This world heritage site is located about 105 km from Aurangabad city. Dating from 200 BC, these caves were excavated in two distinct phases and reportedly took more than 800 years to complete. They comprise Chaityas (Shrines) dedicated to Lord Buddha, and Viharas (monasteries) used by Buddhist monks for meditation. The paintings and sculptures depict incidents from the life of the Buddha and various divinities, with the Jataka tales, illustrating stories of Bodhisattva, being the most famous. Besides the temples and monasteries, there are magnificent murals that attract visitors from all over the world.
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Cave 1:
This cave is the first we come across. It
is attributed to the 6th -7th centuries. There are auspicious motifs
on the doorway of cave 1: loving couples, river and tree Goddesses,
flying dwarfs and Floral Scrolls.
GREAT BUDDHA IMAGE:
The Great Buddha Image inside is thus approached from a pleasant doorway,
seen from different angles the Buddha looks different. The Naga guardians
at the base are stylistically related to the larger guardians in cave
20.
GODDESS:
There is a Goddess at the upper left corner of the shrine doorway on
cave 1. Her auspicious presence is radiant through the grace of the
carving. She represents the earth, as she leans by the flowering tree,.
She symbolizes the waters, by the Makara figure on which she stands.
She is serene and intimate at same time.
CHERUBIC DWARF:
There is a lovely Cherubic Dwarf, flying through the clouds, bearing
a garland of flowers to the great Buddha below. Such image are carved
to focus the devotee's eye on the central image.
THE BODHISATTVA:
The Boddhisattva on the right of the Buddha image in the shrine may
be a Padmapani Avaokitesvara, who holds the lotus, though this is not
certain here. the figure on the left of the Buddha image is generally
Vajrapani, who hold the thunderbolt. the lotus of Padmapani symbolizes
grace the thunderbolt in the hand of Vajrapani indicates force.
FOUR DEER WITH A COMMON HEAD:
One of the wonders of this cave is a relief carving of four deer. This
is a clever composition. All the four deer seem distinct, even though
they share one head in common. The bodies seem real, as they have been
carved from accurate observation of their forms.
The pilaster on left end of the porch in cave 1 is related to those
of cave 19. The pilaster in cave 1 being simpler, probably came earlier
than the elaborate ones in cave 19, The pilaster on the left front interior
in cave 1, is more elaborate than on the left end of the porch. The
medallions have swan and Makara floral design.
BODHISATTVA PADMAPANI:
The famous painting Bodhisattva Padmapani is on the left wall as we
enter. This is a famous picture. The Bodhisattva, or potential Buddha,
is here shown as an elegant prince. He wears a high crown with precious
stones in it. On his neck is a pearl necklace, with a central big blue
stone. In his right hand, he holds an open lotus, suggesting awakening,
with his gracious bent head and his golden body, the almond eyes and
the delicate eyebrows, the figure is almost feminine.
VAJRAPANI:
There is another well-known Bodhisattva Vajrapani with a tiara-like
crown of jewels on his head. This potential Buddha may be near portrait
of some donor prince of the 6th century.
THE LOVERS:
The Lovers in the same caves were probably painted to attract pleasure
-loving patrons. The taboo against sex desire, of the earlier times,
seems to have gone by this time
DARK PRINCESS:
The beautiful Dark Princess in profile may also be a portrait of an
Andhra Princess. She is heavily bejeweled, with a delicate filigree
tiara on her black hair.
DANCING GIRL:
Another picture shows the Dancing Girl with musicians. This group scene
is almost like a big painting in Bagh Caves near Ujjain, in Central
India, of the7th century A.D.
PRINCESS RECLINING BY A PILLAR:
One of the late lovely figures in this cave is that of a Princess reclining
against a pillar. She approximates to the Indian ideal beauty: 'moon-breasted,
swan-waisted, elephant-hipped' .She wears an intricate visual crown,
large earrings and five-rowed necklace. Her lungi is woven with a typical
pattern of horizontal floral details. She looks like a lovelorn young
girl, waiting for her beloved.
A MAID IN A SAD MOOD:
This is a study of a young girl, a maid in a sad mood, seated on the
ground, Her right hand holding her head with its intricate coiffeur.
