The Ajanta caves are one amongst the several UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites in India and depicts the huge thirty rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments. Situated in the Aurangabad district of the Maharashtra state, these caves date back to the 2nd century BCE to about 480 to 650 CE. These caves are amongst the finest persisting examples of Indian art and masterpieces of Buddhist religious art. The surrounding areas of these caves were covered with dense forest until they were accidentally discovered in 1819 by a British officer on his hunting tour to this place.
There are around thirty caves carved out in a lonely gorge with a streamlet flowing down below. This strategically important place helped Buddhist monks to dwell and pray peacefully. The Ajanta caves are spread across a crescent starting from the first to the last cave. Each cave has its own importance and can be categorized as monasteries or the chaitya-grihas (group worshipping halls). The caves are beautifully carved with several structures and statues of Gautama Buddha. One can also find beautifully painted walls of these caves that depict the incidents from Buddha’s life or the Jataka tales.
History of Ajanta Caves
The Buddhist monks often looked for an ideal place to pray and meditate away from the crowd, but near the villages. The present site of Ajanta Caves was a unique place to set up a residing place for these monks. The soft granite rock found here was perfect to carve caves and sculptures. Thus, in the 2nd Century BCE, the Buddhist Monks started the construction of this site. This period is also considered the first phase of the Ajanta Cave construction when the 9, 10, 12, 11, 13, and 15A caves were carved. The second phase of the Ajanta cave construction started around the 5th to 6th Century AD when the 1-8, 11, and 14-29 numbered caves were constructed.
The caves were abandoned after the fall of the Vakataka Kingdom and were gradually forgotten. This place was then covered by dense forest and a hideout for several wild animals. On 28th April 1819, a British officer accidentally discovered Cave No. 10 when on a tiger hunt in this area. Later on, a paper on these caves was read to the Bombay Literary Society and a Bombay Cave Temple Commission was formed by the Royal Asiatic Society to preserve this heritage site.
Caves
Cave No. 1: This cave is the first cave as one enters the Ajanta Cave paradise and is one of the most beautiful caves amongst all other caves. This cave is beautifully carved and possesses several pictures of Gautama Buddha painted on its wall, which depict various incidents from Buddha’s life. The cave also has a huge statue of Buddha right in the centre, and it can be viewed from various angles and looks different from each angle. Some of the major structures and paintings from this cave are as given below:
Goddess: A beautiful image of a goddess carved in the top left area of the doorway attracts the visitors’ attention by the grace of its carving. The goddess leans over a flowering tree and represents the earth. This goddess also symbolizes water as she stands on the Makara figure.
The Cherubic Dwarfs: The carving of cherubic dwarfs offering garlands to Buddha is simply mesmerizing. These images were carved so that the devotees could focus on Buddha’s image and experience concentrated offerings.
The Bodhisattva: Bodhisattva is nothing, but different forms of Buddha. One gets to see an image of Padmapani Avaokitesvara holding a the lotus and symbolizing grace on one of the walls of this cave. Another figure on one of the walls of this cave depicts the image of Vajrapani, who holds a thunderbolt indicating force.
Common Headed Four Deer: One of the very clever compositions in this cave is that of the four deer. The carving depicts four distinct deer with a common head. This is an ultimate example of carving, as the bodies of the deer seem real and have been engraved with accurate measuring.
Bodhisattva Padmapani: This is one of the most famous paintings from the Ajanta Caves and is painted on the left wall of the cave. This picture is of potential Buddha, who is an dandified prince wearing a broad crown with valuable stones in it. With one hand, the prince holds a bloomed lotus that suggests awakening.
Vajrapani: This latent Buddha is considered to be a painting of some bestower prince from the sixth century.
The Couple: The portrait of a couple would have been painted to attract pleasance adoring patrons and the impermissible sex desire during the early times would have been vanished by the time this cave was carved.
Dark Princess: A portrait of the Dark Princess that is considered to be of a Princes from Andhra is heavily ornamented with a fragile lattice crown on her dark hair.
Dancing Girl: Another magnificent painting in this cave is that of girl who is dancing and is surrounded by a group of musicians.
Reclining Princes: This picture is another fascinating illustration in this cave. The picture portrays a perfect Indian beauty and can be described as swan waisted, moon bosomed, and elephant hipped and wears large earrings, four rowed necklace, and an intricate visual crown. This portrait looks like a unloved young girl ready and waiting for her lover.
A Maid in Sad Mood: A perfectly drawn figure with shapely limbs, hand on her head, and her jewelry flawlessly portray her as a maid in a sad mood.
Persian Embassy: On the right wall portrays the Persian Embassy and is supposed to be a actual happening image in the assembly of Pulakesin II.
Golden Geese, Pink Elephant, and Bull Fight: All the three paintings depict that all surviving things are one.
