Exciting Facts about Ajanta Caves
Ajanta and Ellora caves are caves that exist next to each other and have a lot to offer. The former one dates back as long as 2000 years ago. Situated in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, these caves boast rich artistic, cultural, and historical splendor. It is the oldest UNESCO World Heritage Site as declared in 1983. There are beautiful carvings and paintings that adorn these caves. It marks the beginning of classical Indian art and has many masterpieces that one can marvel at. The pictures on the walls were created between the 2nd century B.C and 6th century A.D. Ajanta Caves are preserved and supervised by the Archeological Survey of India, which is known to preside over the conservation of historical monuments in India. This place is a must-visit for anyone inclined towards seeking knowledge about India's history and culture. The article below informs you about various interesting facts about Ajanta caves.
1. The discovery of Ajanta caves
The first question which intrigues everyone is how the Ajanta caves were discovered. This dates back to 1819 when Jon Smith, a British official of the 28th cavalry, chanced upon a horseshoe-shaped rock while hunting for a tiger in the Deccan plateau region.
The rock's entrance fetched the office's attention, which made him cross the Waghora river leading him to the caves. This was followed by the excavation of the site by archaeologists resulting in the discovery of the Ajanta caves. European travelers were fascinated by this discovery, and they made trips to this place.
2. Ajanta caves- an abode for Buddhists
To escape the bad weather of the monsoon, the Buddhists avoid traveling during the season and took shelter in the Ajanta caves. During the stay, there were motivated to showcase their skills in art and sculpture-making. Therefore, they decided to make paintings that are considered masterpieces in today's times. Thus they spent their time engaging in creative tasks.
3. The subject of the carvings and paintings
The paintings and sculptures depicted the life of Buddha and featured religious teachings from Jataka Tales. The cave is 2000 years old, whereas the Buddhist statues were created 600 years later. Buddha sought not to portray him in sculptures and paintings as per his philosophy that taught one to become free from sense objects. This was the only way to reach nirvana. However, his followers sought to worship him, leading them to represent him through such paintings and carvings.
4. Architecture of Ajanta caves
The entrance of the Ajanta caves consists of a large image of Buddha. Auspicious motifs decorate the doorways, and there are several sculptures and paintings of Bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani. The ceilings are carved beautifully with detailed architecture. Apart from that, the caves hold massive pillars and huge Buddhist-like mounds, probably stupas. Several other carvings include dancing girls, maids, princesses, Pink elephants, lovers, Golden Geese, Bull Fights, etc. The Ajanta caves also contain paintings of Royal court scenes. The depth of history that one can explore through this architecture or images are tremendous.
5. Cave complex
There are a total of thirty caves in the cave complex. The origin of the complex can be divided into two parts:
• The first part was developed during the Satavahana period. The second development started during the Vakataka period, which also connected with the Gupta dynasty that ruled Northern India, according to speculation by experts.
• In the first phase of construction, Chaitanya grihas were carved on the canyons of the Waghora river. Caves 9, 10, 12, and 15 A were built during the reign of the Satavahana dynasty.
• In the second construction phase, 20 temples were built by Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka dynasty. These temples equal monasteries of modern times. The end of the reign of the emperor brought the caves into being abandoned completely and lost value after getting overshadowed by the growth of foliage.
To wrap up,
Thus, you can see how copious India's history, art, and culture is.
You can see how this heritage site represented Gautam Buddha's life and teachings.
A history or culture enthusiast will be profoundly impacted by the Ajanta and Ellora caves that exist side by side in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
This article traces all exciting facts about Ajanta caves.
Starting from its discovery, the history behind it, it has offered you a peek and insight into the most beautiful sculptures and paintings of incredible India.
Plan out a day and explore the Ajanta caves.
