NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BCE, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both "Buddhist religious art"^[1] and "universal pictorial art."^[2] The caves are located just outside the village of Ajinṭhā in Aurangabad District in the Indian state of Maharashtra (N. lat. 20 deg. 30' by E. long. 75 deg. 40'). Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Image File history File links Information. ... This page is about computer text editing. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x1682, 365 KB) Description: Title: de: MahÃ¢janaka JÃ¢taka Technique: de: Wandmalerei Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Indien Current location (city): de: AjantÃ¢ (Nord-Dekhan, Indien) Current location (gallery): de: HÃ¶hlentempel Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project: DVD-ROM... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x1682, 365 KB) Description: Title: de: MahÃ¢janaka JÃ¢taka Technique: de: Wandmalerei Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Indien Current location (city): de: AjantÃ¢ (Nord-Dekhan, Indien) Current location (gallery): de: HÃ¶hlentempel Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project: DVD-ROM... The Jataka is a voluminous body of folklore and mythic literature, primarily associated with the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as written in the Pali language (from about the 3rd century, A.D.); however, the stories found in the Jataka have been found in numerous other languages and media --many of them... , Maharashtra (Marathi: à¤®à¤¹à¤¾à¤°à¤¾à¤·à¥à¤Ÿà¥à¤° , IPA: , English: ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Rock cut architecture refers to the practice of creating buildings, temples, etc. ... BCE is a TLA that may stand for: Before the Common Era, date notation equivalent to BC (e. ... Aurangabad District is a District in Maharashtra, India. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

Locality

The caves are in a wooded and rugged horseshoe-shaped ravine about 3½ km from the village of Ajintha. It is situated in the Aurangābād district of Maharashtra State in India (106 kilometers away from the city of Aurangabad). The nearest towns are Jalgaon (60 kilometers away) and Bhusawal (70 kilometers away). Along the bottom of the ravine runs the river Waghur a mountain stream. There are 29 caves (officially numbered by the Archaeological Survey of India), excavated in the south side of the precipitous scarp made by the cutting of the ravine, and they vary from 35 to 110 ft. in elevation above the bed of the torrent. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 311 KB) Ajanta caves, Maharashtra File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ajanta Caves Indian rock cut architecture User:Mattisse//myboxa Metadata This file contains additional information... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 311 KB) Ajanta caves, Maharashtra File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ajanta Caves Indian rock cut architecture User:Mattisse//myboxa Metadata This file contains additional information... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 1440 KB) Ajanta Caves. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 1440 KB) Ajanta Caves. ... For other uses, see Aurangabad. ... , Jalgaon (à¤œà¤³à¤—à¤¾à¤µ) is a city in western India, to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Plateau. ... , Bhusawal is a city and a municipal council in Jalgaon district in the state of Maharashtra, India. ...

The monastic complex of Ajanta consists of several viharas (monastic halls of residence) and chaitya-grihas (stupa monument halls) cut into the mountain scarp in two phases. The first phase is mistakenly called the Hinayana phase (referring to the Lesser Vehicle tradition of Buddhism, when the Buddha was revered symbolically). Actually, Hinayana – a derogative term for Sthaviravada – does not object to Buddha statues. At Ajanta, cave numbers 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15A (the last one was re-discovered in 1956, and is still not officially numbered) were excavated during this phase. These excavations have enshrined the Buddha in the form of the stupa, or mound. The second phase of excavation started on the site after a lull of over three centuries. This phase is often inappropriately called the Mahayana phase (referring to the Greater Vehicle tradition of Buddhism, which is less strict and encourages direct cow depiction of the Buddha through paintings and carvings). Some prefer to call this phase the Vakataka phase after the ruling dynasty of the house of the Vakatakas of the Vatsagulma branch. The dating of the second phase has been debated among scholars. In recent years a consensus seems to be converging on 5th-century dates for all the Mahayana phase caves. According to Walter M. Spink, a leading Ajantologist, all the Mahayana excavations were carried out from 462 to 480 CE. The caves created during the Mahayana phase are the ones numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. Cave 8 was long thought to be a Hinayāna cave, however current research shows that it is in fact a Mahayana cave. Vihara at Kanheri Caves Wall carvings Vihara is an Indian Buddhist monastery. ... A chaitya-griha (stupa hall) is a meeting or assembly often used for purposes similar to a stupa. ... Stupa at Samye Ling Monastery, Scotland A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent, Asia and increasingly in the Western World. ... Hinayana (Sanskrit: inferior vehicle; Chinese:小乘, Xiǎoshèng; Japanese: Shōjō) is a term coined by the Mahayana, which appeared publicly around the 1st century CE. There are differing views on the use and meaning of the term, both among scholars and within Buddhism. ... Hinayana Buddhism is an expression that may refer to Theravada Buddhism (mainly because it is the only surviving Buddhist school that does not claim to be part of the Mahayana tradiction) or, more properly, to Hinayana practice and motivation. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Media:Example. ... SthaviravÄda (Sanskrit. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... The Vakataka was an Indian dynasty. ...

