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AJANTA is world's greatest historical monument recognised by UNESCO
located just 55kms from Jalgaon city and 105kms from Aurangabad
City of Maharashtra, India. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which
9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are
monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD 1819 and were built
up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD. Most of the paintings in
Ajanta are right from 2nd century BC-AD and some of them about the
fifth century AD and continued for the next two centuries. All
paintings shows heavy religious influence and centre around Buddha,
Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas.
The paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the
tempera technique.
Conjures before one's vision, a dream of beauty- of caves, hidden
in the midst of a lonely glen with a streamlet flowing down below,
caves that were scooped out into the heart
of
the rock so that the pious Buddhist monk, out on mission to spread
the tenets of Buddhism could dwell and pray, caves that the
followers of Lord Buddha, embellished with architectural
details with a skilful embellished with architectural details
with a skilful command of
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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