Ajanta and Ellora: Buddhist Cave Temples of Ancient India
Cut directly into basalt cliffs by monks and artists over a period of nearly seven centuries (2nd century BCE to 6th century CE), the Ajanta Caves constitute the most complete surviving example of ancient Indian Buddhist art — 30 cave temples whose walls and ceilings preserve paintings of extraordinary quality depicting the Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha's previous lives), scenes from the life of the historical Buddha, and celestial beings of such expressive power that they have never been surpassed in the history of Indian painting. The nearby Ellora Caves (extending the tradition through Hinduism and Jainism) add the greatest rock-cut temple in the world: the Kailasa temple, carved from the top down from a single basalt outcrop, its 30-meter height achieved by removing 200,000 tons of rock. These are not buildings constructed from assembled materials. They are existing mountains, revealing the sacred within them. Cave 19, Ajanta — the chaitya (prayer hall...