Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
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14/06/2015 AjantaCaves,Maharashtra
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MahayanacavesatAjanta ArtandArchitectureofA... AjantaCave1AjantaCave2 AjantaCave3 AjantaCave4AjantaCave5 AjantaCave6 AjantaCave7
AjantaCave8 AjantaCave9 AjantaCave10AjantaCave11 AjantaCave12 AjantaCave13AjantaCave14 AjantaCave15 AjantaCave15AAjantaCave16 AjantaCave17 AjantaCave18AjantaCave19 AjantaCave20 AjantaCave21AjantaCave22 AjantaCave23 AjantaCave24AjantaCave25 AjantaCave26
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Home>Art&Culture>IndianMonuments>WorldHeritageMonumentsinIndia>WorldHeritageMonumentsinWestIndia>AjantaCaves
AjantaCaves,MaharashtraTheAjantacaveshavebeendesignatedasaWorldHeritageSite,toinspireandenrichthefuturegenerations.
MoreonAjantaCaves,Maharashtra(29Articles)
AjantaCavesinMaharashtraareconsideredasmasterpiecesoftheBuddhistartandtheyhavehadagreatinfluenceinthedevelopmentofartinIndia.Hence,UNESCOhasconsideredthesecavesasaWorldHeritageSitesince1983.Thepaintingsonthewallsandceilingsdramaticallyreflectthesophisticatedachievementsofthe
veryapogeeofIndia'ssocalledGoldenage,generallyassociatedwiththeGuptaEmpire.ThecreativityofthesculpturesdepictvarioushumanandanimalformsandevenmakethemexpressivemakesthecavepaintingsatAjantaoneofthehighwatermarksofartisticcreativity.TheAjantaCavesareauniqueartisticcreationanditssanctuariesdevotedtodifferentreligiousillustratethespiritof
tolerancethatwasacharacteristicofancientIndia.TheAjantaCavesaremeticulouslycutinthebentarmoftheVaghaRiver,whereitpushesitswaythroughthebrokenandroughhillsofthenorthernscarpoftheDeccan,andintotheBerar,andalsothelevelsoftheTaptivalley.Evenduringhotweatherconditiontherearepoolsintheriverbed,whileafewminutes'rainwillsendtheriverintospateforhours,fillingthegorgeandthecaveswithnoiseofwaters.
TheseBuddhistrockcutcavesareabout107kmawayfromthecityofAurangabadinMaharashtranestledinapanoramicgorge,intheformofagigantichorseshoe,overlookingabendoftheWaghoraRiverinnorthernMaharashtra.Thesecaveswerecarvedbetweenthe2ndcenturyBCandthe5th
centuryADandareyetknownforitsstunningpaintingsandsculpture,sincetheyareallverywellpreserved.Itwasonlyinthe19thcenturythattheywerediscoveredandtheydepictthestoryofBuddhism,spanningaperiodfrom200BCto650AD.TheirbeautyandantiquitydistinguishthemasoneofthetreasuresofIndian,andindeedworld,art.
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AjantaCaves(29) CityPalace
ThecavesofAjantacanbeclassifiedintotwodistinctphases:TheearlierHinayanaphase,inwhichtheBuddhawasworshippedonlyintheformofcertainsymbols.AndthelaterMahayanaphase,inwhichtheBuddhawasworshippedinthephysicalform.
TwokindsofAjantaCaves:FinishedCaves:TheyareTwentySevenanddepictdifferentformsofBuddha.UnfinishedCaves:Theyareunfinished&someofthemareaccessible.
Thus,depictingthesculpturesandpaintingsoftheearliestBuddhistarchitecture,theAjantacavesincludesasetof29caves,whicharenumberedaccordingtotheirsequentiallocationalongthecliffface,whichdoesnotcorrespondtotheorderinwhichtheywereconstructed.ThesecavescompriseofChaityaHallsorshrinesandViharasormonasteries.ThemoreprominentHinayanacavesarethosenumbered9,10(bothchaityas),8,12,13and15(allviharas),whereastheMahayanamonasteriesinclude1,2,16and17,whilethechaityasareincaves19and26.Inancienttimes,eachcavewasaccessedfromtheriverfrontbyindividualstaircases.
Ajantaisaworldinitself,shutinandaloof.Inthespring,whentherainshavebrokenandeverythingisgreen,itsbeautyissurpassingandappealing.TothenortharethetwofinehillfortsofBaithalWadiandAbasgarhdominatingstrategicpoints,undoubtedlyancient.Butthereisnosignofatownorvillageofanysizenearby.Theoldpilgrimsmusthavemadetheircamponthegreenbankattheturnoftheriverbelowthecaves,wherethereisnowacarpark.FourmilesawayistheAjantaGhat,theancienthighwaytoAsirgarhandthenorth.SouthwardlieAurangabad,Paithan,Junnar,Thana,andtheportsofSalsette,oncethrongedwiththeshippingoftheAfricanandArabiantrade
HistoryofAjantaCavesChaityahallswerededicatedtoLordBuddhaandwereconsideredastheplacesofworship.Thesewerelarge,rectangularchambersseparatedbyrowsofpillarsintoacentralnave,surroundedbyaislesonthreesides,forcircumambulationduringprayer.Italsohadasanctuaryoppositetheentrance.AsitwasdedicatedtoBuddha,itincludedmanysculpturesandpaintingsdepictingthevariousincarnationsofBuddha.Theviharas,whereaswereusedbyBuddhistmonksformeditationandthestudyofBuddhistteachings.Thesewererectangularshapedhallswithseriesofsmallcellsattachedontwosides.ThesideoppositetheentrancecontainedanimageofBuddhaoravotivestupa.
ThemuralsthatsurroundthewallsandceilingsofthecavesdepicttheepicofLordBuddhaandvariousdivinitiesofBuddhist.Outofthese,themostimportantartformsarethepaintingsoftheJatakatales,whichtellsthestoriesaboutthepreviousincarnationsoftheGautama
BuddhaasBodhisattva.TheyalsoincludethesculpturesofBuddhathatstandcalmandsereneincontemplation.Theseelaboratepaintingsandsculptureshavealotofexclusivenesssincetheyhavewithstoodalltheravagesoftime.Onecanalsofindinthecavesasortofilluminatedhistoryofthetimesstreetscenes,courtscenes,cameosofdomesticlifeandevenanimalandbirdstudiescomealiveontheseunlitwalls.
ThesewallpaintingsandsculptureshavebeenchiselledfromroughrocksbytheprimitiveinhabitantsduringthefirstandsecondcenturyB.C.Theartworkisofgreatfinesseandrepresentsthelevelofskillthepeopleofthosetimeshad.ThepopularAssemblyRockorChaityaareexamplesoftheecclesiasticalforms,butwereundoubtedlyderivedfromtheapsidalhallsofthesecularcommunitiesandguildswhichplaysoprominentapartinearlyBuddhistliterature.TheyarefoundintheCavesNos.IXandXatAjanta.
(LastUpdatedon:20/02/2014)
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