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One of the finest specimens of art in India is the ancient Indian caves of
Ajanta. Hardly any Indian would be unaware of this mesmerizing heritage of
architecture, sculpture and murals. They are mesmerizing, not only in their
devotional composition, highly evolved iconography and the superb use of colour
and flawless finish, but also in inspiration and origin. The fact that monks cut
out caves in the heart of rocky hillsides and then turned the dull, dreary
confines of these caves into a veritable, throbbing museum of fine art is in
itself immensely mesmerizing.
The art of Ajanta is housed in 28 caves that served as a major Buddhist
monastery from the second to seventh century B.C. The caves were chiselled into
live basalt rock in a wooded, horseshoe ravine on the Sahyadri Hills cut by the
curving course of river Waghora. The location of the caves may have been chosen
because it was convenient for an ancient trade route from the Arabian Sea. The
layered rock formation would also have made the caves easy to excavate, and its
seclusion would have identified it to be a meditative and peaceful site.
Historians agree that the Ajanta caves were excavated in two phases. The first
phase was the construction of Hinayana Buddhist Chaitya Grihas or prayer halls,
which house stupas. Early schools of Buddhism are sometimes loosely classified
as Hinayana, meaning weaker or abandoned vehicle. Significantly, until this time
Lord Buddha was only represented by symbols, and not by direct images. These
Chaitya Grihas were built during the period 100 B.C.E to 100 C.E, probably under
the patronage of the Satavahana Dynasty. Satavahanas were one of the most
celebrated dynasties of ancient India, ruling over large areas of modern day
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa, from 230 B.C.E to 220
C.E. The kings of this dynasty were great patrons of art and architecture. They
built many beautiful stupas in Krishna River valley and the impressive stupa of
Amravati. The caves 9, 10, 12 and 15A were constructed during this period. The
rest, more than twenty, were built in a later phase at the same site, in a
renaissance of sorts about three centuries later.
There has been some disagreement on the time of construction of the second group
of caves, with the latest (though not universally agreed) view being that most
of the work took place between 460 and 480 C.E. Their patronage came from
Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka Dynasty. A rock cut architectural inscription
of Ajanta states that he conquered modern day’s Malwa in the north,
Chhattisgarh, Kalinga and Andhra in the east, parts of Gujarat and Nasik
district in the west, and Southern Maharashtra in the south. During the reign of
Harishena, an intellectual and artistically accomplished king, and also a great
patron of Buddhist art, some 20 cave temples were simultaneously created here,
mostly viharas. Viharas are monasteries that are temporary shelters for
wandering monks, built for them by rich patrons and devotees.They also have a
cell in the back containing an image of the Buddha.So,viharas are a mark of
departure from Hinayana to Mahayana Buddhism.
Legend has it that most of the monasteries were,however,deserted soon after
construction, some even in stages of incompletion,due to war and the fall of
Harishena,the last of the Vakataka Dynasty.Abandoned,forgotten and overgrown
with thick forest,the site lay in isolation for centuries.
Twelve centuries later in April 1819, a British army officer of the 28th
Cavalry, John Smith, went tiger hunting in this forest, and stumbled over the
tangled overgrowth. It led him to the entrance of cave No.10. He must have been
evidently sure that he had stumbled upon something of great importance, for he
stood over an accumulated pile of rubble to etch his name and the date on a
pillar. This is now much above eye level, and faintly visible. Since 1983, the
caves of Ajanta have become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ajanta’s excavations are adorned with a swirling profusion of murals. Most of
these masterpieces appear to be a continuous narrative done within a narrow band
along the walls of the caves. The later paintings covered up the entire surface
area of the walls, and still form part of a narrative. Every inch of the surface
is covered with art, except the floors. The subject matter is mostly stories
from the life of Buddha and the Jataka tales from the previous incarnations of
Buddha. The murals also reveal the life and culture of the people of the times,
royal court settings, family life, street scenes and in-depth studies of animals
and birds. The ceilings are decorated with ornamental and votive designs related
to Buddhism.
The special technique used by the painters gives the most remarkable dimension
to these paintings – their quality of glowing even in the poorly lit caves. This
is a special form of wall painting not seen anywhere else, and difficult to
identify as either fresco or the typical mural technique. Unfinished and damaged
paintings show that the stone walls were first coated with a mixture of potter’s
clay, cow-dung, animal hair etc. to a thickness of half to two inches. This
raised surface was then smoothly plastered with fine white lime, which was
treated like a painting surface. After first outlining the composition, the
painter would then define the subjects with an undercoat of grey. After covering
the whole surface as a finished painting with natural water soluble colours, the
painter would again give a last burnishing with a smooth stone to add that
magnificent lustre to these paintings.
The caves are randomly numbered, not in chronological or local sequence. Of the
28, only about six have substantial remnants of the original art. Cave No1 was
sponsored directly by the Emperor Harishena, apparently much after the
renaissance he initiated at the site. Though his cave’s location was low in
priority because of his late initiation, it houses some of most magnificent
sculptural ornamentation and some of the best preserved paintings – simply
because the cave could never be completed or dedicated, due to his untimely
death and remained unused. In addition to the walls, the ceiling of Cave No1 is
also decorated with multiple panels of paintings depicting hundreds of animals.
Political figures can also been seen, such as the Persian emperor, Pulakesin II.
Since many of the stories in Cave No2 involve queens and princesses, it might be
thought that either the donor was a royal lady or it may have been made in the
honour of one. Cave No17 houses some paintings dated to the fifth century
depicting a theme which became popular with all Indian paintings right up to the
19th century Rajput miniatures – two lovers in an architectural backdrop. Cave
No19 is popular for its fine Chaitya facade asserting the dominance of Mahayana
Buddhism with an abundance of Buddha images as compared to the earlier chambers.
The stories and incredible brilliance of Ajanta keep unfolding with the patient
gaze of the onlooker, completely enchanting historians, scholars, architects,
artists and art lovers alike.
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