Ducked inside a horse shoe shaped cliff of
a volcanic mountain in the western region of Deccan plateau, stands India’s
oldest art gallery – Ajanta. Inside the dark canyon carved by the Waghur River,
in thirty majestic caves of Ajanta, some of the richest icons of India’s ancient civilization is preserved. These caves are
located near the Jalgaon city of Aurangabad district in India. Ajanta caves were
buried under the dense forest, until 1819 when a troop of British officers-out
for hunting- stumbled upon this marvelous construction. These rugged caves
revealed to the world, the master pieces of Buddhist religious art. These
caves were believed to be used as a Buddhist monastery. Its construction
dates back to as early as 2nd century BC.
There is so much more to the plain looking
rock caves which includes the elaborate Chaitya-Grihas (Buddhist prayer halls) , Stupas (A central dome shaped structure which was the center of adoration),
spacious Viharas (living halls), huge
sculptures of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Taras. Perhaps the most
iconic image of Ajanta caves is the delicate yet, complex paintings of Vajrapani, and Padmapani – the compassionate Bodhisattvas in cave number 1.
The caves in Ajanta are
sequentially numbered from one to thirty. However, the construction period of
these caves vary greatly. In fact, Ajanta was built in two phases which are
around 600 years apart! The first phase
began in 2nd Century BC during the times of Satavahana dynasty. Caves
9,10,12,13 and 15A were constructed during this period. These caves, closer to
the living period of Gautama Buddha are constructed in line with his philosophy
of non-idol worship. The prayer halls (Chaitya-Grihas) in these caves has octagonal shaped pillars and
rather a plain Stupa in the center. The stupa’s
believed to bury within it the relics of Buddha, symbolizing the living
presence of Buddha. It is interesting to note that this tradition is similar to
the Christian tradition of a tabernacle - a central place in the church where
the holy Eucharist is stored. Eucharist is believed to be the body of Christ
and symbolizes the living presence of Christ. Due to unknown reasons, the constructions in Ajanta suddenly came to a halt in the first century BC and it was abandoned to be engulfed by the lush forest.
The second phase of active construction in
Ajanta began in 500 AD. It was under the patronage of the great emperor
Harisena of the Vakataka dynasty. The architecture of this phase clearly shows
the
ideological drift of Buddhism. From a non-idol worshiping society with simple rules and beliefs, Buddhism had grown over the years containing several regulations and worshiping Buddha as God rather than a master. There are two Chaitya Grihas created in the second phase. They are in cave number 19 and 26. Clearly marking the ideological shift, the Stupa in cave 19 portrays a standing Buddha and that of cave 26 is adorned with an idol sitting Buddha.
ideological drift of Buddhism. From a non-idol worshiping society with simple rules and beliefs, Buddhism had grown over the years containing several regulations and worshiping Buddha as God rather than a master. There are two Chaitya Grihas created in the second phase. They are in cave number 19 and 26. Clearly marking the ideological shift, the Stupa in cave 19 portrays a standing Buddha and that of cave 26 is adorned with an idol sitting Buddha.
Plain Chaitya-Griha in cave number 9
|
Chaitya Griha with the Idol of Buddha in Cave 26 By Dey.sandip (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
Reclining Buddha as seen in cave 26 By Youri (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
Every prayer hall, portico and the monastery
quarters of Ajanta are adorned with the sculptures depicting the Jataka tales-
stories of the previous lives and Nirvana of Buddha. There are also numerous
sculptures of Bodhisattvas, Tārā (Bodhisattva in feminine form), Yakshas,
Apsaras and other mythological characters. The most viewed sculptures in Ajanta
caves are the reclining Buddha, symbolizing the death (Nirvana) of Buddha. The
reclining Buddha is rich in detail as in the lower part of the sculpture we see
the disciples of Buddha offering him flowers and some of them are mourning in
sorrow. However the upper part of the sculpture shows the Gods rejoicing,
symbolizing death as a relief from the worldly burden. Mara’s temptation of
Buddha is another important sculpture.
Reclining Buddha- A closer view By Anant Singh via Wikimedia Commons |
Ajanta beyond doubt is the most ancient
Buddhist art gallery of India. Captured in vibrant colors on the volcanic rocks
of the Deccan plateau, the paintings of Ajanta have impeccable charm. It is
indeed a wonder that the paintings from over a thousand years made with
minerals such as red and yellow ochres, blue lapiz lazuli, lamp black and white
gypsum has passed the test of time and manifests the craftsmanship of Indian
artists. The most viewed and iconic paintings of Ajanta are the depiction
Padmapani and Vajrapani, the compassionate Bodhisattvas.
Walls of the Ajanta caves are adorned with
many scenes from Jataka stories. These scenes are selected to demonstrate the
different aspects of Buddhism. Some of these tales include Vidhura Pandita(The
wise minister of king Dhananjaya) and Ruru( The compassionate golden deer), Buddha
performing the miracle of Sravasti, the dream of Maya – about the birth of
Gautam Buddha, Sama (Shama) Jataka and the Chhaddanta Jataka. There are many
more Jataka tales depicted as paintings on the Ajanta walls.
Many scholars like Walter M. Spink have spent
decades studying the architecture and history of Ajanta. Ajanta was recognized
as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 siting that Ajanta is a master pieces of
human creative genius which represents and important cultural tradition and a
great civilization.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Cave
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/oct/23/greatest-ancient-picture-gallery/
http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_10_03_02.pdf
http://ignca.nic.in/jatak070.htm
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Cave
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/oct/23/greatest-ancient-picture-gallery/
http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_10_03_02.pdf
http://ignca.nic.in/jatak070.htm
Wow! I am lost for words. If photos look so stunning how amazing, these caves must be. It’s also interesting how somber the complex looks from outside - reminded me a fortress. I am glad that I found your post - learned something new today.
ردحذفAjanta is fascinating! The artwork and the caves themselves are stunning. I hope to see these someday.
ردحذفWow!! I'd like to visit this area just for the caves, never mind everything inside them!
ردحذفSalini, these carvings are brilliant. I can't believe I still haven't visited Ajanta even though I hail from India . Infact, I have missed so much in my own country just to make time (And money) to travel the world - sigh, someday!
ردحذفI hadn't heard of Ajanta before, but it looks absolutely amazing. So much detail and so much beauty. I'd love to see The Reclining Buddha in person one day! Thanks for sharing.
ردحذف"The second phase of active construction in Ajanta began in 500 AD." It is completely wrong. The dates are very specific: 460 to 480 CE.
ردحذفGreat read thanks for writing this
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