14/06/2015

AjantaCaves,Maharashtra
AjantaCaves,MaharashtraInformative&researchedarticleonAjantaCaves,Maharashtra

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Home>Art&Culture>IndianMonuments>WorldHeritageMonumentsinIndia>WorldHeritageMonumentsinWestIndia>AjantaCaves

AjantaCaves,Maharashtra

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TheAjantacaveshavebeendesignatedasaWorldHeritageSite,toinspireandenrichthefuturegenerations.

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AjantaCaves

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consideredas
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the
developmentofartinIndia.Hence,UNESCOhasconsideredthese
cavesasaWorldHeritageSitesince1983.Thepaintingsonthewalls
andceilingsdramaticallyreflectthesophisticatedachievementsofthe

veryapogeeofIndia'ssocalledGoldenage,generallyassociatedwiththeGuptaEmpire.Thecreativityofthesculpturesdepict
varioushumanandanimalformsandevenmakethemexpressivemakesthecavepaintingsatAjantaoneofthehighwatermarksof

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artisticcreativity.TheAjantaCavesareauniqueartisticcreationanditssanctuariesdevotedtodifferentreligiousillustratethespiritof
tolerancethatwasacharacteristicofancientIndia.TheAjantaCavesare
meticulouslycutinthebentarmoftheVaghaRiver,whereitpushesitsway
throughthebrokenandroughhillsofthenorthernscarpoftheDeccan,andinto
theBerar,andalsothelevelsoftheTaptivalley.Evenduringhotweather
conditiontherearepoolsintheriverbed,whileafewminutes'rainwillsendthe
riverintospateforhours,fillingthegorgeandthecaveswithnoiseofwaters.
TheseBuddhistrockcutcavesareabout107kmawayfromthecityof
AurangabadinMaharashtranestledinapanoramicgorge,intheformofa
gigantichorseshoe,overlookingabendoftheWaghoraRiverinnorthern
Maharashtra.Thesecaveswerecarvedbetweenthe2ndcenturyBCandthe5th
centuryADandareyetknownforitsstunningpaintingsandsculpture,sincetheyareallverywellpreserved.Itwasonlyinthe19th
centurythattheywerediscoveredandtheydepictthestoryofBuddhism,spanningaperiodfrom200BCto650AD.Theirbeautyand
antiquitydistinguishthemasoneofthetreasuresofIndian,andindeedworld,art.

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AjantaCaves,Maharashtra

ThecavesofAjantacanbeclassifiedintotwodistinctphases:TheearlierHinayanaphase,inwhichtheBuddhawasworshippedonly
intheformofcertainsymbols.AndthelaterMahayanaphase,inwhichtheBuddhawasworshippedinthephysicalform.
TwokindsofAjantaCaves:
FinishedCaves:TheyareTwentySevenanddepictdifferentformsofBuddha.
UnfinishedCaves:Theyareunfinished&someofthemareaccessible.
Thus,depictingthesculpturesandpaintingsoftheearliestBuddhistarchitecture,the
Ajantacavesincludesasetof29caves,whicharenumberedaccordingtotheir
sequentiallocationalongthecliffface,whichdoesnotcorrespondtotheorderinwhich
theywereconstructed.ThesecavescompriseofChaityaHallsorshrinesandViharasor
monasteries.ThemoreprominentHinayanacavesarethosenumbered9,10(both
chaityas),8,12,13and15(allviharas),whereastheMahayanamonasteriesinclude1,
2,16and17,whilethechaityasareincaves19and26.Inancienttimes,eachcavewas
accessedfromtheriverfrontbyindividualstaircases.
Ajantaisaworldinitself,shutinandaloof.Inthespring,whentherainshavebrokenandeverythingisgreen,itsbeautyissurpassing
andappealing.TothenortharethetwofinehillfortsofBaithalWadiandAbasgarhdominatingstrategicpoints,undoubtedlyancient.
Butthereisnosignofatownorvillageofanysizenearby.Theoldpilgrimsmusthavemadetheircamponthegreenbankattheturn
oftheriverbelowthecaves,wherethereisnowacarpark.FourmilesawayistheAjantaGhat,theancienthighwaytoAsirgarhand
thenorth.SouthwardlieAurangabad,Paithan,Junnar,Thana,andtheportsofSalsette,oncethrongedwiththeshippingoftheAfrican
andArabiantrade
HistoryofAjantaCaves
ChaityahallswerededicatedtoLordBuddhaandwereconsideredastheplacesofworship.
Thesewerelarge,rectangularchambersseparatedbyrowsofpillarsintoacentralnave,
surroundedbyaislesonthreesides,forcircumambulationduringprayer.Italsohada
sanctuaryoppositetheentrance.AsitwasdedicatedtoBuddha,itincludedmanysculptures
andpaintingsdepictingthevariousincarnationsofBuddha.Theviharas,whereaswereused
byBuddhistmonksformeditationandthestudyofBuddhistteachings.Thesewererectangular
shapedhallswithseriesofsmallcellsattachedontwosides.Thesideoppositetheentrance
containedanimageofBuddhaoravotivestupa.
ThemuralsthatsurroundthewallsandceilingsofthecavesdepicttheepicofLordBuddha
andvariousdivinitiesofBuddhist.Outofthese,themostimportantartformsarethepaintingsof
theJatakatales,whichtellsthestoriesaboutthepreviousincarnationsoftheGautama
BuddhaasBodhisattva.TheyalsoincludethesculpturesofBuddhathatstandcalmandsereneincontemplation.Theseelaborate
paintingsandsculptureshavealotofexclusivenesssincetheyhavewithstoodalltheravagesoftime.Onecanalsofindinthecavesa
sortofilluminatedhistoryofthetimesstreetscenes,courtscenes,cameosofdomesticlifeandevenanimalandbirdstudiescome
aliveontheseunlitwalls.
Thesewallpaintingsandsculptureshavebeenchiselledfromroughrocksbythe
primitiveinhabitantsduringthefirstandsecondcenturyB.C.Theartworkisofgreat
finesseandrepresentsthelevelofskillthepeopleofthosetimeshad.Thepopular
AssemblyRockorChaityaareexamplesoftheecclesiasticalforms,butwere
undoubtedlyderivedfromtheapsidalhallsofthesecularcommunitiesandguilds
whichplaysoprominentapartinearlyBuddhistliterature.Theyarefoundinthe
CavesNos.IXandXatAjanta.
(LastUpdatedon:20/02/2014)

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