​Ajanta and Ellora Caves - An Epitome of Fabulous Cave Architecture in India that Existed in Olden Times

Ajanta Caves

The pictorial carvings and murals at Ajanta depict the modern society of those times. The artistic sculptures presented every kind of populace from kings to slaves, from men to women, from children to beasts along with flower plants, fruits, and birds. Some figures portray the inhabitants like ‘Yakshas’, ‘Kinnaras’ (half human and half bird), ‘Gandharvas’ (divine musicians), and ‘Apsaras’ (heavenly dancers).
The thirty caves are divided into ‘Chaitya-Grihas’ (stupa halls) and ‘Viharas’ (dwelling halls). To reach each cave, one has to flight of steps that are preserved in their original structure. Cave 9, 10, 19, 26, and 29 are known as ‘Chaitya-Grihas’, which were used for the worship of the Lord. The remaining caves are ‘Sangharamas’ or ‘Viharas’ that were used for the housing purpose of the followers and students of Buddhism.

The caves are numbered as per their present access from the main entrance and were not erected in the same order. From an artistic point of view, Caves 1, 2, 16, and 17 are really important and possess remarkable pieces of art that can certainly beat the art of the modern world. The walls of these caves are adorned with murals that are maintained to provide the same charm and vibrancy of the bygone era.

By a source of UNESCO:

“The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence. The style of Ajanta has exerted a considerable influence in India and elsewhere, extending, in particular, to Java. With its two groups of monuments corresponding to two important moments in Indian history, the Ajanta cave ensemble bears exceptional testimony to the evolution of Indian art, as well as to the determining role of the Buddhist community, intellectual and religious foyers, schools, and reception centers in the India of the Gupta and their immediate successors."

The caves were formed through the erosive action of nearby rivers and enlarged with chisels and hammers by Buddhist monks into residences, temples, and schools. Each cave is adorned with statuary. Many contain wall paintings that record episodes in Buddha's life and major Buddhist events. The paintings are mostly frescoes made on a layer of plaster rather than directly on the cave wall. The caves are also home to India's largest Buddha statue. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the caves every year. Some of the caves are open to visitors. Most are closed to help in their preservation.

The caves were rediscovered in 1819 by British soldiers hunting tigers in the area. Most people reach it from Aurangabad, a provincial city east of Mumbai. Its lies in an area of cotton fields, soil black and cattle with tinkling bells and horns painted in bright blues and reds, The caves are located in a gorge above the Waghora River.

Architectural Features

Housing some of the best art pieces ever made in Indian histories like sculptures and paintings, these are appreciated for the originality of thought and style in which they have been done. Paintings talked about here are murals that are made on large wall surfaces. Many modern-day artists have drawn inspiration from the artwork done in Ajanta caves.

Ajanta Caves Paintings

Ajanta displays the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art from the Kushana period; the Sarnath school of art from the Gupta period; and the Amaravati school of art from the late Satavahana and Ikshvaku periods. Caves 9 and 10 are chaityas, which contain the earliest known remnants of paintings in India.

The paintings are mostly frescoes and murals made using a tempura technique on a layer of plaster rather than directly on the cave wall. The cave paintings were made by applying mud plaster in two coats on the rock walls. The first was used to fill in the pores of the rough rocks. The plaster for this layer was made of rice husks and other organic materials mixed with mud and covered by sieved gypsum. The second coat was lime plaster that could be painted on. The outlines of the paintings were made with red ocher and filled in with brown, deep red, and black. The pigments came mostly from local minerals, many local volcanic rocks, except bright blues which came from Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan.

The painting at Ajanta Caves offers insight into the clothing, body ornamentation, and court life of the period in which they were painted. Apsara is an outfit with jewels, fine clothes and scarves, and turbans in rich colors and details. Ajanta painters, according to National Geographic, excelled at depicting small details and capturing inner tranquility and outer beauty, one of the distinguishing features of the finest Indian art. It is clear, for example, when a king's hair was wet.

