The Buddhist Ajanta Caves are in the Aurangabad District of Maharashtra State, in India. In the previous article we saw about the Ellora Caves. Ajanta and Ellora Caves are the major tourist attractions of Maharashtra. The Ajanta Caves are about 100 Kms from the Ellora Caves.
The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into 75 metre wall of rock. These cave monuments date from 2nd Century BCE to 480 CE and include paintings and rock-cut sculptures. They are described as the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian Art. They are classified as expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form.
Ajanta Caves are estimated to be made in two phases. The first one during 2nd Century BCE to 1st Century CE and the second one several Centuries after that. There are 30 main Caves and some are discovered at a later stage.
If you have not been to the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, these are the must to visit monuments. UNESCO has inscribed the Ajanta Caves in the World Heritage Sites in India in 1983.
Read more about Ajanta Caves here
