The Ajanta Caves

 

Ajanta Cave 26

Bodhisattva Padmapani (detail), Cave 1

Dated from the 2nd century B.C.E. to 650 C.E. the Ajanta Caves are an extraordinary example of Indian rock cut architecture. The structure was cut into the face of a mountain to form a Buddhist temple with 30 total caves dedicated to the life of the Buddha. Not only is the architecture mind blowing, but the paintings, or more appropriately tempera, found inside were considered to be some of the finest examples of ancient art in the world. Unfortunately, graffiti and poor maintenance has severely damaged the paintings, but we still have a few surviving to revel over.(1)

The top photo is of Cave 26. It is an amazingly symmetrical hall built on a horseshoe shaped cliff along the Waghora river. This part of the Ajanta Caves was a later addition built in the 5th century C.E. The piece at the end of the hall holds the stupa with a sculpture of the Buddha at the base. (2) Stupas were dirt burial mounds faced with stone and built to house part of the Buddha's or Bodhisattva's ashes.(3) Directly overhead are rib-like sculptures that overwhelm the viewer. The left and right sides are lined with perfectly symmetrical pillars covered in stone carvings of Buddhist themes. Most interesting is that these caves were created with simple tools of chisel, and hammer. The method used in Ajanta was reverse mapping where the chiseling process takes place from top to bottom.(4)

The bottom photo is a detail of Bodhisattva Padmapani located in Cave 1. The paintings found in Cave 1 were also of the second phase of Ajanta construction. This painting shows the Bodhisattva on the threshold of enlightenment. He is in a peaceful posture holding a lotus (his name translates to one holding the Padma or lotus flower) with half closed eyes looking down with compassion. He is richly painted in ochres and reds with some traces of blue. He is adorned in jewels and wears a lavish crown. It's a sensuous painting that is both material and divine. It's sort of a paradox.(5)

Even though we have lost quite a few of the frescoes to bad practice and vandalism we can learn a lot from these ancient artifacts. Somehow a community of people found a way to bring hope and light into a deep dark cave with nothing more than hammer, chisel, faith, and imagination. They created beauty within the mountain.  

    Notes

    1. "The Caves of Ajanta," Khan Academy, accessed October 7, 2020, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/south-asia/x97ec695a:gupta-period/a/the-caves-of-ajanta.

    2. "Interior of Cave No 26, (Ajanta)," British Library, accessed October 7, 2020, http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/i/019pho000430s34u00007000.html.

    3. "What is A Stupa," Lion's Roar, accessed October 7, 2020, https://www.lionsroar.com/what-is-a-stupa/.

    4. "Ajanta Caves: A perspective on Construction Methods and Techniques," IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, accessed October 7, 2020, https://ijret.org/volumes/2016v05/i09/IJRET20160509035.pdf.

    5. "The Ajanta Cave Murals: 'Nothing Less than the Birth of Indian Art,'" The Guardian, accessed October 7, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/aug/15/mural-ajanta-caves-india-birth-indian-art.