Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves situated around the Wagura River in Maharashtra, near the Ajintha Village, this horseshoe shaped caves were declared as one of the world heritage sites by UNESCO in the year 1983.

About thirty caves are there in total, of which fives of them served as prayer halls (chitya grihas) while the rest of them were monasteries (viharas). These man-made caves were carved by hand. The work started around 2 BC and was completed in 5 AD! The walkways in the caves provide acess to the paintings. The paintings in the Ajanta Caves depict many stories of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha and his incarnations. 

The Ajanta Caves were abandoned around 6th century after which it became unknown to the whole world. It was only during the early years of 19th century that some British Soldiers, wjo went for hunting, rediscovered these marvellous artworks. Then, with the help of the government and the archaeologists, the cave was somewhat restored and opened to the public.

The caves are identified by different numbers out of which some are quite popular.  For instance, Cave 1 is a monastery with paintings depicting the different scenes in the life of Buddha. Cave 9 is a prayer hall having beautiful arch-shaped windows letting natural light filter through the rock. Cave 10 is the oldest of the Ajanta Caves and is not highly embellished. Cave 16 and 17 display intricate carvings while Cave 26 showcases reclining Buddha surrounded by mourning people as he is in his last stages.

People who visit Ajanta Caves takes about half a day to get a glimpse of the notable artworks. Many of them prefer to start with the last cave and  end their visit at Cave 1.