There were two chaitya-grihas excavated in the Hinayana phase that are caves 9 and 10. Caves 12, 13, and 15A of this phase are vihāras. There were three chaitya-grihas excavated in the Vakataka or Mahayana phase that are caves 19, 26, and 29. The last cave was abandoned soon after its beginning. The rest of the excavations are viharas: caves 1-3, 5-8, 11, 14-18, 20-25, and 27-28.

The viharas are of various sizes the maximum being about 52 feet. They are often square-shaped. Their excavation exhibits a great variety, some with simple facade, others ornate; some have a porch and others do not. The hall was an essential element of a viharas. In the Vakataka phase, early viharas were not intended to have shrines because they were purely meant to be halls of residence and congregation. Later, shrines were introduced in them in the back walls, which became a norm. The shrines were made to house the central object of reverence that is the image of the Buddha often seated in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra (the gesture of teaching). In the caves with latest features, we find subsidiary shrines added on the side walls, porch or the front-court. The facades of many vihāras are decorated with carvings, and walls and ceilings were often covered with paintings.

Changes in Buddhist thought in the 1st century BCE had made it possible for the Buddha to be deified and consequently the image of the Buddha as a focus of worship became popular marking the arrival of the Mahāyāna (the Greater Vehicle) sect.

In the past, scholars divided the caves in three groups, but this is now discredited in light of fresh evidence and research. This theory of dating believed that the oldest group of caves dated from 200 BCE to CE 200, the second group belonged, approximately, to the 6th, and the third group to the 7th century. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 2nd century BC started on January 1, 200 BC and ended on December 31, 101 BC. // Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ... // Overview Events 212: Constitutio Antoniniana grants citizenship to all free Roman men 212-216: Baths of Caracalla 230-232: Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east 235-284: Crisis of the Third Century shakes Roman Empire 250-538: Kofun era, the first... The 6th century is the period from 501 - 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

The expression Cave Temples used by Anglo-Indians for viharas without the shrine is inaccurate. Ajanta was a kind of college monastery. Hsuan Tsang informs us that Dinnaga, the celebrated Buddhist philosopher and controversialist, author of well-known books on logic, resided there. This, however, remains to be corroborated by further evidence. In their prime the vihāras were intended to afford accommodation for several hundreds, teachers and pupils combined. It is tragic that none of the caves in the Vakataka phase were ever fully completed. This was because the ruling Vakataka dynasty suddenly fell out of power leaving the dominion in a likely crisis, which forced all activities to a sudden halt at the time of Ajanta's last years of activities. This idea first pronounced by Walter M. Spink is increasingly gaining acceptance based on the archaeological evidence visible on site. Anglo-Indians are persons who have descended from a mix of British and Indian parentage. ... Xuanzang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century. ...

Most of the subjects have been identified by the leading Ajantologist from Germany, Dieter Schlingloff.

