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Tenth sanctuary - Ajanta

It is located 105km northeast of the cave temple Aurangabad and about 60km south of Jargaon.The Ajanta Caves were built between 200 BC and 250 AD, and there are 30 caves, including unfinished ones. It is a steep rock wall of a cliff that surrounds the shore in a horseshoe shape along the Wagler River.Buddhism declines as the construction of the cave in Ellora progresses. The Ajanta Caves were also abandoned at that time and were forgotten until they were accidentally discovered by Colonel John Smith, who visited hunting in 1819. However, because it was isolated, it was very well preserved, and some of the paintings still retain their beautiful shades today.In Ajanta's Cave, you can see a unique combination of buildings, sculptures and murals

The caves are numbered from the edge of the valley, but not in chronological order. In fact, the oldest are often found in the central cave.There are two Buddhist monastic buildings: the 9th, 10th, 19th, 26th, and 29th caves of the Chaitya cave (place of worship), and the Vihara cave (monastery) and 25 other caves. Its sophisticated architectural style spans a wide range of four centuries, and can be broadly divided into two eras: the Mahayana Buddhist period and the Hinayana Buddhist period.

Mahayana Buddhist sculptures support the formal metaphorical expression of religious beliefs of the time. On the other hand, the remains of the Hinayana Buddhist period are not so carved.

During the Theravada Buddhist period, the 9th and 10th Chaitiya caves and the 8th, 12th, 13th and 15th A caves of Vihara are applicable.During the Mahayana Buddhist period, these are the 19th and 26th caves, the unfinished 29th cave, the Chaitya cave, and the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 11th, 15th, 17th, 20th and 24th caves.

Among them, the first cave is one of the best preserved Vihara caves, and the mural painting is one of the best in Ajanta. A beautiful lotus hand bodhisattva statue and a Kongo hand bodhisattva statue with an elaborate crown on the head are drawn so as to sandwich the entrance of the main road from both sides.On the side wall of the main road, Mara's attack and temptation on Buddha and the miracle of Slavasty are depicted.

On the walls of the cave, you can see stories such as Shibi Jataka, Samkuhapala Jataka, Mahajanka Jataka, and Champeiya Jataka.

In the second cave, which has the same basic structure as the first cave, you can see the splendid heavenly decoration.Cloud-shaped geometric patterns, miniatures of the Buddha statue, the dreams of Mrs. Maya and the birth of Buddha, the procession of devout female believers carrying offerings, and the story of Hamsa Jataka and Vidura Pandita Jataka. ing.

The 9th, 10th, 12th, and 15th A cave, which is the Chaitya cave, was built during the Hinayana Buddhist period, and the 10th cave belongs to the oldest archaeological site in Ajanta. It is one of the most spectacular early Buddhist Chaitya caves built in West India in the 2nd century BC. Both the early and late murals are left here, and the stories of Sama Jataka and Chaddhanta Jataka are depicted

The 12th cave has lost its written mural and the square hall inside is exposed, and the 15A cave has only a partial front wall left

The 14th, 15th, and 16th are the Vihara Cave, which was built during the Mahayana Buddhist period.Construction of Cave 14 began under a large-scale plan, but it is incomplete

Most of the veranda of the 15th cave has decayed and fell, but above the entrance there is a pagoda protected by a snake-shaped hooded canopy, inside the cathedral and at the back of the front corridor. There are several portraits of Buddha in the area.

The 16th cave is one of Ajanta's representative Vihara cave, and on the wall on the left side of the inside is a mural painting of the story of the priesthood of Nanda, a cousin of Buddha. You can also see the miracle of Slavasty, the procession of elephants, the appearance of Buddha begging his wife and children, the beginning meditation, and the murals of the story of Hasty Jataka and Maha Umaga Jataka.

The 17th cave, which is the Vihara cave, has the most mural paintings.Typical examples are mural paintings with eight Buddhas lined up and panel paintings of Teishakuten flying between the dancers of the heavens and the clouds, but they have deteriorated severely.

There are various Jataka tale scenes such as celestial maidens and players, Buddha who stops the elephant Naragiri released by his cousin Devadatta who was jealous of Buddha, and Chaddhanta, Mahamapi, Vessantara, Stasoma, Matiposaka, Sama, Lulu, Nigroder Mariga and so on.

The 19th cave is the completed Chaitiya cave, and the 20th cave is a small Vihara cave with no pillars, with the Jataka main hall protruding into the front corridor.

The 21st and 24th caves were built in the latest of Ajanta's caves, and the degree of completion varies.The 26th cave is larger than the 19th cave, but the arrangement and decoration are similar.