She is probably a servant girl. Her shapely limbs are rendered with
great skill. Her Jewelry shows that even the common people of that time
had an instinctive love of decorating themselves.
PERSIAN EMBASSAY:
On a wall on the right hand side, as we enter, is a scene showing the
Persian Embassy. This is supposed to be a picture of a real happening
in the court of Pulakesin ll. As Pulakesin ll ruled towards the end
of the 6th century, the painting confirms the date of cave no.1 as of
the 6th century A.D.
The Golden Geese, Pink Elephant, Bull Fight:
The Golden Geese, The Pink Elephant and the Bull Fight suggest that
all living things are one. The pictures in cave 1 are skillfully done.
And they are pretty pictures. They emphasize happiness. Obviously they
were painted to attract visitors.
Cave 2:
The shrine doorway of cave 2 departs from
the conventional doorways, of the same cave and of cave 1.
The square motif on the side of the doorway seems to be derived from
doorways of other temples in India. Many motifs in Ajanta were taken
from elsewhere but adapted to the shrine here.
The notable feature of cave 2 is the heavy-limbed, but swaying Avalokitesvara,
with a flywhisk, who flanks the Buddha image. This feature was to develop
later, far away at elephanta. The pilasters at right front interior,
with squatting dwarfs in between the medallions, are exuberantly carved.
The Harati and Panchika panel at right rear of the cave; is intricate.
The narrative carving of the main figures well as the attendants, including
the school children, at the base, is fascinating as a domestic scene
of that time.
CEILING:
One of the few surviving ceilings, with charming decorations, is in
cave 2.The skill with which painters lay down on scaffoldings for long
years, to paint these pictures, is reminiscent of the way Michelangelo
suffered physical strain while painting the ceilings of the Sistine
Chapel in the Vatican in Rome.
THOUSAND BUDDHAS:
The wall showing the Thousand Buddha's is a large painting, which overwhelms
one with its detailed multiplication.
VOTARIES WITH OFFERINGS:
This panel shows graceful cylindrical figures of the end of the 4th
century A.D. going towards the shrine.
WOMEN ON SWING:
The rhythmic movement of the princess starting off the movement on the
swing is on the wall of the right hand corridor. The innocent face and
the bursting youth of the girl, shows the change Buddhist idea of the
5th century A.D. that physical vitality itself leads ultimately to illumination.
Cave 4:
The porch colonnade of cave 4 began at the
same time as those of cave 17,but was not finished. There were faults
in the rock, which probably were against further excavations. Apart
from the seated Buddha in the shrine, there are large unfinished Buddha
images. These remained unfinished because by the time the cave was excavated
patronage was finished. There is a double row of kneeling devotees by
the crouching deer. All these are witnessing the symbolic wheel of law.
There is a goddess at the upper left corner of the porched doorway with
a flowering tree above her. Dwarf musicians play instruments among the
seated dwarf on the corner of the pillars. They are carved with great
verve. One can almost hear the resonance of sound by looking at them
There is a flowery pilaster at left rear of the Interior. As patronage
was finishing, the work on the pilaster was borrowed from previous pilasters
of the same kind, through fresh, there is nothing new in it.
Cave 5:
The T-shaped porched doorway is the only feature because the scooping
did not go beyond it. The exuberant carvings are evident here and the
jambs and the lintems seem to be of later century.
Cave 6:
This was the first important cave of the Mahayana phase. The sculptors
were probably copying wooden prototypes, or wanted stable supports,
so they included one central pillar in their lower story. The simple
octagonal pillars are bare, unlike the pillars of other caves, which
have capitals and bases. There extensions at the end of the front and
the rear aisles to enable pilgrims to circumambulate the Buddha's throne.
There is a Buddha image in the lower cave 6. He is sitting with his
feet squat on the base, in a rigid pose, only enlivened by the gestures
of his hand and the flying couples above him. There could be circumambulation
around the Buddha's shrine. This is a late cave, because, instead of
attendant bodhisattavas, there are attendants Buddha.
The porch doorway is simple with not much carved decoration except attached
female figures. There is a medallion in this cave in the colonnade of
the shrine vestibule. The couple in the medallion is skillfully carved,
but the medallion itself is conventional.