Cave One

It is first approach and has no relation to the chronological sequence of the caves. It is the first cave on the eastern end of the horse-shoe shaped scarp. According to Spink, it is one of the latest caves to have begun on site and brought to near-completion in the Vākāţaka phase. Although there is no epigraphic evidence, it has been proposed that the Vākāţaka king Harisena may have been the benefactor of this better-preserved cave. A dominant reason for this is that King Harisena was not involved initially in patronizing Ajanta, but could not have remained aloof for long, as the site was burgeoning with activity under his rule, and the Buddhist laity would have loved to see the Hindu king participating in the pious act of patronage. Besides, most of the themes depicted are royal. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1472 KB) Image:Aurangabad - Ajanta Caves (13). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1472 KB) Image:Aurangabad - Ajanta Caves (13). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Cave_01_porch. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Cave_01_porch. ...

This cave has one of the most elaborate carvings on the facade with relief sculptures on entablature and fridges. There are scenes carved from the life of the Buddha as well as a number of decorative motifs. There was once a two pillared portico visible in the 19th-century photographs, which has since been perished. The cave has a front-court with cells fronted by pillared-vestibules on either side. These have high plinth level. The cave has a porch with simple cells on either end. The absence of pillared vestibules on ends suggest that the porch was not excavated in the latest phase of Ajanta when pillared vestibules had became a necessity and norm. Most areas of the porch was once covered with murals of which notably high degree of fragments remain. There are three doorways: a central doorway and two side-doorways. Between the main and the side-doorways, two square windows have been carved that lit the interiors.

Each wall of the hall inside is nearly 40 feet long and 20 feet high. Twelve pillars make a square colonnade inside supporting the ceiling, and creating spacious aisles along the walls. There is a shrine carved on the rear wall, which houses an impressive seated image of the Buddha, his hands being in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra. There are four cells each on the left, rear, and the right wall. The walls are covered with paintings suggesting a fair state of preservation from decay. The scenes depicted are mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental. The themes are from the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha's former existences as Boddhisattva), life of the Gautam Buddha, and those of his veneration.

Cave Two

Cave two is adjacent to Cave one. It looks pretty much the same as Cave one and is in a better state of preservation. It is known specifically for the paintings that have been preserved on its walls, ceilings, and pillars. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1486 KB) Fresco. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1486 KB) Fresco. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1651, 1636 KB) Description: Title: de: Liebespaar Technique: de: Wandmalerei Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Indien Current location (city): de: AjantÃ¢ (Nord-Dekhan, Indien) Current location (gallery): de: HÃ¶hlentempel Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project: DVD-ROM, 2002. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1651, 1636 KB) Description: Title: de: Liebespaar Technique: de: Wandmalerei Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Indien Current location (city): de: AjantÃ¢ (Nord-Dekhan, Indien) Current location (gallery): de: HÃ¶hlentempel Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project: DVD-ROM, 2002. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 1376 KB) Ajanta Caves I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 1376 KB) Ajanta Caves I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1396 KB) Ajanta Caves I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1396 KB) Ajanta Caves I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

Facade

cave two has a porch which is quite different from Cave one. Even the facade carvings seem to be different. The cave is supported by robust pillars that are ornamented with designs. The size and ground plan have many things in common with the first cave.

The Cave Porch

The front porch consists of cells supported by pillared vestibules on either end. The need of the cells on the previously "wasted areas" arose as a solution to greater housing requirements in later years. It became a trend to subsequently add porch-end cells in the planning of al later Vakataka excavations. Still after these simple single cells on porch-ends were converted into CPVs or were being planned as such in order to create accommodate more room, symmetry, and beauty. Vestibule can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin â€˜entrance court. ...

The paintings on the ceilings and walls of this porch are widely published. They depict the Jataka tales that are stories of the Buddha's life in former existences as Bodhisattva. The porch's rear wall has a doorway in the center, which allows entrance to the hall. On either side of the door is a square-shaped window carved to lit the interiors. The Jataka stories are a significant body of works about the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Cave Hall

The hall has four colonnades that form a square in the center of the hall. They support the ceiling. Each arm or colonnade of the square is parallel to each of the respective wall of the hall making an aisle in between. The colonnades have rock-beams above and below them. The capitals are carved and painted with various decorative themes that include ornamental, human, animal, vegetative, and semi-divine forms. Enormous colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg. ...

