[amdavadis4ever] Ajantha Caves, Aurangabad in India

 

He Was Hunting A Tiger When He Found This Strange Cave, And You Won't Believe What's Inside… In April of 1819, British officer John Smith was pursuing a tiger through the jungle outside of Mumbai when he stumbled upon a strange cave entrance hidden in the brush.   Something seemed oddly deliberate about the cave entrance and so he decided to abandon his hunt to investigate further. He soon discovered what appeared to be ornate carvings in the rock. Little did he know that was just the beginning. This is the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India. It has about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE. The caves include paintings and rock cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive painting that present emotion through gesture, pose and form. According to UNESCO, these are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that influenced Indian art that followed. The caves were built in two phases, the first group starting around the 2nd century BC, while the second group of caves built around 400–650 AD according to older accounts, or all in a brief period of 460 to 480 according to Walter M. Spink. The site is a protected monument in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India, and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1819, British officer John Smith was hunting a tiger in the forest outside of Mumbai when he stumbled across a strange cave. Inside were what appeared to be man-made carvings. But that was just the beginning. Further investigation revealed an entire system of shrines and monuments carved directly into the rock. And 30 different caves. Experts believe that they were constructed around 200 BCE as a retreat for Buddhist monks during the terrible monsoon season. Each of the caves is unique, with its own intricately designed entrances and interiors. The caves were largely abandoned by the 7th century, but remained a sacred place for locals. Many of the carvings depict the life of Buddha and his many incarnations.   There are also a large number of paintings, many of which are remarkably well-preserved. It's amazing how much color and detail still remains after all those years. One of the more popular theories surrounding the caves is that they were built to align with the solstices and other cosmological events. Caves 19 and 26 do actually align perfectly with the winter and summer solstices, respectively. On their designated days, the sun shines straight through holes in their roofs, illuminating the religious displays within. Even after centuries, the interiors are still absolutely stunning. The effort and precision required to build these elaborate structures is truly mind-boggling. Especially considering they had to do it with comparatively limited tools. We may never know exactly how they managed to build these incredible caves. Simply amazing. It really makes you wonder what other secrets may still be hiding out there, waiting to be discovered by adventurous souls!

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Posted by: Chander Menghani <cgm1952@yahoo.com>

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