Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves, group of about 30 caves carved out of the sides of a steep ravine in east central India, in Mahārāshtra State (formerly Hyderābād), near the village of Ajanta. The caves, discovered in 1819, are famous for their frescoes, and also contain a significant amount of sculptural work. The caves were painted between the 2nd century BC and the 7th century AD. These historic wall paintings trace the development of painting styles during that time. Most of the wall paintings are based on the Jatakas (stories of the former lives of Gautama, the Buddha), or on events in the life of the Buddha. The feeling of the kinship of all living things, which plays so large a part in Buddhism, is apparent in all the paintings. Their astonishing liveliness, their rich and subtle colors, and the consummate skill of their execution make them the supreme monument of Buddhist painting in India. See Indian Art and Architecture.