Cave paintings

Paintings are all over the cave except for the floor. At various places the art work has become eroded due to decay and human interference. Therefore, many areas of the painted walls, ceilings, and pillars are fragmentary. The painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted only on the walls, which demanded special attention of the devotee. They are didactic in nature meant to inform the community about the Buddha's teachings and life through successive births. Their placement on the walls required the devotee to walk through the aisles and 'read' the narratives depicted in various episodes. (Alas, to prevent vandalism, the entry in the aisles is restricted by site-authorities). The narrative episodes are depicted one after another although not in a linear order. Their identification has been a core area of research on the subject since the time of the site's rediscovery in 1819 CE. Deiter Schlingloff's identifications have updated our knowledge on the subject. The Mona Lisa is perhaps the best-known artistic painting in the Western world. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... The Jataka is a voluminous body of folklore and mythic literature, primarily associated with the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as written in the Pali language (from about the 3rd century, A.D.); however, the stories found in the Jataka have been found in numerous other languages and media --many of them...

For quite some time the art work was erroneously alluded to as frescoes. We now know that the proper term for this kind of artwork is mural, because the known process and technique of 'fresco' painting isn't found in this kind of artwork. At Ajanta, the technique and process used to produce this kind of artwork is unlike any other artwork found in the art history of other civilizations. These murals have a certain uniqueness about them that is rarely found elsewhere, even within the history of South Asian art. The process of painting involved several stages. The first step was to chisel the rock surface, as to make it rough enough to hold the plaster. The plaster was made of clay, hay, dung and lime. Differences are found in the ingredients and their proportions from cave to cave. While the plaster was still wet, the drawings were done and the colors applied. The wet plaster has the capacity to soak the color so that the color becomes a part of the surface and would not peel off or decay easily. The colors were refered to as 'earth color' or the 'vegetable color.' Various kinds of stones, minerals, and plants were used in combinations to prepare different colors. Sculptures were often covered with stucco to give them a fine finish and lustrous polish. The stucco had the ingredients of lime and powdered sea-shell or conch. The latter afforded peculiar shine and smoothness. In cave upper six, some of it is extant. The smoothness resembles the surface of glass. The paint brushes used to creat the artwork was made from animal hair and twigs. A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ... Salle des illustres, ceiling painting, by Jean AndrÃ© Rixens. ... The Gay Head cliffs in Marthas Vineyard are made almost entirely of clay. ... Stacked hay in Romania Haystacks on stilts in Paddy fields, North Kanara, India Hay is dried grass or legumes cut, stored, and used for animal feed, particularly for grazing animals like cattle, horses, goats and sheep. ... Feces, faeces, or fÃ¦ces (see spelling differences) In humans, defecation may occur (depending on the individual and the circumstances) from once every two or three days to several times a day. ... Lime has several meanings: Look up Lime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Lime (mineral) - a group of calcium compounds and minerals in which they predominate, including: Limestone Agricultural lime - a mineral soil additive Calcium oxide (also quicklime) - a chemical compound Calcium hydroxide (also slaked lime) - a chemical compound Lime (fruit... Stucco is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water which is applied wet, and hardens when it dries. ...

Period of Caves

The period during which Ajanta Caves were excavated stretches over eight or nine hundred years from the third-second century B. C. to fifth-sixth century A. D. As regards excavation work, these Caves reveal two distinct phases, the early and the late. Six of the Caves, namely, Caves numbering 9, 10, 8, 12, 13, and 15-A, belong to the early period. Caves 9 and 10, with elements of early Shunga art, appear to have been excavated during the second half of the third or the first half of the second century B. C., while the other four, during the first century B. C. Cave 10 is, however, the earliest. It precedes even the Cave 9 by at least fifty years. Shunga ) is a Japanese term for erotic pictures. ...

