The caves of Ajanta are situated in the district of Aurangabad in the state of Maharashtra. Ajanta is about 100 km by road from Aurangabad and about 60 km from Jalgaon. An extended stay at Aurangabad would be rewarding, as the equally important caves are only about 30 km away.
The possible explanation for the monastic establishment at Ajanta is its proximity to the ancient trade routes.
Period of Excavation
The earliest caves in Ajanta were excavated during the rule of the Satavahana-s, who had their capital at Pratishthana (called Paithan in Maharashtra today). During their rule there was brisk trade and commerce within the land and with the Mediterranean world, which brought in enormous riches.First Phase
Hinayana period (2nd - 1st centuries BC) Caves 8, 9, 10, 13 & 15A were excavated during the rule of the Satavahana dynasty. During this period there was only limited sculptural activity.
The second phase was of greater artistic activity at Ajanta during the rule of the Vakataka and the Chalukya dynasties from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD.
Second Phase
Mahayana period (4th – 6th centuries AD) Remaining caves were excavated during the rule of the Vakataka & the Chalukya dynasties.
Re-discovery
The precious caves remained abandoned till 1817 when they were discovered by a company of British soldiers. Soon pioneer archaeologists were attracted to the caves that were lost to civilization for more than 1200 years.
James Burgess and William Gill made copies of some of the paintings and exhibited in London in 1866. Unfortunately almost all of these perished in a disastrous fire.
Later some copies were made by Griffiths and Lady Herringham, and published in 1896 and 1915. Under the patronage of the Nizam, the then ruler of Hyderabad, Yazdani edited and published two volumes on the paintings in 1933.
Layout of the Caves The caves, lying deep inside the Sahyadri Hills, are hollowed out on the deep face of a horseshoe-shaped hillside with the Waghora river flowing through it.
The caves are aligned in a horseshoe form. There are a total of 29 caves. The general arrangement was not pre-planned, as they sprang up sporadically in different periods.
The caves are numbered not on the basis of period of excavation, but on their physical location.
Rahula and Yashodhara meet the Buddha, Cave 17
Rock-cut Architecture
Rock-cut Architecture
Maha-pari-nirvana, Cave 26
Cave 2
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