The Ajanta caves are located in the district of Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The collection of 30 odd Buddhist caves form a horseshoe around a bend of the Waghora river. A group of caves was built around 2nd century BC while the rest date from approximately 7th century AD. They were rediscovered by an officer of the Madras Presidency, John Smith, in April 1819. He carved his name into a pillar in Cave number 10.
The caves are a combination of monasteries, residences and educational halls. The paintings and sculptures in the caves depict scenes from the life of Buddha. They have been fairly well preserved but the murals that are in a poor condition are being restored by the Archaeological Society of India. The caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and the cave complex is a protected monument under the Archaeological Society of India.
The horseshoe shaped complex of the Ajanta Caves
The 30 Buddhist caves contain fine examples of art, dating from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century AD
A damaged mural in cave 1
A reconstructed version of the above mural, being worked on by the ASI
The caves are lit with fibreoptic lighting, which doesn't damage the paintings
Paintings in cave 2
Inside cave 10
Sculptures in cave 26
Sculptures in cave 26
Langurs from the forests around the cave complex
The entrance to cave 9
Ellora Caves
Located about 30 kms from the city of Aurangabad, Ellora caves are a group of 34 caves consisting of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves and temples. Built between the 5th and 10th century, 12 of the caves are Buddhist, 17 of them Hindu and 5 of them Jain. Of the Buddhist caves, Cave 10, known as the Vishwakarma cave, is the most important one. Cave 15 and 16, Dashavatara and Kailashnatha are prominent Hindu temples, while Cave 30, Chhota Kailash and Cave 32, Indra Sabha are the most remarkable of the Jain shrines. The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are under protection of the Archaeological Society of India.
Sculptures in cave 2
Cave 10, the Vishwakarma cave or "the cave of the celestial carpenter", is the most beautiful of the Buddhist caves
The ribbed roof of the chamber is made to look like it is done in wood
A water beetle skates in a pool outside a cave
Sculptures in the porch outside one of the caves
The path outside Kailashnath temple, cave 16
Inside the Kailashnath temple
The premises of Kailashnath temple
Bats cling to the ceiling of a cave
The path to the Jain caves
Sculptures at Indra Sabha, cave 32, one of the Jain caves
An unfinished cave
Amazing work :) Loved the whole travel series :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Faiyaz!
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