Ajanta Tours
Ajanta Caves are located in the inner folds of Sahyadri Hills in Maharashtra. The carvings on the cave depict the life story of Buddha from 200 B.C. to 650 A.D. The stories of the Jatakas and Bodhisattvas have found an expression among the paintings on the walls.
29 caves at Ajanta include 24 monasteries (Viharas) and 5 temples (Chaityas). The caves were discovered in 1819 when some English hunters were on their hunting expedition. The caves are constructed along the side of Waghora River. Cave No. 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are the Chaitya Caves and the rest are the Vihara caves.
The caves are an exemplum of fine rock cut architecture. It is believed that the first monuments at Ajanta date from 1st and 2nd centuries. From the Gupta Period many richly decorated caves were added.
The paintings were made in poor light. Only the diffused rays of the sun could enter the caves. The artists covered the rough walls with a layer of cow dung mixed with mud and animal hair. This layer was an inch and a half thick. Then lime plaster was applied on it. And this used to be the base (canvas) for paintings. The artists used colors and their skills to produce amazing art pieces.
There are two schools of Buddhist thought, the older Hinayana school (where Buddha was represented only in symbols like the stupa, a set of footprints or a throne) and the later Mahayana sect (gave the Lord a human form). In the caves, the paintings depict both of the schools with architectural excellence.
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