Bhikshu with Lotus :
The painting of Bhikshu in this cave in the middle, done about 5th century,
is almost like a relief. There is the rhythmic vitality in the line
and boldness of drawing. The painting is almost like a sculpture. The
folds of the garment, the rounded belly, and the calm on the face suggest
a devote worshipper.
CAVE 7:
The verandah of this cave must at one time have been elaborate.
The ceiling was obviously painted. The carving is simple.
Cave 9:
This cave has a Chaitya gathering hall. There are two early paintings,
which survive.
Frieze Of Animals And Herdsmen
Naga Worshippers
Giant Horseshoe Window
There is a Giant Horse-Shoe Window on the façade.
The carving of this window suggests that it copied a wooden structure
of the same time. The pillars and the slanting eight-sided columns are
also copied from wooden structures of earlier times.
Cave 10:
This is of about the same time as cave 9. It has a similar shape.
The large chaitya gathering hall is 28.5m X 12.3m wide and 11m high.
It has a stupa shrine at the ambulating passage around the symbolic
stupa.
King With His Retinue:
The paintings in this cave show resemblance with the relief carvings
at sanchi in central India of the 2nd century B.C. The painting on the
left wall shows the King with his Retinue, worshiping the Buddha tree.
The royal party stops at the stupa and then passes through a gateway.
SHAD-DANTA JATAKA:
On the right wall are the series of large wall paintings. One shows
the Shada-danta jataka, with the Buddha in his elephant incarnation.
This is a crowded scene, but each figure is clearly distinguished from
the other. The whole crowd is in movement.
ELEPHANTAS IN JUNGLE:
In one scene are shown Elephantas in the jungle, with a six-tusked elephant,
which is supposed to be a previous incarnation of the Buddha. The animals
are beautifully drawn and the large space of the forests, with its thick
foliage and trees, is contrasted to the houses on the side.
PRINCESS AND TUSK:
In the second scene, the princess, seated on a stool, is shown fainting,
because the six tusks of the elephant are brought to the king. The queen
has wished that the elephant be killed. Now that his tusks are brought
before the court, she faints at sight of them. The drama is manifestly
painted.
THE BUDDHISATTVA ON THE PILLAR:
One of the earliest masterpieces of the 1st century B.C. or 1st century
A.D. has the simplicity, tenderness and grace of the early archaic art
of Ajanta. The gracious figure in the pink and buff cloak surrounded
by green aureole is emerging to cast blessings on mankind. Two monks
kneel by his feet and the flying angels above his black head indicate
that they are going to lift him to heaven. The umbrella on the top is
symbolic of the protection he offers to all.
BUDDHA AND THE ONE-EYED MONK:
The painting Buddha and the one-eyed-monk show the devotion of the followers
of the Enlightened one. The face and figure of the Buddha here as well
as of the monk seem to be echoes of the heavy physical types of Gandhara
art of northwest India. Only the flowing draperies have softened their
contours. The aureole on the buddha's head and the closed eyes show
a dreamy calm.
SHYAMA JATAKA:
The Shyama-Jataka on a wall in this cave relates the story of where
the bodhisattava was born as son of two blind parents, a hunter and
his wife.
CAVE 11
TRANSITION FROM HINAYANA TO MAHAYANA:
The Buddha in shrine of cave 11 is one of the earliest images at Ajanta.
The important fact about this Buddha is that it is attached to a stupa.
This means a compromise between stupa worship and image worship.
This cave is interesting, because it shows the transition from the earlier
Hinayana to the later Mahayana Buddhist phase of worship. The round
stupa has the images of the Buddha to its bare girth.
Cave 16:
The porch doorway of cave 16 set a pattern
for the later doorway. Of course, the later once are more complex. Here
two Goddesses stand on neatly carved pilasters
The Buddha figure in the shrine is of about the same time as the Buddha
in the shrine of the cave 6 (lower) and cave 11 as the Buddha in cave
16 seated with his heavy feet down the base, it is more than life size
and fairly uncommon. Lions and other active animals support the throne.
Bodhisattvas stand behind him.