It was a period when Dakshinapath was ruled by Satavahana dynasty and Buddhism pursued the Hīnayāna doctrine, which initially prohibited making of Buddha's anthropomorphic images and their worship. Cave 9 and 10, the Chaitya-grahas - homes of the Sacred, broadly prayer-halls, do not have anthropomorphic images of Buddha, though on the façade of Cave No. 9 such images were subsequently added. Around the first century B.C.E. Hinayana allowed making of Buddha's personal images. This shift from non-image to image characterises other Caves of this early phase. This phase is, hence, known as the Hinayana-Satavahana phase. The SÄtavÄhanas (Marathi:à¤¸à¤¾à¤¤à¤µà¤¾à¤¹à¤¨ Telugu:à°¸à°¾à°¤à°µà°¾à°¹à°¨à±à°²à±), also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled from Junnar, Pune over Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted... Hinayana (Sanskrit: inferior vehicle; Chinese:小乘, Xiǎoshèng; Japanese: Shōjō) is a term coined by the Mahayana, which appeared publicly around the 1st century CE. There are differing views on the use and meaning of the term, both among scholars and within Buddhism. ... BCE is a TLA that may stand for: European Central Bank in some Romance languages (e. ...

Caves numbering 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20 to 24, 26 and 29 belong to the later phase, broadly the period from the fifth to the sixth century A. D. It was a period when Buddhism had largely shifted to Mahayana doctrine and the region was ruled by Vakatakas who were also the patrons of these Caves. Hence, this phase is usually known as Mahayana-Vakataka phase. As suggested by epigraphic records, Caves No. 16 and 17 were commissioned by Vakataka ruler Harishena (475-500 A. D.) through one of his ministers Varahadeva posted at the site for supervising the progress and a subordinate vassal of the area respectively. Ajanta was the centre of monastic and religious activities since the second-first century B.C.E. itself; the embellishment of facades and wall spaces with paintings and sculptures continued all through. However, the excavation of the caves seems to have been suspended until the excavation of Caves 16 and 17. Both Satavahanas and Vakatakas were followers of Brahmanism in their personal lives; nevertheless, they not only generated a liberal climate where all religions could grow and a tolerant mind which had equal reverence for them all but also patronised their shrines, Buddhism being the main. India has approximately 1200 rock-cut cave temples of which as many as 800 are located in her western part, perhaps borne of the liberal climate and tolerant mind of which these early ruling dynasties set examples. The Vakataka was an Indian dynasty. ... BCE is a TLA that may stand for: European Central Bank in some Romance languages (e. ... Brahmanism, also Brahminism, is the name given to Hinduism by some authors in the 19th century CE.[1] The term is considered derogatory by many Hindus. ...

Except a mention of a rock-cut monastery as the abode of the Buddhist monk Achala and the mountain range where it was located, the monastery being for certain Cave No. 26 and Ajanta ridge, the mountain range, in the travel account of the known Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang, who visited India in the seventh century A. D. and stayed here for fifteen years, nothing of Ajanta was known before 1819 when some British officers of the Madras Army made a chance discovery of this magnificent site. They named it Ajanta after the name of the nearest village. The things, however, did not move any farther. After a gap of twenty-five years, James Fergusson presented a paper at the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1843. This ever first scholarly study of the site drew global attention. Now Madras Army deputed its officer R. Gill to prepare copies of Ajanta murals. He worked from 1849 to 1855 and prepared 30 paintings, but unfortunately they were destroyed in a fire in 1866. Now efforts to discover Ajanta progressed into two directions, one preparing copies of murals, and other, researching its other aspects. Mr Griffiths, the Superintendent and Principal of Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai School of Art, Bombay, was deputed to prepare copies of murals, who with a team of his students, was at Ajanta from 1872 to 1885 and prepared copies of its murals, but again the misfortune prevailed and most of them were destroyed in a fire. Finally, Lady Haringham and a team of artists comprising Syed Ahmad and Mohammad Fazlud-din of Hyderabad^{[disambiguation needed]} and Nandalal Bose, Asit Kumar Haldar and Samarendranath Gupta of the Calcutta School camped at Ajanta from 1910 to 1912 and copied its murals. It was, however, in 1956-57 that A.S.I. (Archeological Survey of India) took up a project and under it authentic copies of these murals were prepared. ... There has been more than one notable person named James Fergusson: James Fergusson (1808-1886), Scottish architect Sir James Fergusson (1832-1907), politician (see Talk:James_Fergusson) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Article 90a of the bylaws of the Royal Asiatic Society. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... Hyderabad may refer to: Hyderabad, the independent state Hyderabad State, the pre-1956 state India Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad district (India) Begumpet Airport, also known as Hyderabad Airport Hyderabad Central, a huge shopping mall in Hyderabad Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, a... The paintings of Nandalal Bose are considered among Indias best modern paintings by many critics. ... The Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency in the Department of Culture that is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of cultural monuments. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ajanta Caves

