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It was only
in the 19th century, that the Ajanta group of caves, lying deep
within the Sahyadri hills, cut into the curved mountain side,
above the Waghora river, were discovered. A group of British
officers on a tiger hunt, stumbled on these ancient works of
art. They depict the story of Buddhism, spanning the period
from 200 BC to 650 AD.
The 29 caves
were built as secluded retreats of the Buddhist monks, who taught
and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas, the ancient
seats of learning, and nerve - centres of the Buddhist cultural
movement. Using simple tools like hammer and chisel, the
monks carved out the impressive figures adorning the walls of
these structures. Exquisite wall - paintings and sculptures
speak volumes of the India of yore. Many of the caves house
panels depicting stories from the Jatakas, a rich mine of tales
of the several incarnations of the Buddha. Images of nymphs
and princesses amongst others, are also elaborately portrayed.
Cave 1 houses some of the most well - preserved wall paintings
which include two great Boddhisattvas, Padmapani and Avalokiteshvara.
Caves 2 , 16 and 17 also contain amazing paintings, while Caves
1, 4, 17, 19, 24 and 26 boast of some of the most divine sculptures.
The flying apsara, of Cave 17, and the image of Buddha preaching
in Cave 17, are a couple of unforgettable works of art. The
Ajanta caves and the treasures they house, are a landmark in
the overall development of Buddhism as such.
By air: Aurangabad, ( 99
km from Ajanta and 30 km from Ellora ), is the ideal base to
visit Ajanta and ellora, is directly linked to Delhi, Udaipur,
Jaipur and Mumbai.
By rail: Aurangabad is directly
linked to Mumbai and Pune. Jalgaon, a railhead on the Central
Railways line, is 59 km from Ajanta.
By road: State buses run
from Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Shirdi, Nasik, Dhule,
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore and Bijapur to Aurangabad, and
from Jalgaon to Ajanta. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
(M T D C) operates conducted tours from Mumbai to Aurangabad.
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