the hammer over the chisel, with sculpture of highest craftsmanship and above all, with the paintings of infinite charm.

At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events in the life of prince Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and in the more popular Jatakas stories pertaining to Buddha's previous incarnation. According to the older conceptions, the Buddha wrought many deeds of kindness and mercy in a long series of transmigration as a Bodhisattva, before achieving his final birth as the sage of sakyas.

Incidentally they contain the scenes of semi-mythological history, the royal court and popular life of the ancient times, as told in romances and plays. Some pictures recall the Greek and Roman compositions and proportions, few late resemble to Chinese manners to some extent. But majority belongs to a phase, which is purely Indian, as they are found nowhere else. These monuments were constructed during two different periods of time separated by a long interval of four centuries. The older ones were the product of last to centuries before Christ and belong to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism was divided into two sections, after the conduct of the fourth general council under another great king, Kanishka.

                          HOW PAINTINGS WERE DONE IN THE DARK CAVES?
It is thought that the craftsmen who painted and sculpted in the Ajanta caves, were mostly Buddhist monks Perhaps many Hindu craftsmen of the lower castes had accepted the faith of the Buddha, the Craftsmen, in those days, were grouped together according to their profession, they learnt their skill from father to son and son to son. Some of them were great masters, who invented new techniques new tools and new ways of handling paint and chisel, in every generation.
As the Buddhists began to scoop caves from the 1st century A.D. downwards, they evolved practical ways of working in the dark. The marshal, or stick torch, was smeared with vegetable oil and used for lighting dark corners. Also, large mirrors were used to reflect sunshine in to the interiors. And the walls were whitewashed smeared with lime plaster, before painting.

                         HOW PAINTS WERE MADE?
Colours used for the wall paintings were made from pebbles and vegetable found on the hillside. The guide will show you the pebbles of different Colours, these were crushed and ground and the mixed with glue.
The main colours used were; red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli (blue). This last pigment was imported from Northern India, central Asia and Persia. Green was made by mixed this lapis lazuli with Indian yellow ochre.

Techniques of making wall Paintings:
The Indian wall painting technique is different from that of the fresco of the West. A layer of clay was mixed with cow dung and powdered rice hunk. This was first applied to the chipped rock surface. When it dries, a second coat of lime plaster was a trowel. The lines were then drawn in pink, brown or black; the colours were filled in with big brushes, made from the hair of squirrels tail.

General Information About Ajanta Caves:
The Ajanta cave temples in continuation from similar rock-cut shines in the Western Ghats and the Deccan. They are of two different kinds.

Some of them are Chaiity halls, for group worship as in Bhaja, Karla, and Kanheri. In the Chaitya hall caves (8,9,10,12 & 13), there are symbolic stupas. These represent the grave mounds over the relics of the Buddha.

The second kind of cave in Ajanta is the Vihara cave. This has cells for monks to live in. the monks slept on stone bed, which shows that, even in the rich Mahayana period, austerity was practiced as a way to attain Buddha hood or enlightenment.

The Life Of Buddha - Unravelled

Ajanta is a cluster of close to 30 caves that depict paintings, sculptures and frescos of the three religions. All the walls are a significant window into the periods of the 2nd Century BC, followed by the 6th and 7th Century BC, when these gems were first created. All the caves have one thing in common, they bring out true life details of Lord Buddha’s life, before he attained Moksh (Salvation). They bear a strong resemblance to the Sigiriya Caves found in Sri Lanka.

It is believed that these caves took as much as a mindblowing 800 years to be completed. Back in the 19th Century, a few British soldiers were out hunting when they chanced upon the horseshoe rock. Beguiled, they ventured further, only to discover the huge set of caves hid by the greenery around them. Immediatealy, the Government was intimated, who sent a team of archaeologists to excavate these wondrous caves.
Next of what is considered to be truly a shocking phase, Stupas, Taras, Dawarapals, Viharas and Chaityas of the Buddhist relics, along with several paintings and motifs were unearthed. All the paintings demonstrated a strong influence of Buddhism and revolved around the life of Buddha.

There are 29 caves in all – each significant in exhibiting a story relating to Lord Buddha’s life. The first cave tourists come across, Cave 1 depicts the period from the 6th Century to the 7th Century. Essential symbols and paintings line the cave. Down the doorway, one can see the Great Buddha Image that seems different from different angles. The Nagas are guardians who are drawn on the same principle as the ones in Cave 20. If you look on the upper left hand side corner, you’ll find a Goddess carved out. Representative of Mother Earth, this serene figure also symbolizes water.

There also lies a Cherubic – Angelic – Dwarf that is holding a garland in his hands for Lord Buddha. Beside the Great Buddha Image, on one side there is a Padmapani Avaokitesvara who is supposedly holding a lotus, while on the other side there is Vajrapani holding the thunderbolt. Both of them form a part of the Bodhisatva. One of the reliefs has four deer sculpted out, different in personality. The catch here is that all the four share a single head. The Lovers depicts the shunning of sexual desire as a taboo, while the Dark Princess is allegedly inspired from a real Princess from Andhra. The Princess Reclining By a Pillar, the Dancing Girl, the Maid in a Sad Mood and the Persian Embassy are other interesting displays you will find in this cave. The pictures of the Golden Geese, Pink Elephant and a Bull Fight demonstrate how all living beings are, afterall, one entity. 

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