Video of the caves MTDC site
Ajanta Caves in UNESCO List
[1] - photographs of the Ajanta caves-paintings and sculpture
[2]-Article on Ajanta from the Travel section of the New York Times (November 5, 2006)
French Wikipedia Ajanta

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A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is located in India. ... Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (better referred to by its acronym CST) - is a historic railway station on Mumbai suburban railway. ... Founded in the 15th century, the city of Goa in south-western India was under Portuguese rule from 1510 until its incorporation in the Republic of India in 1961. ... The Trimurti-Sadasiva Statue The Elephanta Caves are the focal point of the Elephanta Island, located in the Mumbai harbour off the coast of Mumbai (Bombay), India. ... Jain cave in Ellora Ellora is an ancient village 30 km (18. ... View across Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri (Hindi: ) was the political capital of Indias Mughal Empire under Akbars reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, ostensibly due to lack of water. ... The Great Living Chola Temples are temples built during the Chola rule in the south of India. ... Hampi (à²¹à³¦à²ªà³†, Hampe in Kannada) is a village in northern Karnataka, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in India. ... Humayuns tomb is a complex of buildings of Mughal architecture located in Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. ... Kaziranga National Park (Assamese: à¦•à¦¾à¦œà¦¿à§°à¦¾à¦™à§à¦—à¦¾ à¦œà¦¾à¦¤à§€à¦¯à¦¼ à¦‰à¦¦à§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¨ , Assamese IAST: kÄjirÄá¹…gÄ jÄtiya udyÄna, Assamese IPA: kÉ‘/ÉŸi/rÉ‘Å‹/gÉ‘, Indian English IPA: kÉ‘/zi/rÉ‘Å‹/gÉ‘) is an Indian national park located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam, India. ... The Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that sees thousands of rare and highly endangered birds such as the Siberian Crane come here during the winter season. ... , Khajuraho (Hindi à¤–à¤œà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¹à¥‹) is a village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India. ... Shore Temple, rescued from the sea Mahabalipuram (Tamil:à®®à®•à®¾à®ªà®²à®¿à®ªà¯à®°à®®à¯) (also known as Mamallapuram) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ... The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. ... Manas National Park is a National Park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. ... The mountain railways of India are scattered from the North East of the country and the South of the Country. ... The Nanda Devi National Park is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7,800m) in Jammu and Kashmir in India. ... A flower found in the park. ... Pattadakal is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka famous for its group of monuments that comprise of initial experiments in Hindu temple architecture. ... A map of the Qutb complex. ... There used to be a redirect from the Red Fort in Delhi to Agra Fort in Agra. ... Bhimbetka rock painting Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka is an archaeological site in Madhya Pradesh where the earliest traces of human life in India were found. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... The Sundarbans National Park (Bengali: à¦¸à§à¦¨à§à¦¦à¦°à¦¬à¦¨ à¦œà¦¾à¦¤à§€à¦¯à¦¼ à¦‰à¦¦à§à¦¦à§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¨) is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in Indian state of West Bengal. ... Taj Mahal Location of the Taj Mahal within India The Taj Mahal (Devanagari: à¤¤à¤¾à¤œ à¤®à¤¹à¤², Nastaliq: ØªØ§Ø¬ Ù…ØÙ„) is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. ...

Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ...

Coordinates: 20°32′01″N, 75°44′59″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Contents

Locality

Cave One

Cave Two

Facade

The Cave Porch

Cave Hall

Cave paintings

Period of Caves

See also

Notes and References

External links

Contents

Locality GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Cave One

Cave Two

Facade

The Cave Porch

Cave Hall

Cave paintings

Period of Caves

See also

Notes and References

External links

Locality