Cave No. 2: This is another beautifully carved cave and possesses square motifs on the side of its doorway. Another noteworthy feature of this cave includes a swaying Avalokitesvara holding a flywhisk and the vivaciously carved dwarfs on the right front interior pillars. The cave also possesses Harati and Panchika panels in the right rear corner and portrays a fascinating domestic scene of that time. This cave also has one of the surviving ceilings with appealing decorations and paintings. The Thousand Buddha’s painting on one of the walls of this cave is another famous painting from the Ajanta Caves. The other worth seeing pictures in this cave include the votaries with offerings and a woman sitting on a swing.
Cave No. 3: The third cave was just a start of construction during the end of the final period of work. But the construction of the work was soon abandoned for an unknown reason.
Cave No. 4: This is an incomplete cave and was left, as there were several faults in the rock here. The other major reason for abandoning this cave was the end or decline in patronage in this area. These caves include a statue of a seated Buddha along with several unfinished Buddha images. The other major attractions of this cave include goddesses in the upper left corner of the doorway under a beautifully carved flowering tree. The beautifully carved dwarf musicians on the corner of the pillars attract the visitors’ attraction.
Cave No. 5: This cave was used as the vihara. The T-shaped doorway is the major attraction of cave 5. The other attractions of this cave include ebullient carvings made on the pillars and walls of this cave.
Cave No. 6: This cave is considered to be an important cave from the Mahayana phase. The major attraction of this cave is a Buddha image sitting with his feet squat on the base in a rigid pose. The gesture of his hand and the flying couples above him add a special effect to this image. The pillars here are also different from the rest of the caves and are octagonal with one central pillar in their lower story. The other attraction of this cave is a beautifully carved medallion structure and a painting of a Bhikshu, which is as good as a sculpture.
Cave No. 7: This cave has a grand facade, but was abandoned due to a fault in rocks. This cave consists of no central hall, but a shrine room with an antechamber.
Cave No. 8: This cave is considered to be from the earliest phases and was painted. However, today, only some of the traces of these paintings remain in this cave.
Cave No. 9, 10, 11: Cave number nine is a Chaitya gathering hall and has a beautifully carved giant horseshoe window. This cave also has worth seeing eight slanting columns and two paintings of a frieze of herdsmen along with his animals and the Naga worshipers. The cave numbered 10 is a large Chaitya hall and has a stupa shrine. Some of the interesting paintings in this cave include King along with his suite, Shad-Danta Jataka, princess and tusk, elephants in the jungle, the Bodhisattva on the pillar, Buddha with a monk having one eye, and Shyama Jataka. Cave number 11 is one of the interesting caves and shows the transition from the earlier Hinayana period to the later Mahayana Buddhist phase. This cave has a stupa attached to a Buddha image and shows a compromise between stupa worship and image worship.
Cave No. 16: The doorway of this cave is magnificently carved and has two neatly carved goddesses on the columns. The beautiful image of Buddha is present in this cave and is the same as that of caves six and eleven. Some of the attractions of this cave include the giant statue of Buddha, Dying princess who is considered to be the wife of Nanda, Buddha with an alms bowl, prince Siddhartha firing from the bow, the decent of Buddha, and the Sutasama Jataka.
Cave No. 17: The doorway to this cave is the same as that of cave 16. This is a well-planned cave with all the pillars in strict order. The cave also has a Buddha in the shrine seated in a Yogasana posture. The cave is well painted and has some of the most magnificent paintings, including the Prince Simhala, Indra and the Apsaras, Apsaras and Flying Spirits, Shad-Danta Jataka, Royal Procession and the return of Buddha.
Cave No. 18 and 19: Cave 18 has one of the most beautiful paintings in Ajanta caves, depicting a princess decorating herself looking in the mirror. This painting also has a female attendant holding a tray of toilet utensils, another attendant holding a fly-whisk, and a child looking from below. Cave 19 is a chaitya gathering hall and has many beautiful paintings along with magnificently carved sculptures. One of the major attractions of this cave is the statue of a standing Buddha.
Cave No. 21, 26, and 27: Cave 21 is a chaitya gathering hall with twenty-six pillars. The two major attractions of this cave include a large statue of dead Buddha, also known as Buddha in Parinirvana and a sculpture of Temptation of Buddha. Cave 26 is known for its Chaitya Horseshoe Arch and various fine images of Buddha. Some attractions from this cave include Sravasti Miracle, Nandas, Nagas, Anupnandas, Goddess, and a family group. This cave also has a Buddha head with curly hair, which is one of the most captivating sculptures in Ajanta Cave. Cave 27 is known for the Naga Dwarpala situated on the outer form of the shrine and the decorations here show the new fashion of architecture in later centuries.
Reaching the Cave
By Air: Aurangabad domestic airport is the nearest airport to reach these caves. However, the Mumbai International Airport can also be utilized to reach the Ajanta Caves.
By Rail: Jalgaon is the nearest railhead to reach this destination.
Note: Ajanta Caves are open from 9:00 AM to 17:00 PM and remain closed on Monday.