The paintings are also known for their fluid yet formal lines, sweeping brush strokes, and subtle color gradations. The later painting features bold color washes and shadowing and color used to highlight facial expressions and create a sense of depth. Ajanta murals belong to a tradition that influenced temple art across India and Southeast Asia for the next thousand years.

What Ajanta Caves Paintings Depicts

Many caves contain wall paintings that record episodes in Buddha's life and major Buddhist events. including his previous earthly experiences and the Jataka tales. In a vivid scene from one of the Buddha's past lives, King Mahajanaka, having renounced his worldly goods, takes a ritual bath before donning the robe of a monk. Among the best works are a 1,500-year-old work showing a princess getting the bad news that her husband has renounced his crown to convert to Buddhism. The Bodhisattva Padmapani is an expressive work of a male figure with large, soulful eyes and a lotus flower in one hand. In this superb portrait, Padmapani, the Bearer of the Lotus, is regarded as a depiction of an ideal spiritual state.

In a mural in Cave 10, fifty elephants are painted in different poses. Another mural depicts a famous parable of a monkey covering the eyes of a water buffalo. The buffalo is Buddha from a previous life. He puts up with the monkeys’ antics. The monkey then does the same thing as a normal buffalo and is trampled to death.

Location:

Ajanta is a series of rock-cut caves in the Sahyadri ranges (Western Ghats) on the Waghora river near Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

Ellora Caves

Ellora (two kilometers east of the town of Ellora,32 kilometers northwest of Aurangabad) is a sickle-shaped hill known for its temples and monasteries and natural caves enlarged with chisels and hammers. Created between A.D. 550 and 1000, Ellora is considered one of the finest examples of rock-cut architecture. Unlike Ajanta, the carvings here are unconventional, freely departing from the austerity of early Indian art. There are clear indications of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain influences. Of the 34 caves, 12 are Buddhist, 17 Hindu, and 5 Jain, and date back to the Rashtrakuta dynasty, about 1,500 years ago. They were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and are now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

By a source of UNESCO:

“The Ellora Caves not only bear witness to three great religions (Buddhism, Brahminism, and Jainism) but they also illustrate the spirit of tolerance, characteristic of ancient India, which permitted these three religions to establish their sanctuaries and their communities in a single place, which thus served to reinforce its universal value. The caves, with their uninterrupted sequence of from 600 to 1,000 monuments, bring to life again the civilization of ancient India. [Source: UNESCO World Heritage Site website]

“There are 34 caves (13 Buddhist, 16 Hindu, and 5 Jain caves). They come in two types viharas (monasteries) and chaityas (halls of worship) and appear to have been made from the top down by monks who cut away the basalt and chiseled out entrances, columns, and chambers and then created sculptures on the walls and ceiling. Some contain friezes. The caves face west. which means that visiting them in the afternoon offers the best light.

“These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 kilometers, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff... brings the civilization of ancient India to life. Not only is the Ellora complex a unique artistic creation and a technological exploit but, its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, illustrate the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India. This rupestral ensemble constitutes one of the most beautiful expressions of the art of the Indian Middle Ages; they are noteworthy as three major Indian religions have laid joint claim to the caves peacefully since they were created. These breathtaking caves are worth visiting for their remarkable reliefs, sculptures, and architecture. It is not, like that of Ajanta, the expression of a single belief; rather it is the product of the three principal religions of ancient India.

Architectural features

Striking features of these caves include a 15 meters tall statue of Lord Buddha. This statue is situated in cave no. 10 which is there in the Buddhist group of caves. Also, one more architecturally celebrated feature is the Kailasanatha temple which is there in the Hindu group of caves. This temple was cut out of a great boulder and was for some time was covered with white plaster to perfectly resemble Mount Kailash- the home of Lord Shiva.

Location:

It is located nearly 100 km away from Ajanta caves in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra.