In my previous post, I spoke of Ellora caves, the place of worship in India that had been turned into a supreme example of rock-cut art. Today let me take you to the other end of Aurangabad city, where lie the Ajanta caves, the older of the two creations and an ultimate ode to Buddhist craftsmanship.
The Journey…
Starting from Aurangabad and journeying past ancient hills and rustic villages, the drive to the 30 extraordinary caves at Ajanta seems like a journey through time. It is as if, within the distance of approximately 100 Km, you have covered centuries. From the rapidly developing modern city of Aurangabad that eagerly wishes to embrace every 21st century trend, to the small towns and earthen villages still waking up to urbanization and then winding through primeval hills to finally reach a place that even today seems to linger in the times of Lord Buddha, the great creator of Buddhism.
From the materialistic world, it seems like a progression to spiritualism with murals, paintings and sculptures of incomparable beauty waiting to enthrall your soul.
The Caves and the View-point…
The Ajanta caves lie within a horse-shoe shaped escarpment, overlooking a narrow river gorge. At its head is a waterfall that drops into the saptakunda or the seven pools.
Ajanta Waterfalls
Usually, tourists take the routine path from the base of the caves to reach the top. But if you are not jittery of a little added adventure, the head of the waterfalls, a place called the Ajanta view-point, is also a superb location to start your Ajanta experience. Standing at a point where the waterfall begins to cascade down, you can easily view the complete cave clusters and maybe even identify with one John Smith who while on a tiger hunt, stood at exactly the same position in the year 1819 and as a chance sighting rediscovered the caves long hidden behind dense vegetation.
Caves, as seen from the Viewpoint, courtesy danchitnis from Flickr
Art Spanning Centuries…
The Ajanta caves unlike the Ellora caves did not have much religious influences from Hinduism or Jainisn. They are demarcated into two groups based moslty on the time they were built and the different phases of Buddhism.
One set of caves numbering 8, 9,10,12,13 and 15 were created in the 2nd -1st centuries BC during the more austere Hinayana phase of Buddhism. During this period Lord Buddha was not represented as a human form but through the Bodhi tree or the Wheel of Law.
The second group of caves was created during the 5th-6th centuries AD in the Mahayana phase when artistic expression was more exuberant. Stylistically too the caves are of two types- the chaitya grihas or prayer halls and the viharas or monasteries.
Irrespective of the era it was created in, each cave of the Ajanta cluster seems to be saying a story of its own. If you can stick by the chaos at the base of the caves, the hustle and bustle of eager tourists and the over enthusiastic locals, you are ably rewarded with a sense of peace and calm as you enter the caves and as artists from ages ago, tell the story of Buddha and the time they lived in through astonishingly beautiful murals, paintings, carved pillars, frenzied ceilings and dramatically alive surroundings.
Seated Buddha, courtesy Guistaff from Flickr
The Masterpieces….
The Ajanta murals are the finest example of Buddhist paintings chronicling the life of Lord Buddha, how he was once a prince and then renounced every material need to become an ascetic. They tell the tales of Buddha’s previous incarnations as an enlightened being or Bodhisattva. They also tell the story of many kings and queens, charming apsaras or celestial maidens and other women of exquisite beauty. The colors used in these paintings are derived from plants and minerals and are rich shades of ochre, lime, black, green and lapis lazuli.
Padmapani
Cave 1 of the cluster is a vihara and contains some of Ajanta’s most evocative murals. It is here you can set eyes on the world renowned Padmapani or lotus holder.
Cave 2 has stories connected with Buddha’s birth and is dominated by a large circular diagram or Mandala on the ceiling. It is the depiction of the cosmos with an outer ring filled with lotus motifs.
Cave 10 is considered to be Ajanta’s oldest cave dating to the 2nd century BC and its left wall has the oldest mural of a prince worshipping a Bodhi tree.
One of the outstanding paintings of cave 16 is that of the conversion of Nanda, Buddha’s half brother and his wife swooning when she hears the news of his becoming a monk. In spite of the fading details, as you note the expressions and tilts that the artist has successfully captured, it is natural to feel the pain yourself.
Apsara, Courtesy Xuntal from Flickr
Cave 17 has the largest number of paintings in its premises. Among the finest are a vast panel depicting Simhala’s shipwreck and encounter with a man-eating ogress and also of a lady admiring herself as she gazes intently into a mirror.
Caves 21 to 27 make the final group of Ajanta and noteworthy among them is Cave 26 which displays the full magnificence of the era’s sculptural art. It is here that you witness the 23-feet image of the reclining Buddha with his eyes closed as if in sleep. This is the Par nirvana sculpture where Buddha’s disciples sit below him, mourning his passing while the celestial beings above rejoice in his salvation.
Par Nirvana
More information…
- The caves are open from Tuesday through Sunday.
- Flash photography is prohibited, due to the imminent danger of ruining the precious paintings.
- Organized tours and taxis are available from Aurangabad city.
- It is advisable to carry water, snack and wear comfortable shoes for the tour.
- For further information visit Ajanta
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It might be a good idea to tell people what COUNTRY you are writing about, and a geographical reference to what area of the country. I didn’t know it was India until the tags at the end – and by then I quit reading the article.
Thanks so much for your comment. We added in the country name and appreciate you stopping by to leave your thoughts about the article.
Not many people know about the “Ajanta view-point” which is very beautiful. As mentioned in this article, this will help more tourist will visit this place too while they are on their way to Ajanta.
I have been to these caves and the Paintings there are fantastic considering the cramped space and the very little light available to the artists who painted these many centuries back. My compliments to the author for capturing the essence of the place with lot of detail and lovely prose.
Vincent Clarke,
Guildford, UK