AJANTA CAVES

Buddhist rock-cut cave temples and monasteries, near Ajanta village, north-central Maharashtra state, western India, celebrated for their wall paintings. The temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of a 70-foot (20-metre) ravine in the Wagurna River valley, 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Aurangabad, at a site of great scenic beauty. The group of some 30 caves was excavated between the 1st century BC and the 7th century AD and consists of two types, caityas (sanctuaries) and viharas (monasteries). Although the sculpture, particularly the rich ornamentation of the caitya pillars, is noteworthy, it is the fresco-type paintings that are the chief interest of Ajanta. These paintings depict colourful Buddhist legends and divinities with an exuberance and vitality that is unsurpassed in Indian art.