Ajanta Caves: A Wonderful Place
Ajanta
Caves is one of the wonderful places in India to visit. Ajanta caves
are located in the state of Maharashtra of India, a 100Km from
Aurangabad district. Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra are 29 rocks out caves
and monuments which are dated from 2nd century BCE. The caves consist of the sculptures and paintings which are considered to be masterpieces of two religions.
These
caves were discovered in AD 1819. With a break of about four centuries
the caves were discovered into two distinct phases. Some of caves which
include unfurnished ones are thirty in number, of which five caves 9,
10, 19, 26 and 29 are called prayer halls and rest known as monasteries.
Inside caves 9 and 10 a few paintings which survived on the walls
remembers the time of the 2nd century BC-AD. The second group
of the painting started in nearly fifth century AD, which was then
considered as noticeable in later caves for the next two centuries.
The
theme in which paintings are done inside the caves are intensely
religious in tone and is centre round Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents
from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas. The paintings were executed
from the mud-plaster in the tempera technique. Many paintings are carved
in such a way in the caves which illuminate the history of times-court
scenes, street scenes, cameos of domestic life. Even studies of animal
and bird came alive on these unique walls of Ajanta caves.
