About

The Ajanta Caves consist of 31 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments, paintings, and sculpture. These caves were created over a long period of time from around 2nd century BCE to 650 CE. The caves very built in two distinct phases. The First phase is the Satavahana Period (230BCE-220CE), while the Second phase comprises of caves of the Vakataka Period developed under the reign of Emperor Harishena. The style of Ajanta art and architecture has had a significant impact on Indian art and architecture.

The caves are in the rocky northern wall of a U-shaped gorge of the river Waghur. They are understood to have been developed in two distinct phases - the first from the second century BCE to the first century BCE, and the second about five hundred years later. The first set of caves adhered to the Hinayana tradition of Buddhism, while the latter are attributable to the theistic Mahayana traditions.

The majority of the caves are viharas (or monasteries), with large square halls, usually lined with stout pillars, and an image of the Buddha carved into the far wall. Smaller dormitory cells are cut into the walls. The pillars of many of the caves are covered with carvings, some more elaborate than the others. The viharas of the earlier period are simpler.

A grand gateway to the site was carved, at the apex of the gorge's horseshoe between caves 15 and 16. It was approached from the river, and is decorated with elephants on either side and a Naga.

The other type of cave is the chaitya (or prayer hall). These have a narrower rectangular plan with high arched ceiling. This hall is longitudinally divided into a nave and two narrower side aisles separated by a symmetrical row of pillars, with a stupa in the apse. The four completed chaitya halls are caves 9 and 10 from the early period, and caves 19 and 26 from the later period of construction.

While several of the caves have murals that have survived the ravages of time, the best preserved ones are from Cave 1, Cave 2, Cave 9, Cave 16, Cave 17, and Cave 19.

The facades of Caves 9, 10, 19, and 26 are the most elaborately decorated, each with the famous horse-shoe shaped window that has been copied by several buildings in in India, including Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi and the Ramakrishna shrine designed by Vivekananda in Belur, Calcutta.

Many caves have dedicatory inscriptions - which recognizes the contributions of the primary patrons.

Cave 1 is built on the eastern end of the horseshoe-shaped gorge and is now the first cave the visitor encounters. There was originally a two-pillared portico in front of the present facade which disintegrated and broke sometime in the 19th or 20th centuries. The cave measures 35.7m by 27.6m and has one of the most elaborate carved facades, with relief sculptures on entablature and ridges, embellished with decorative carvings drawn from the life of the Buddha, in addition to other decorative elements.

The cave has a central doorway and two side doorways. Two square windows were carved between the doorways to brighten the interiors. Twelve pillars make a square colonnade inside, supporting the ceiling and creating spacious aisles along the walls. There is a shrine carved on the rear wall to house an impressive seated image of the Buddha, his hands being in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra. There are four cells on each of the left, rear, and the right walls. The walls and ceiling of the cave are extensively covered by paintings in a fair state of preservation. The famous Padmapani painting which has come to represent Ajanta caves for most people, is from Cave 1. Other significant frescoes in Cave 1 include the Sibi, Sankhapala, Mahajanaka, Mahaummagga, and Champeyya Jataka tales. The cave-paintings also show the Temptation of Mara, the miracle of Sravasti where the Buddha simultaneously manifests in many forms, the story of Nanda, and the story of Siddhartha and Yasodhara.

Cave 2 looks similar to Cave 1 and is in a better state of preservation. The painting of a couple seated in a balcony on the right wall of Cave 2 indicates that the artists of this period had already understood the use of perspective to represent 3-dimensional space, an artistic invention that is often ascribed to the renaissance period, and more specifically to Filippo Brunelleschi and Leon Battista Alberti.

The cave is supported by robust pillars, ornamented with designs. The front porch consists of cells supported by pillared vestibules on both ends. The capitals of the pillars suppporting the roof are carved and painted with various decorative ornamental, human, floral, and faunal themes

Cave 6 is a two-storeyed vihara, the only one of its kind, with an internal staircase leading to the upper floor.

Cave 16 occupies a central position in the arch of the horse-shoe shaped cliff.

Cave 17 is one of the finest of the Mahayana monastries, known for its display of the greatest number of Jataka tales. A Brahmi inscription on the wall of the courtyard records the excavation of this cave by a fuedatory prince under King Harisena of the Vakatakas, who ruled from 475 AD to 500 AD. The monastery is also called the zodiac cave because of a circular piece of a gigantic wheel painted on the left wall of the verandah. The cave consists of a verandah, hypostylar hall, sanctum with an ante-chamber, chapels, and cells. Twenty octagonal painted pillars support the roof of the hall. These pillars are generally devoid of carvings. The doorframe is lavishly carved and painted. The lintel of the main door portrays seven Mortal Buddhas along with the future Buddha, Maitreya. The sanctum houses an image of Buddha flanked by Boddhisatvas and flying figures hovering above them. The cave consists some of the better preserved paintings of the Vakataka age.

The caves were known to travellers from the medieval era, but were lost and forgotten for a long while. They were covered by jungle until accidentally "discovered" and brought to Western attention in 1819 by a colonial British officer Captain John Smith on a tiger-hunting party. The first cave he entered (and marked with his name), was Cave 10, which is probably the earliest cave excavated in the cliff-side.