Caves of Ajanta

Right in the middle of the Sahayadri mountain range, on the Deccan plateau of India lies an arc of rock that resembles a horse shoe. The river of #Waghora silently curves the arc like a serpent making the scene picturesque. Upon close examination of the arc we can see as many as 29 caves that were carved out in the 2nd century BCE.

The water to the river is added in annuity by a jet of waterfall that slips through the roof of the arc making a dent on the rocks that were as old as earth existed. When we look closely at the sheer amount of earth unearthed from these monoliths, we get a sense that the job that the builders took then was not of a minuscule nature.

Archaeologists have discovered that these gigantic caves was built during the reigns of more than 2 Dynasties. Particularly most by the Satvanaha and the Vakataka Dynasty during the increase of influence in #Buddhism in India.

Not only were the chambers excavated at the site was with bare hands, but also the sculptures of the Buddhists' tradition were carved out with immense precision. In fact, the caves themselves housed a civilization of monk of the ancient world. There were places of worship and center of #meditation that were build that still stands the testimony of time.

In addition to the marvelously sculpted statues, the #AjantaCaves also include some of the beautiful mural paintings of the ancient India. These paintings artistically depict past lives of #LordBuddha and his incarnations.

Here are some essential facts when you plan to come to the Ajanta Caves.

Below is a documentary made on the caves by " The Madras Documentary Company", a YouTube channel in 2015.

Indeed the Ajanta caves will make you travel back in time and make you see the world through the eyes of the people who were one of the first people to live in the Indian subcontinent.

INTERESTING FACTS:

1. The Deepest Cave is 76 meters Deep

Cave no 10 is nearly 76 meters deep. That's more than 1.5 X the length of an Olympic swimming pool!And all that without any heavy engineering excavation equipment and bear hands. Yes! 29 caves with just hands and chisel!

2. Colors Used for Paintings

Colors as vivid as kaleidoscopes' were utilized. Red, black, yellow ochre, terra verte, lime shades were extracted from pebbles and vegetables found in the nearby hillside, all organic!

3. Used as a Monsoon Stay

The caves were used by the Buddhist monks who spent a significant amount of time at the Ajanta caves during the heavy monsoons periods when the rainfall was particularly high in the Deccan plateau. Now that is patience and creativity at their best use!

4. Discovery During a Hunting Trip

Legend has it that a British officer, John Smith, while on his ride hunting tigers discovered these caves by accident in April, 1819. He also marked his discovery with a knife, inscribing his name and date on a #mural.

To know more about the Ajanta caves, please look up on the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves

For more info from the Government of Maharastra, logon to: https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/treasures/cave/ajanta

#AjanataElloraCaves #Maharastra #IndianTourism #DeccanPlateau #Buddhism #Marathi