AJANTA CAVE PAINTINGS

AJANTA CAVE PAINTINGS

Subject : Culture

Concept :

• Ajanta is a series of rock-cut caves in the Sahyadri ranges (Western Ghats) on Waghora river near Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
• Number of Caves: There are a total of 29 caves (all buddhist) of which 25 were used as Viharas or residential caves while 4 were used as Chaitya or prayer halls.

Time of Development

• The caves were developed in the period between 200 B.C. to 650 A.D.
• The Ajanta caves were inscribed by the Buddhist monks, under the patronage of the Vakataka kings – Harishena being a prominent one.
• Reference of the Ajanta caves can be found in the travel accounts of Chinese Buddhist travellers Fa Hien (during the reign of Chandragupta II; 380- 415 CE) and Hieun Tsang (during the reign of emperor Harshavardhana; 606 – 647 CE). .

Painting

• The figures in these caves were done using fresco painting.
• The outlines of the paintings were done in red colour. One of the striking features is the absence of blue colour in the paintings.
• The paintings are generally themed around Buddhism – the life of Buddha and Jataka stories.
• UNESCO Site: The caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

About Aurangabad :

• Aurangabad, city, west-central Maharashtra state, western India. It is situated in a hilly upland region on the Kaum River.
• The city, originally known as Khadki, was founded by Malik Ambar in 1610. Its name was changed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who built the Bibi Ka Maqbara tomb near the city as an imitation of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
• Aurangabad remained the headquarters of the independent nizams (rulers), but it declined when the capital was moved to Hyderabad in Hyderabad princely state.
• The city is also a popular tourist destination, mainly the result of its proximity to the Ellora and Ajanta cave temples, both of which were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983.