The Ajanta Caves Perfectly Exhibits Buddhism
Buddhist Temples | March 9, 2010Located just in the outskirts of the Ajintha village in the Aurangabad District of the Indian state of Maharashtra, the 
Ajanta caves are rock-cut structures whose construction dates back to the 2nd century BC. They are popular for its spectacular paintings and carvings exemplifying Buddhist religious and universal pictorial art. The caves are now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The purpose of these caves was to act as a residing and meditating site for the Buddhist preachers who had devoted their life towards the aim of spreading the values of Buddhism across the globe.
In total, there are 30 caves out of which caves numbered 9, 10, 19, 26, and 29 are chaitya-grihas; while the rest are similar to Buddhist monasteries. Based on the time of construction, you can split the caves into two parts. The most ancient of the Ajanta caves were built prior to Christ during the golden age of the Hinayana sect of Buddhism in India. The second group belongs to 2nd century AD when Buddhism was split into two sects.
Cave 1
This is the first cave on the east of the rabbit’s foot-like scarp. With no relation with the series of caves, it was completed in the Vakataka phase during which king Harisena might have sponsored. This cave is visited due to its episodes depicting the life events of Lord Buddha and several adorned motifs are worth visiting.
- Facade:
Here, you will find one of the most ornate facade sculptures with relief carvings on edges. A central doorway and two side doorways flank the cave amidst which two square windows lighten the inner area. - Porch:
There is also a porch holding plain chambers and its maximum area was once packed with murals. Today, only its pieces are visible. - Court and Paintings:
The cave possesses a front court with chambers faced with pillared hall on sides with a high podium point. A row of 12 pillars are set in a square layout holding the ceiling and form an airy walkway besides the walls. The walls hold the decorated and well preserved paintings exhibiting the educational, devotional, and ornate episodes – themes of the Jataka stories related to the Lord Buddha’s previous survivals as Boddhisattva, the life of the Gautama Buddha, and events of his worship. On a rear wall, a shrine is dedicated to Lord Buddha in a sitting pose in which his hands are displayed in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra.
Cave 2
Located besides Cave 1, this cave among the Ajanta Caves allures visitors due to its preserved paintings on walls, ceilings, and pillars.
- The Facade:
This is quite different as compared with the first cave and is supported by strong pillars. - The Porch:
The porch at the facade has chambers with pillared halls. The plain and single cells on porch-ends were designed to have more space, balance, and charm. This porch boasts some famous paintings on the ceilings and walls
exhibiting the Jataka tales. Behind the porch, the wall holds a middle doorway with square windows that takes you to the hall and lightens up its inner area. - The Hall:
This has four square rows of pillars holding the ceiling in the middle. Each row possesses rock-beams on top and bottom and corresponds to its relevant wall, which is the ideal arrangement to form a walkway. The capitals hold the paintings of many attractive themes of patterned, human, animal, vegetative, and semi-celestial figures. - The Paintings:
These are seen in each part of the cave leaving the floor. The painted narrative Jataka tales on the walls were meant for the devotees to walk along the aisle and read the narration for gaining knowledge about the Buddha’s life and values in his consecutive births.
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According to Spink, Ajanta Caves seem to be abandoned shortly after the fall of Harishena circa 480 AD. Since then these temples have been abandoned and gradually forgotten. During the next 1300 years the jungle grew back and the caves were hidden, unvisited and undisturbed.
It was rediscovered by a British officer for the Madras Presidency, John Smith, while hunting tiger, accidentally he tumbled upon the site in 1819.
Shortly after this discovery Ajanta Caves became well known and renowned due to their exotic setting, impressive architecture, artworks and mysterious, long forgotten history..