This cave gives a good view of the ravine. From the large verandha we
enter a hall. There are six cells on each side.
GIANT STATUE:
There is a Giant Statue of Buddha in the abhayamudra, or teaching gesture,
in the inner shrine.
DYING PRINCESS:
One of the finest paintings in the world art is on left wall. This shows
the wife of Gautama's cousin, Nanda. The Dying princess is suffering
from the shock of hearing that her husband has become a monk. Some great
master paints the sad drama. Notice the bent head of the princess and
the tense female attendants.
BUDDHA WITH A BEGGING BOWL:
On another wall is the Buddha with a begging bowl
PRINCE SIDDHARTH STRETCHING THE BOW:
Still another painting shows Prince Siddharth Stretching the bow
THE DECENT OF THE BUDDHA:
The Descent of Buddha from the Tushita heaven is another masterly panel
THE SUTASAMA JATAKA:
The Sutasama Jataka narrates the story of the previous incarnation of
the bodhisattva and the son of the king of indraprastha named sutasama.
The prince is trained in all the arts and sciences by a guru at Taxilla.
One-day Sutasama was seized by a man-eating dacoit. The prince promised
him he would come back and be eaten after he had offered flowers to
the Enlightened one. And he did as he promised.
The cannibal was surprised to see Sutasama. He who had once been a fellow
student of the bodhisattva at Taxilla and then king of Benares was converted,
and he became a king of Benares again.
Cave 17:
The porch doorway of cave 17 is similar to
that of cave 16, with which it is contemporary. But the seated couples
on both the doorjambs and lintels improve on cave 16. Above are the
seven Buddha's of the past with maitreya it seems the left side of the
door was painted by different artists, using different colors from the
apinter of the right half of the door. The T-shape shrine doorway has
goddesses, supported by pilasters. This doorway is highly decorative.
The plan of this cave is simple and severe. The pillars in both the
porch and interior are arranged in a strict order. All the pillars were
painted. The pillars near the shrine have intricate carvings. The Buddha
in the shrine is seated in the Yogasana. His hands are held in the Dharmachakra
mudra, or teaching gesture. There are bodhisattva attendants holding
flywhisks. The dwarfs bring garlands. Devotees appear with offerings.
The circumambulatory passage around the image shows it is a relatively
early cave.
The pilasters at the right hand of the porch of this cave are fairly
simple. This cave was in transition from Hinayana to Mahayana. So some
survivals of symptoms of floral and geometric paintings can be seen
on pilasters.
APSARAS AND FLYING SPIRITS:
This large grotto has many paintings of the mature 5th century. The
love of happiness radiates through the pictures. The earth has become
heaven. The Apsars and the Flying Spirits float accros the sky. Lovers
sit in the air houses.
INDRA AND THE APSARAS:
The famous painting Indra and the Apsaras, in the panel above the
doorway of this cave, is a lovely fantasy. All the paintings seem to
illustrate the beauty of nature and human love and happiness as described
by the poet of Ujjain, Kalidasa at the 4th century A.D.
ROYAL PROCESSION:
There is a magnificent painting showing a king and queen with their
attendants going in a royal procession. There are colorful umbrellas
over their heads and trees in the background. Some women are looking
at them through the window.
SHAD-DANTA JATAKA:
There is another version of the Shaddanta jataka, which also appears
in cave 10.
PRINCE SIMHALA:
Prince simhala, who conquered Lanka, rides on a white elephant at head
of the army.
THE BUDDHA RETURNS:
The Buddha returns as a beggar and meets the wife and child in a poignant
mood.
Cave 18:
PRINCESS LOOKING AT HER MIRROR:
The Ajanta masters have shown human life in all its varied colors. One
of the scenes, always preferred in Indian painting, has been of sringar,
showing the decoration by the women of her body. In one of the most
exquisite paintings in this cave, a Princess is looking at her mirror,
after she has done her srinagar. One of her female attendants holds
a tray of toilet utensils. The other holds a flywhisk in her hand. A
little child is looking on from below.
Cave 19:
Cave 19 is a chaitya gathering hall, with many paintings and sculptures.
They are mostly disfigured.
CHAITYA HALL:
The same donor as cave 17 patronized this cave. It was scooped at the
same time. It is the chaitya gathering hall for worship. The carving
is intricate. The faced is elaborate, with pilasters, which were to
be copied in other caves later. There are heavy bodied, strong, somewhat
squat yaksha guardians, flanking the right and the left side of the
main arch. The rinkles of their hair fall like fountains while they
are profusely garlanded and bejeweled. On the base of the big stupa
at the center of the chaitya hall are dancing dwarfs.
BUDDHA:
The solemn Buddha standing above is contrasted with the moving urchins
below.
Under the arched Chaitya window are sculptured Images of the Buddha
in the niches.
The forecourt has fallen.
There is a second aisle towards the nave.
The columns have square bases, round shafts, and rich bands of carvings
on bracket capitals.
STANDING BUDDHA:
There is a Standing Buddha on the tall stupa. The stupa itself is crowned
with an umbrella that nearly touches the roof.
NAGA KING:
There is a Naga King with his queen and attendants, which highly finishing
carving.
The aboriginals and the lower caste people, who became Buddhist, brought
snake worship with them. The nagas, or snakes, were given human from,
except for the hood of snakeheads, which was put round their heads.
There was a superstition that the worship of nagas brings rain. Even
nowadays peasants consider snakes auspicious.
Cave 21:
The interior view towards left aisle shows
mature sense of the use of space. The pillars are well carved and the
remains of plaster show that there were paintings on the ceiling. Equally
interesting is the view from the right front corner.
CHAITYA HALL:
This is also a Chaitya gathering hall of the 5th-6th century A.D. The
verandh opens in to a court. There is a colonnade inside, composed of
26 pillars. This forms the aisles. One can go round the cylindrical
stupa in circumambulation. The walls have relief carvings. Also, the
round stupa is decorated.
BUDDHA IN PARINIRVANA:
On the left wall, by the verandah, is the large statue of dead Buddha.
The Buddhist calls this sleeping figure the Buddha in parinirvana.
TEMPATION OF BUDDHA:
On the same wall, further ahead is a relief sculpture of Temptation
of Buddha by the demon mara.
Cave 24:
PILLAR STYLE:
Unfinished pillars of the front aisle are worth nothing for the evolution
of the pillar style. The earliest pillars are simple, roughly shaped
on four sides. Later the Mahayana period they were tapered into octagonal
form.
PILASTER:
The pilaster at right end of porch elaborate piece of work, even though
the cave 24 remained unfinished. There are small groups in the medallion.
PORCHED DOORWAY UPPER RIGHT CORNER:
The splendid T-shaped doorway came very late in the 7th century. The
interior of the cave was left unfinished because patronage at Ajanta
had ceased by that time.
Cave 26:
CHAITYA HORSESHOE ARCH:
The Chaitya Horseshoe arch of this 5th century cave is imposing. There
are various fine images of the Buddha sculpted with rare skill.
SRAVASTI MIRACLE:
The circumambulatory passage is full of them. Mostly they represent
the sravasti miracle. This miracle was based on the legend when the
Buddha revealed himself in all his various forms on the skies above
the village of sravasti.
NAGAS, NANDA, ANUPANANDA:
At the bottom of the relief, the Nagas, nanda, and anupananda are shown
holding the stem of the lotus. This lotus is the cosmic axis on which
the Buddha is seated.
GODDESS:
There is a goddess on the bracket of the first pillar on left in the
interior. She is standing under a fully blossomed tree. Underneath is
a lunette of a family group
BUDDHA HEAD WITH CURLY HAIR:
There is a vital Buddha head with curly hair and large ear lobes in
this cave.
FAMILY GROUP:
There is a family group with profuse floral decoration around it, which
shows the ideal human family of that time.
Cave 27:
NAGA DWARPALA:
There is a Naga Dwarpala on the outer flank of the shrine. This cave
follows many elements from cave 20. For instance, the Naga here is similar
to a Naga Dwarpala in cave 20.
In the late 6th century work, the carving is not as firm as in cave
20.
PORCHED DOORWAY:
The porched doorway of cave 27also derived from the shrine doorway of
cave 2. the decorations show the new fashion for splendor of the later
centuries