroyed in a fire.
In the 1870's the Bombay School of Arts sent out a team to copy the wall paintings again. The copies were stored in London. Interestingly enough, the place also had a fire and all copies were destroyed.
 
Another interesting story is based on the Kyoto University Oriental Arts Faculty who had sent out a team to copy the sculptures. They did this by pressing wet rice paper against the surface to make casts which were then shipped back to Japan. These were later all destroyed by an earthquake.
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| Editor's Note: It is believed that during his lifetime, Gautama Buddha forbade images of himself. Why then so many paintings and sculptures of Buddha figures? It is said that when Buddhist monks introduced Buddhism to the aboriginal peoples of the area, they created many tales of the Buddha's essence and manifestations for the enlightenment of the simple natives. The monks taught that among his manifestation, the Buddha had been a lotus blossom, at other times an elephant or a prince. In time pilgrims began to worship the images and the monks raised the worship to a ritual. |
| The caves are numbered from east to west, 1 through 29. Today, a path connects the caves, but in ancient times each was independently accessed from the riverfront. A viewing platform across the river gives an exceptional view of the entire Ajanta site. The natural beauty of the forested hillside makes it clear why the monks chose specifically this location for their spiritual pursuits. |
HOW TO GET THERE
Although there are guesthouses and hotels in the near surroundings of the Ajanta Caves, the city of Aurangabad is often used as the city to settle. Aurangabad lies geographically quite centered to make beautiful daytrips from. Many visitors explore the Ajanta Caves in combination with the nearby Ellora Caves. Both are closed on Monday.
From Aurangabad you have the option in getting a rickshaw or taxi to the caves, but the local busses are an enjoyable and much cheaper alternative to reach your destination. The drive takes two to three hours. It is advisable to start early to beat the midday heat. During the evening rush-hour there are many jeeps offering rideshare back to Aurangabad for the same fare as the government bus.
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About the Writer/Photographer:
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Asian Continent