UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India – Day 2: Ajanta Caves History and Key Facts

The Ajanta Caves, which are located inside a horseshoe-shaped gorge in Maharashtra, contain some of the best samples of Buddhist art in ancient times found in India. The beautiful paintings, sculptures, and shrines give us information about the tradition of Buddhism, the art, and culture of ancient India.

These caves were built through two different periods that started in the 2nd century BC and restarted several centuries later during the reign of the Vakataka dynasty and related rulers. The importance of these caves in terms of art and culture led UNESCO to list the Ajanta Caves as a World Heritage Site in 1983.

This site is the second in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India series.

Where Are the Ajanta Caves Located?

The Ajanta Caves lie in Maharashtra in the valley of the Waghora River. This valley is located in the northern part of the Deccan plateau.

The complex includes 30 caves, which include uncompleted cave temples. The caves are made up of Buddhist prayer houses (chaityagrihas) and monastic buildings (viharas).

The caves are famous for the architectural monuments along with sculptural art, mural painting, and inscriptions. All these elements together give information about Buddhist religion and culture over the centuries.

History of the Ajanta Caves

The process of excavation of the Ajanta Caves took place in two main stages, which had a gap of about four centuries between them.

First stage: Satavahana period (2nd – 1st century BCE)

• The excavation of the earliest caves began in the Satavahana period. The first phase has its basis in the early Buddhist tradition, wherein the Buddha was represented in aniconic form, i.e., by symbols and not by human images.
• The architecture of the early caves is simple. They have prayer halls that have stupas and the monasteries have halls along with small cells for the Buddhist monks.

Second stage: Vakataka period (5th – 6th century CE)

• The excavation process continued in large numbers in the 5th and 6th centuries CE, especially in the Vakataka period and the feudatories of the period.
• The second stage includes the inclusion of elaborate sculptures, decorative pillars, decorative façades, as well as extensive murals. There was a depiction of Buddha in human form in accordance with the artistic traditions of Mahayana Buddhism.

Architecture of the Ajanta Caves

The Ajanta caves are one of the significant monuments for Indian rock-cut architecture. It is not about making buildings by joining different pieces of stone; rather, the structures were excavated from the rocks.

There are two major architectural styles at the Ajanta caves.

• Chaityagrihas: Halls meant for Buddhists’ prayers and worship and usually have a stupa at the extreme end of the hall. They have an arched roof, a row of pillars, and an apse design.
• Viharas: Residences of Buddhist monks. The buildings usually consist of a hall with cells around it, and later some had shrines with Buddha idols.

These buildings were decorated with carvings and other artistry on their façade, columns, doorways, and walls. Some unfinished caves also give information about how the artisans worked during excavation and shaping of rocks.

Famous Paintings of Ajanta Caves

Among the best-known works of ancient Indian mural painting are the paintings at Ajanta. They include religious depictions, Bodhisattvas, Jataka tales, kings, scenes of courts and social life.

Two especially notable paintings show Bodhisattvas named Padmapani and Vajrapani. The minute detailing of facial expressions, ornaments, postures and colors shows the expertise of the painters.

Jataka stories relate tales of lives of the Buddha in his earlier lives, thus emphasizing virtues like compassion, charity and self-sacrifice. There are other paintings which provide information about clothes, jewelry, musical instruments and social customs of that time.

The paintings were done with methods used in tempera painting. Their importance is not limited to religion, but also provides cultural information for historians.

Buddhism and the Importance of Ajanta

The caves at Ajanta are linked with the growth of Buddhism in India. Their prayer halls, stupas, monasteries, and statues of Buddha depict the evolution of religious and artistic traditions.

The caves at Ajanta also highlight the importance of monasteries as centers of learning and art. The inscriptions at Ajanta add to the information regarding the patrons of art and the society in which the caves came into existence.

The artworks help us in understanding the way religion was depicted through artworks. They also show the close connection between art and politics of the Satavahana and Vakataka periods.

Why Are Ajanta Caves a World Heritage Site?

Ajanta Caves have been added to the World Heritage Sites list by UNESCO in 1983 on account of criteria (i), (ii), (iii), and (vi).

Criteria	Importance
Criterion (i)	Marks an outstanding artistic creation.
Criterion (ii)	Shows influence of its artistry not only in India but also in Java.
Criterion (iii)	Presents outstanding evidence regarding the development of Indian art and cultural practices of Buddhism in certain historical eras.
Criterion (vi)	Has direct relation with the history of Buddhism.

Ajanta Caves’ World Heritage status highlights the caves’ artistic excellence, historic significance and relation to Buddhist religious practices.